The good ol’ boys of NASCAR started their season Saturday night, and it didn’t take the fans long to find their beloved Dale Earnhardt Jr. He was right up front through most of the Bud Shootout, cruising to victory in his brand new #88 Hendrick Motorsport car. After a year of infighting with his stepmother/boss Teresa Earnhardt, who owns Dale Earnhardt Inc, NASCAR couldn’t have written a better script to start the season. Earnhardt Jr is by far the sport’s biggest star, so having him in a competitive car is crucial. Hendrick will no doubt supply him with that, and with teamates like Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson watching his back, expect to see Jr with the frontrunners for most of the season. As Sunday’s Daytona 500 grows closer, one has to think that Teresa and the rest of DEI made a huge error in judgement. The revenue lost by Earnhardt Jr’s departure will be impossible to recover.