MOORESVILLE, N.C. (Feb. 7, 2008) – The first episode of Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s new television series Dale Jr. – Shifting Gears is scheduled to air tomorrow at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN2. The series provides viewers with a behind-the-scenes look at the personal, corporate and competitive ramifications involved with the five-time NASCAR Most Popular Driver award recipient changing teams.

Dale Jr. – Shifting Gears is produced by Earnhardt Jr.’s Hammerhead Entertainment, a division of JR Motorsports, in cooperation with Hendrick Motorsports and is presented by the National Guard. The new program is part of an exclusive, multimedia agreement between ESPN and Hammerhead Entertainment.

Three of the five episodes of Shifting Gears air on ESPN2 in the nine days prior to the Daytona 500, including following ESPN2’s live coverage of NASCAR Nationwide Series qualifying on Friday, Feb. 15, and the NASCAR Nationwide Series Camping World 300 at Daytona on Saturday, Feb. 16. The final two episodes air on ESPN in prime time the week of the July 27 Allstate 400 at the Brickyard, ESPN’s first live NASCAR Sprint Cup event of the season.

The air schedule (all times Eastern):

Friday, Feb. 8 7-8 p.m. ESPN2 Friday, Feb. 15 6:30-8 p.m. ESPN2 Saturday, Feb. 16 4:30-6 p.m. ESPN2 Thursday, July 24 7-8 p.m. ESPN Friday, July 25 7-8 p.m. ESPN

About NASCAR on ESPN: ESPN and ESPN on ABC has comprehensive, multi-platform coverage featuring telecasts of the final 17 NASCAR Sprint Cup races, including the 10-race “Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup” on ESPN on ABC. Additionally, ESPN2 is the home of the NASCAR Nationwide Series all season. All programming is produced totally in High Definition. ESPN’s comprehensive, multimedia NASCAR coverage extends to ESPN.com, ESPN Deportes, ESPN Deportes Radio, SportsCenter, ESPN The Magazine, ESPN Classic, ESPNEWS, ESPNRadio, ESPN360.com and ESPN International, among other ESPN platforms. ESPN aired 262 NASCAR Cup Races over a 20-year period starting in 1981 and returned to NASCAR coverage in 2007. The network's award-winning, live flag-to-flag coverage on ESPN was honored with 17 Sports Emmy Awards, as well as many industry honors. It is widely credited for helping to popularize the sport nationwide. NASCAR races have appeared on ABC for decades, beginning with broadcasts on the award-winning Wide World of Sports program in the 1960s.

About JR Motorsports Established in 1999, JR Motorsports is the management company and racing operation for professional stock car driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. JRM competes in multiple racing divisions, including the NASCAR Nationwide Series, in which it fields two full-time teams. Earnhardt Jr.'s organization is based out of a 66,000-square foot facility in Mooresville, N.C., and includes the JR Nation retail store and Dale Jr. Fan Experience. In 2006 Earnhardt Jr. introduced Hammerhead Entertainment, a full-service production company under the JR Motorsports banner. For more information on JR Motorsports, visit www.dalejr.com.