Earnhardt chugs beer with crew and fans after final race

HOMESTEAD, Fla. (AP) --
  
Dale Earnhardt Jr. chugged a few beers on pit road with his crew following his final Cup race. He was surrounded by hundreds of fans.
  
Drenched in sweat and suds, Junior and the crew kept grabbing beer out of a cooler sitting on the trunk of his Chevrolet.
  
Earnhardt passed the beers around to his guys. One by one, they huddled like frat brothers around the 88 and raised -- and sprayed -- their Budweisers in a toast to the career of NASCAR's most popular driver.
  
"We're going to miss you Junior!" a fan screamed at Earnhardt.
  
"Let's go, Junior! Let's go!" another yelled in a sing-song voice.
  
Earnhardt finished 25th in his final NASCAR Cup race, the result a mere footnote in a career that counts two Daytona 500s, 14 most popular driver awards and a universal respect in the garage.
  
One example for the love, Earnhardt left his party to seek out hunting buddy and best friend, NASCAR champion Martin Truex Jr., on the stage.
  
Earnhardt and Truex had a career celebration and a championship coronation all at once.

Associated Press