Earnhardt surprised by strong start

Earnhardt, who is in his first season with Hendrick Motorsports, is currently ranked fourth in the drivers' championship only 69 points behind Jeff Burton, while his teammates Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson just recently moved up into the top twelve in the standings.

"That's very surprising to me and I'm surprised that we're in the top five in points," Earnhardt Jr said.

"But I look at the team and the motors and the company, I'm not surprised but I look at how new it is to me and how young me and Tony (Eury) Jr. are compared to when you look at how long we've been there, it surprised me.

"I'm going to take it man. We're going to keep working with it and keep going with it and see how much we can accomplish."

Hendrick Motorsports drivers won 18 out of 36 races last season but have yet to win this year. Earnhardt scored a win in the non-points Bud shootout on his first race for the team in February and then won as well in one of the Gatorade Duel qualifying races at Daytona.

However he has not won a points' race for his new boss but says to be taking the time to fully integrate himself into the Hendrick system and deliver his true potential.

"I have tons to learn and a lot to give yet, but I've got a lot to learn first," he added. "It's going to take some time and patience to let it come to me and to understand the ins and outs of the organization.

"I don't know for sure that I've met everybody that we have there yet. We've been busy. It's hopefully a long, long-term relationship and so there's plenty of time."

Earnhardt won his first Sprint Cup Series race at Texas Motor Speedway in 2000 and also claimed his maiden Nationwide Series victory at the mile and a half oval exactly ten years ago.

He will start Sunday's Samsung 500 from pole position and Saturday's Nationwide Series' O'Reilly Challenge from 10th place on the grid driving one of his team's cars.