DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) -A half hour before the doors to the store open, the line stretches to nearly 100 people. Fans are working themselves into a frenzy, dancing awkwardly for the chance to win free T-shirts and chanting their favorite driver's name over and over.
You folks know Dale Earnhardt Jr. isn't actually here, right?
"We've already seen him," Earnhardt fan Krystle Forsythe said, standing at the front of the line. "We've been stalking him all week."
Welcome to Juniorpalooza, a celebration of NASCAR's most popular driver that's sure to put cash registers in high gear.
Friday morning marked the formal launch of Earnhardt's new signature line of clothing from sportswear manufacturer adidas, combining Junior's sense of style with adidas' familiar three-stripe pattern.
Earnhardt is only the fourth athlete to receive his own personal line with adidas, joining David Beckham, the NFL's Reggie Bush and the NBA's Tracy McGrady.
Judging by the scene outside the Sports Authority store across the street from Daytona International Speedway on Friday, the new clothing line could become the racing equivalent to Apple's iPhone or Nintendo's Wii.
"Well, it's more important to me, because I don't have either of those," said 23-year-old Forsythe.
She and her mother, Diana Brock, flew all the way down from Collingwood, Ontario, to attend Sunday's Daytona 500.
And if that wasn't enough of a show of loyalty to their favorite driver - who's "just funny and he can drive really good," according to Forsythe - they also lined up early to get first crack at Earnhardt's new souvenir line.
How early?
Try 10:30 Thursday night.
"We're from Canada, so we won't be able to get this stuff for a while," Forsythe said.
