FanHouse DierksBentley

Recently, Wrangler Jeans was kind enough to invite FanHouse down to Charlotte to interview Dale Earnhardt, Jr., and -- I kid you not -- ride a couple laps in the 88 car. (Watch the full video of Will Brinson's ride with Dale Jr.) What follows is the conversation between Junior and myself about Hendrick Motorsports, Jimmie Johnson's dominance and how Amp is secretly a better post race drink than Budweiser.

Will Brinson: Thanks for having us down here to hang out, ride around in cars, and get our NASCAR feet wet.

Dale Earnhardt, Jr.: Yeah, man, good to have you.

WB: I want to talk about the Sprint Cup for just a second. Jimmie [Johnson] is locked up, right? He's got his third straight title? What are your thoughts on that?

DE: Yeah, I think Jimmie's on record to set a new record, even to write history. I said to him the other day, "Man you're writing history". And I'm happy for him, he's a great guy ... I say to him all the time: "If people only knew who you are ...". But I think people do know Jimmie is and know he's a good guy. But man, he really deserves it; he works the hardest of any driver I know to stay in shape, to understand what's going on out there and to be ready do his job every Sunday. They're hard to beat man, and they earned it.

"Country music star" and "hockey cred" usually go together about as well as Toby Keith and The Dixie Chicks. Dierks Bentley would be the exception to that rule; anyone who rents out the Sommet Center in Nashville to celebrate his fifth No. 1 single with a friendly hockey game is a true celebrity puckhead. As the Arizona native told CMT when asked about his favorite sport to watch or play:

I got really into hockey about four years ago when the Nashville Predators moved to town. A friend of mine who I played bluegrass with -- who's from Canada -- gave me all his old gear. I just jumped in a men's league in Nashville, not knowing anything. I used to play a lot more ... because I've been gone for most of this year, but it's still my favorite sport to play, bar none.

So I imagine it's a badge of honor to take a check against the boards from the Predators' Jordin Tootoo. I have to hand it to Dierks: Considering Tootoo's history with country singers, letting him get his aggression out with a free shot would not have been at the top of my to-do list: