Earnhardt to appear on 'Shaq Vs.' Tuesday

MOORESVILLE, N.C. (Aug. 2, 2010) – It might not be Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s toughest challenge, but by far it is his biggest. The season premiere of ABC’s primetime television series "Shaq Vs." will feature Dale Earnhardt Jr. – NASCAR’s most popular driver and winner of more than 40 NASCAR-sanctioned races – in a one-on-one stock car race against 7-foot-1, 325-pound Shaquille O’Neal. The program will air this Tuesday, Aug. 3 at 9 p.m. ET on ABC. (Check local listings for further details.) In the television series, O’Neal matches his skill and athletic ability against the best athletes, entertainers, and pop culture stars in the country by competing in their respective realms. The first season featured epic battles against Albert Pujols in a homerun-hitting contest, Michael Phelps in a swimming race, and Oscar de la Hoya in a boxing match. Tuesday night’s premiere will pit O’Neal against Earnhardt in a stock car race as well as champion speller Kavya Shivashankar in a spelling bee. “Having Shaq come to my place in North Carolina was a great experience,” Earnhardt said. “When he walked up to me for the first time, my first thought was it’s 50-50 whether he’ll be able to fit in the car. But that was part of the intrigue, and that alone is why people should watch Tuesday night. It’s a sight to behold. “I am very appreciative to Shaquille for the opportunity to be on the show. I think NASCAR fans enjoy seeing other stars embrace our sport and display the same passion we have. It proves that NASCAR is still a very powerful and prominent attraction." In conjunction with his appearance on "Shaq Vs.," Earnhardt will be a guest on the following radio programs Tuesday morning: 8:30 a.m. – "Stephen A. Smith Show," nationally syndicated on Fox Sports Radio 8:40 a.m. – "The Mac Attack Show" on 610 AM WFNZ-AM Charlotte 8:50 a.m. – "Zakk & Jack Show," syndicated throughout Midwest on Fox Sports Radio 9:00 a.m. – "Tony & Kris Morning Show," nationally syndicated out of Nashville, Tenn. 9:20 a.m. – "The Dan Patrick Show," nationally syndicated out of Chicago, Ill. Shaq Vs. is produced by Media Rights Capital in association with dick clark productions.