Happy Birthday, Dale!

CONCORD, N.C. – Dale Earnhardt Jr. could sense something was up, but couldn’t quite figure it out.

He had no off-days scheduled this month. His calendar this week was especially full, typical for the days leading to the race at Charlotte Motor Speedway. With an event every single day, the 11-time Most Popular Driver wasn’t sure when his friends and family were planning on celebrating his 40th birthday -- Oct. 10.

And then an appearance on Monday was cancelled out of the blue.

“I walked downstairs in my basement where all my family and friends [were waiting],” Earnhardt said on the surprise party thrown for him on Monday. “They got me, man, it was good. It was real good. [Girlfriend] Amy and everybody did a great job putting that thing together. It was a fun time.”

The celebration was a chance for Earnhardt to unwind before the race at Charlotte and socialize with friends he hadn’t seen in a while.

 “I saw a lot of people there I hadn’t seen in so long, a lot of drivers that I raced with,” Earnhardt said. “It’s awesome when your peers come out and support and celebrate your life with you like that. That meant a lot.”

And he certainly has a lot to celebrate.

“You kind of reflect a little bit and you think about how lucky everything has worked out and how fortunate,” Earnhardt said. “What a hell of a deal. … I mean, I’ve had so much fun. Done a lot of great things and been a lot of crazy places and have had some fun times.”

Earnhardt may be 40 on paper, but said he still young at heart.

“I’m [feel] like aging in literal years faster than I am physically and mentally,” Earnhardt said. “I feel like I just have a lot of things that I’ve yet to accomplish, not only in racing, but in life in general, lot of fun that I’m not done having. I feel great. 

“Hopefully, the next 10 will be just as good and we will just keep going.”

And the now-40-year-old driver knows exactly what he wants for his birthday.

“I guess there are still some surprises to come,” Earnhardt said. “But we will hopefully win the race and that will be the biggest surprise.”