Dale Earnhardt Jr. New Year’s Resolution draws lots of online love

Dale Earnhardt Jr. is drawing lots of online love for his 2018 New Year’s Resolution: To cycle 50 to 100 miles a week.

Earnhardt’s tweet on Monday night announcing his resolution had drawn a thousand likes by Wednesday and scores of replies cheering him on.

One fan even encouraged him to bring along the baby girl he and his wife, Amy, are expecting in May.

Earnhardt, who retired from the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series last year, told the Observer in May that Hendrick Motorsports teammate Jimmie Johnson coaxed him to pick up cycling earlier in the year.

“Jimmie loaned me a bike – one of his Treks – about a year and a half ago, and I piddled with it a little bit,” Earnhardt told the Observer. “But I never really went on a ride. It just sat at my house for a year before I even touched it. Then Hendrick started talking about ‘We’re gonna hold you guys accountable to a certain amount of fitness.’ So I’m thinking, ‘Oh man, I gotta do something.’ And Jimmie was like, ‘You gotta try the bike, you gotta try the bike.’

“I’m in love with it,” Earnhardt said.

Some fans invited Earnhardt via Twitter this week to join their bicycle clubs and their own rides.

Others said Earnhardt has inspired them to keep in shape by cycling, too.

“I’m gonna steal your resolution if you don’t mind,” tweeted rally car driver Steven Harrell. “Spent the last year losing weight for the rally car, but I’ve stalled out (pun!) the last couple months. Hopefully upping my cycling game will get things back on track (pun!).”

This story was originally published January 3, 2018 at 9:07 PM with the headline "Dale Earnhardt Jr. New Year’s Resolution draws lots of online love."