DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- It won't be easy for Dale Earnhardt Jr. to part ways with Steve Letarte, but NASCAR's most popular driver understands why his crew chief will transition from the pit box into the broadcast booth following this season. This was one of those situations," Earnhardt told SiriusXM NASCAR satellite radio in an interview Thursday night at the fan fest following the rained-out opening day of Preseason Thunder testing at Daytona International Speedway. "Steve had an opportunity, he's going to be off half of the season and be able to spend that time with his kids. NBC Sports announced Thursday that Letarte would step down from the crew chief's role after this year and become an analyst for the network, which returns as a NASCAR broadcast partner beginning in 2015. More...