While his hometown may read Kannapolis, N.C., the unofficial home of Junior Nation is located in the heart of Alabama in a town called Talladega. Unlike any other place in the world, twice a year this spec on the map transforms into a Mecca of Motorsports and brings out some of the most hardcore of the Hardcore Race Fans - mostly to cheer their for their man, Dale Earnhardt Jr.

This weekend, Junior Nation will be in full force at the 2.5-mile behemoth of a track. Amp Energy is not only going to be on the hood of Earnhardt Jr.'s No. 88 Chevrolet, it is also the title sponsor of Sunday's 500-mile event and making the most of the sport's biggest fan base.

To prove that point, Junior will carry over 70,000 Hardcore Race Fans with him this week as he carries the "Ride with Dale Jr." paint scheme for Amp Energy and Hendrick Motorsports. All of the fans that signed up for the "Ride with Dale Jr." program at AmpEnergy.com can log back onto the site to find where their name will appear on the car this weekend.

"We are giving fans the opportunity to be involved in the event and what we do," Earnhardt Jr. explained. "It's a pretty unique looking race car so hopefully the fans will enjoy it. I think I will. Also, my fire suit is going to be cool -- it's all white. A change of pace is always fun."

Heading to one of his best tracks, Junior is looking for a change of pace himself. So far in the Chase, Junior has only one top-5 (a 5th in New Hampshire) and has struggled a bit to find his rhythm. Returning to the land of Junior Nation with his sponsor as the title sponsor of the race, Earnhardt Jr. feels the pressure to perform, but welcomes it with open arms.

"Having your sponsor headline the race does add a little pressure because they're anticipating for you to do well," the five-time Most Popular Driver added. "I don't really know how the sponsors look at it, but I assume they take note to where their car is at the finish of that race. I'm assuming that's why they picked that racetrack and picked that particular even to sponsor. It adds a little pressure. Every time people add pressure it always helps me. It's good for me -- people pushing me. It motivates a little bit."

The 143,000-plus fans in the stands also tend to motivate the sport's favorite son. Each time Earnhardt Jr. takes the lead at any track the stands erupt in a sea of green and white, but nowhere is that presence more felt than at Talladega.

"You just try to get in the lead as soon as you can because that's what they came for. Try to be in the lead as much as you can -- they want you out front; they want you leading every lap -- so you just work really hard to do that," says Earnhardt. "I think they understand the odds of winning versus losing, but they want you to be in the mix at the end. If I'm in the mix and feel like if I would have done one thing differently and I might have won, then I kind of feel like I paid my dues. But if I'm not in the mix, and I don't have a shot to win, and I'm nowhere near the front near the end, then I feel like I've let everybody down."

Currently eighth in the standings and 190 points out of the lead, Earnhardt Jr. has the chance to make a powerful statement in front of some of his most loyal fans. With Amp taking reign of the weekend, a win would do more for this team right now than can possibly be imagined. All season long fans and media alike have been waiting for Earnhardt Jr. and the entire No. 88 to turn the corner and hit a streak and, if all goes well, Sunday just might be that day.