DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- The pressure lifted, Dale Earnhardt Jr. hugged crew members, high-fived others and exulted after last weekend's Budweiser Shootout victory in his Hendrick Motorsports debut.

"That's so awesome! That's so awesome! That's so awesome!" he yelled.

Many shared his excitement.

The industry celebrates each time Dale Earnhardt Jr. visits Victory Lane, hoping that the sport's most popular driver can help save NASCAR. Or at least raise declining TV ratings and attendance.

Earnhardt's victories this week in the shootout and in Thursday's qualifying race gave NASCAR a season-opening boost. It's better than last season when all the talk at Daytona was about cheating scandals and suspended crew chiefs. Earnhardt returns the focus to racing and fans to his souvenir trailers.

"How could the season start any better?" said Mark Dyer, president of Motorsports Authentics, which sells driver merchandise. "Let's face it, he's our Michael Jordan from a marketing standpoint."

Although Jeff Gordon has four titles, Jimmie Johnson the past two and Tony Stewart stirs the mix with his talent and temperament, Earnhardt leads NASCAR.

He crosses generations. Long-time fans look at him as Dale Sr.'s kid and admire his reverence toward the sport's history. Newcomers are drawn to his hip factor -- from being in a Jay-Z video to having his own ESPN show that takes viewers behind the scenes in his world.

That Earnhardt has not won a Cup points race since May 2006 -- he has two Cup victories in his last 110 starts -- and did not make the Chase last year leads many people to believe that the sport needs him to excel.

"If Dale Jr. has a big year, that will help," NASCAR Chairman Brian France said last month. "He's got the biggest fan base. It will energize that fan base, no question."

Said Earnhardt of France's comments: "Maybe he's trying to send me a message to get off my butt."

Earnhardt smiled after making the comment. He takes NASCAR places it rarely goes.

This week, he appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated, the first time a Cup driver has been featured on the magazine's front since Earnhardt's last appearance in July 2002. Friday, adidas launched Earnhardt's exclusive JR Nation gear in stores. Friday night, Earnhardt appeared on QVC and was featured prominently on the shopping network's Web site during the day.

His power reaches further. When Earnhardt makes a change companies shudder.

Motorsports Authentics lost more than $40 million last year in part due to Earnhardt's departure from Dale Earnhardt Inc.

Stores ordered fewer Earnhardt items after his May announcement and Motorsports Authentics was left with a surplus that had be to sharply reduced, and even then it didn't always sell.

A new team, a new number and now signs of winning excite Junior Nation. Dyer said that five of the 27 Motorsports Authentics merchandise haulers sell only Earnhardt products -- more than any other driver. Trucks bring more items almost daily.

Should Earnhardt complete the Speedweeks Triple Crown by winning Sunday's Daytona 500, it would only elevate his presence and the sport's notoriety.

"It's certainly rare for a single athlete to elevate a sport's standing and awareness,'' wrote David Carter, professor of sports business at the University of Southern California, in an e-mail.

"Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods, and Tony Hawk have all increased the overall market for their sports over the years. Each of these athletes helped 'make the market' for the sport in which they played -- and then extended it. It is hoped that Earnhardt Jr. will be able to do so at a time when NASCAR is already strongly positioned."

Earnhardt's power is felt elsewhere, even among his teammates. Johnson signed last month with Creative Artists Agency to represent him in marketing, licensing and endorsement deals and broaden his appeal. The company's clientele include LeBron James, Derek Jeter and David Beckham, according to Sports Business Journal.

"I feel that there are certain drivers in our sport that have cornered our hard-core fan and Dale Junior is a prime example," Johnson said. "And there is no way that what I do is going to switch them into being a Jimmie Johnson fan. So my goal is to get out to our larger fan base and to new fans who are coming in and are going to pick a driver, say maybe a casual fan, and have them decide that's my guy and that's who I want to pull for."

Johnson might need that help sooner should Earnhardt have even more success this season.

"Junior is in a whole different league and situation," Gordon said of his new teammate's marketability. "He's already hot but if he starts winning a lot and really putting his name out there in Victory Lane, there's no telling how big that can be."

And how much bigger it can make NASCAR.