Drinking & driving once again races to the forefront, but this time, it’s about Dale Earnhardt Jr. and his brand-new bar in Charlotte.

The ASSOCIATED PRESS reports there was a VIP grand opening earlier this week for Dale Jr.’s latest business venture, Whisky River. (Guess our invite got lost in the mail.) The bar is located in downtown Charlotte, right across from the Bobcats Arena, and just a few blocks away from the NASCAR Hall of Fame set to open in 2010. Location, location, location!

But some wonder why Dale Jr. would be working so hard on opening a watering hole, when he hasn’t tasted victory in his last 70 races.

His response:

“There’s a stigma about how drivers can’t do anything. They have to focus, and this, that and the other. Anytime you do anything or want to do anything or talk about anything, people want to question your focus or whatever.”

Depending how much someone drinks at the bar, anyone can lose focus. But frankly, Dale doesn’t care if you don’t approve of his booze business:

“It doesn’t bother me if somebody comes up and says what you’re doing isn’t right, you should focus here. That doesn’t bother me. I could care less … People think I’m on the phone wheeling and dealing, ordering the beer and liquor and positioning everything like I want it. I’m not the one doing that. I’m racing in Phoenix for crying out loud.”

One noticeable theme of Dale’s bar is the prevalent use of orange, a color he apparently really likes - “it dominates the logos on the walls, and there’s an orange bench in the VIP room.”

Gee, wonder where he got that idea.