Dale Earnhardt Jr. starstruck by Hollywood celebrities

Dale Earnhardt Jr.‘s popularity extends well beyond NASCAR. He’s starred in a Jay Z music video, made countless appearances on a wide spectrum of television programs and twice been featured in Rolling Stone.

It would seem then that Earnhardt would be quite comfortable hobnobbing with other celebrities. Except Earnhardt says that isn’t the case at all -- in fact, it’s the opposite.

“I don’t feel like a star,” Earnhardt said Thursday. “I’m just a racecar driver. Racecar drivers aren’t celebrities, in my opinion. Not like an actor or a guy who’s in a movie. To meet Mark Wahlberg, that’s a bit different than a racecar driver for me.”

Earnhardt tweeted a photo of Wahlberg and himself Wednesday, as he was making publicity appearances throughout Los Angeles promoting the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship, which begins Sunday at Chicagoland Speedway. One stop included guesting on Jimmy Kimmel Live.

“I got a chance to meet some celebrities and get starstruck,” Earnhardt said. “I got to do Kimmel, which is always a blast. He’s such a professional and makes you feel pretty comfortable.”

“It was real easy, not a lot of stress, you just get nervous when you meet somebody famous, and that’s about it.”

So which celebrity would Earnhardt like to meet more than any other? That would be Tom Hanks, the first person Earnhardt followed when he signed up for Twitter.

“I think he’d be fun to talk to,” Earnhardt said. “He has a great sense of humor and probably could give you some great advice.”