Driver Biography

As though Dale Earnhardt Jr. didn't have enough hype and expectations entering the NASCAR Winston Cup Series, Tony Stewart had to go and change everybody's thinking about rookies. Still, there are those who think that if anyone can match the '99 Raybestos Rookie of the Year, it's the '98 and '99 NASCAR Busch Series Grand National Division champion.

That's probably asking too much, but Earnhardt has proven beyond any doubt that his name isn't the only thing that's gotten him to the level where he is. The young man can drive a race car.

He followed up his amazing, from-out-of-nowhere 1998 championship campaign with a '99 run that was just as strong. "Little E" totaled 13 wins in two-plus seasons in NASCAR's junior circuit, and he's bringing along a lot of the guys who gave him the race cars in which he was so dominant.

In his first taste of NASCAR Winston Cup Series racing, Earnhardt held his own. Mechanical problems at New Hampshire knocked him out early and relegated him to a 43rd-place finish, but other than that the No. 8 Chevy ran very strong. Earnhardt made all five races he entered in the first round of qualifying, and had an average finish of 16.0 in the four races he finished. He notched his first career top-10 in his fourth start with a 10th-place at Richmond.

The pressure will be on, but Jr. has been faced with big expectations ever since he's been in racing, and he's always met them.

Earnhardt Jr., a resident of Mooresville, N.C., began his professional driving career at the age of 17, competing in the street stock division at Concord (N.C.) Speedway. Within two seasons, the young Earnhardt had honed his driving abilities to the point of joining the NASCAR Late Model Stock Division, where he developed a knowledge of chassis setup and car preparation.

With his father's guidance and his own experience on the short tracks throughout the Carolinas, he was ready to take a bold step forward to the NASCAR Busch Series.

In his inaugural NASCAR Busch Series event at Myrtle Beach, S.C. in 1997, Earnhardt Jr. posted a 7th-place starting position and a respectable 13th-place finish. He picked up his first NASCAR Busch Series victory on April 4, 1998 at Texas Motor Speedway. After that, he went on to win at Dover, Milwaukee, Fontana, Indianapolis, Richmond and St. Louis.

A third generation NASCAR driver, Earnhardt Jr. would like nothing more than to follow in the tire marks of his grandfather, Ralph Earnhardt, and his father, Dale Earnhardt.

"You hope your kids turn out OK and then when they take up what you do, you worry about 'em because of the danger factor," Dale Earnhardt said. "I didn't tell him no, but you just let them do what they've got to do. I guess he watched his grand daddy Ralph Earnhardt enough to learn how to drive.

"He looks like he's been doing it for awhile. He's got a good rhythm and a good feel for the cars. He's got confidence, and he really communicates well with the crew. If he stays focused, then whatever happens, happens. Hopefully the championships will come."

Earnhardt Jr. says he's never worried about living up to his surname, and his success on the NASCAR Busch Series circuit didn't really come as a surprise.

"I don't really think about carrying on the family racing name," Earnhardt Jr. said. "I'm just so proud of my family and real proud to be involved with my father in racing. It's a good relationship. I'm proud of my father and grandfather and what they've done.

"I'm so happy to be a part of this team. We have a great unit, and that's what it takes. It takes a lot more than just a driver. The guys taught me a lot last season, and I'm sure I'll keep learning about racing for many years to come."

After a slump during the summer,Jr is finally bouncing back.Lets hope he finishes good at the end of the season.

Hometown

Concord, N.C.

Birthday Oct. 10, 1974

Hobbies Water sports, computers

Another Day At Darlington

DARLINGTON, S.C. -- Dale Earnhardt Jr. doesn't like Darlington Raceway. Hates it, in fact. Said so right there in his interview with Playboy magazine. Called it the worst track on the Winston Cup circuit.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. had little to smile about at Darlington on Sunday.

Sunday's Southern 500 likely did nothing to lessen his distaste for the Track Too Tough to Tame. Earnhardt, seemingly not quite himself throughout the race and complaining consistently about his car and his prospects, was involved in at least two on-track incidents -- one with Stacy Compton, the other with Ron Hornaday -- that brought a warning from NASCAR.

"They said if we run into anybody else, we was gonna get parked," Earnhardt said.

Though there were no repercussions from those actions, Junior was clearly on edge Sunday, a point he admitted to his crew when he learned that NASCAR was watching him.

"I know what they're saying," he said in response to the warning. "I don't what's getting into me. I'm just not into it right now."

Nor was he into it after the race, when he was still fuming at NASCAR's decision to bring out the red flag with seven laps remaining.

"That's staged if you ask me," he said. "That's rigged. There wasn't a big enough wreck to red-flag that race and everybody knows it and everybody saw it. And they made a big damn deal out of it. It's ridiculous. They had plenty of time to get that cleaned up and have a three or four-lap dash."

His frustration with that decision was exacerbated by the fact that he believed the pause was a direct cause of the crash with one lap remaining that ruined his chance at a top-10 finish.

According to spotter Ty Norris, Earnhardt is a young man who is still wrestling with the expectations and pressures of a Winston Cup season. Combine the recent release of the report into his father's death with Steve Park's scary accident in Saturday's Busch race with his acknowledged distaste for Darlington Raceway, and the result is Sunday. Yes, Earnhardt learned a great deal from his late-season swoon last year, but he's still a work in progress. This Southern 500 was merely another rung on that ladder.

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