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Jr. Achievement Wanted -- and Wanting
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There were advantages, to be sure, in having a stock-car racing pedigree. For plenty of races, Earnhardt had a front-row seat for studying his dad, NASCAR's "Intimidator" and the best, many believe, to ever wheel a stock car. When it came time to try his hand at the sport, Dale Jr. had the benefit of his father scrutinizing his racecar, making sure it was safe and good enough, if handled properly, to get the youngster to Victory Lane. And when Dale Jr. was ready to try NASCAR's big leagues, corporate sponsors flung money his way.
Even after his father's death, and relations with his stepmother grew increasingly strained, Earnhardt knew he was set for life as long as he stayed at Dale Earnhardt Inc.
"Being that I was the son of the guy that built the place, when my dad was around and even after, I never had to worry about my job," Earnhardt Jr. conceded. "I basically could act and do and say and go along as I pleased because of the family connections."
But all those advantages also proved a burden of sorts. For those not born with a famous last name, it's hard to imagine what's so tough about being Eli Manning, Ivanka Trump or Dale Earnhardt Jr. But the question invariably lurks: Is the child's success his own or a byproduct of a fortunate birth?
In Earnhardt's case, there was also a ready excuse as his on-track performance declined last season. Insiders said Dale Earnhardt Inc. wasn't investing enough in research and development. Anyone could see his engines weren't standing up to the punishment of 500-mile races. And the gulf between car owner and driver, stepmother and stepson, was evident.
"I think it was a huge risk, and it took a lot of nerve for me to make that first decision and to get out there in the real world," Earnhardt Jr. said. "I've always talked about trying to get credibility and [having] people respect you and whatnot. By putting yourself out on a limb here, it's hopefully going to get me some of that -- especially if we can perform and get the job done that everybody thinks we should get done."
Notes: Ten drivers changed engines after Wednesday's final practice after engineers found problems. All will move to the rear of the field for Thursday's races. Those drivers: all four Hendrick Motorsports drivers (Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon, Casey Mears and Earnhardt Jr.); two of three drivers with Joe Gibbs Racing (Tony Stewart and Denny Hamlin); Clint Bowyer, Scott Riggs, A.J. Allmendinger and J.J. Yeley. Johnson, who won the pole for Sunday's Daytona 500, will get to keep his top starting spot for Sunday's race, however, because drivers are allowed one change between qualifying and the race.
