Dale Earnhardt Jr. walks-or in his case races-in a long shadow.
His late father was a seven-time NASCAR champion widely regarded as the greatest stock car racer of all time. Junior is anxious to live up to self-imposed expectations, and 2005 could be the season that the son really shines.
Look for Junior, talented and track-savvy at age 30, to lead a pack of tenacious young fire-balls who will battle bumper-to-bumper for the Nextel Cup championship.
Junior Poised to Dominate
Earnhardt is already the king off the track-he's the most popular driver in the series, whose legions of fans turn every track on the circuit into a rousing sea of red (the racing colors of his No. 8 Budweiser Chevrolet). Now his goal is to become king ON the track as well. He led the championship standings at various stages last season before slipping back to a final fifth.
Junior has the pedigree. He has the team. He has the experience. And he has the "home track advantage" on just about every stop on the 36-race Nextel Cup circuit. Everything seems to be in place for the son of The Intimidator to start doing some intimidating of his own.
Ones to Watch
Who else figures to be in the thick of things? The usual suspects:
- Jeff Gordon, second only to Earnhardt in the NASCAR popularity polls, is the Series' most winning active driver and a contender every time he rolls his rainbow-hued Chevy onto the track.
- Gordon's teammate, Jimmie Johnson, was plagued by inconsistency in 2004, but is firmly established as one of the sport's top competitors.
- Tony Stewart, whose bad-boy image at times overshadows his tremendous racing talent, is hungry for another title. Never count him out.
- The same goes for Matt Kenseth, the 2003 champ who tends to get overlooked because of his low-key demeanor, along with Kurt Busch, Ryan Newman, Elliott Sadler and Jeremy Mayfield.
- Kasey Kahne, the sizzling 2003 rookie who just missed making the final 10-race Chase for the Championship, could make a major splash in his sophomore season.
- Kurt Busch, who made a strong late-season run to the Championship, might pull off a repeat in 2005.
Changes in 2005
Speaking of the Chase, NASCAR is expected to continue the format in which the top drivers after 26 races are paired in a championship shootout. (Officials hinted that the system might be "tweaked" a bit for 2005, but at press time no details had been announced.)
Another intriguing aspect will be the phasing out of some of the sport's most prominent personalities. Rusty Wallace announced that this season will be his last. Fellow veterans Terry Labonte and Mark Martin said they will run only partial schedules after this season. This could be the last chance for race fans to get a glimpse of some of the sport's true legends, and could be quite a show, as each is determined to go out on a successful note.
It's a fascinating blend: young lions eager to make a name for themselves, and golden oldies desperately trying to recapture a final glimmer of their past glory days.
