February 18th, 2001 … the final lap of the 43rd annual Daytona 500 …. the black No. 3 entered turn three in third position, but never made it to the tri-oval. 13 years and five days later, the iconic number finally exited that corner, and it did so as the leader of the Great American Race. The No. 3 was back. A side note of this historic occasion is that it would have been the 86th birthday of the Earnhardt family patriarch, Ralph. This day would not belong to that venerable number and rookie Austin Dillon though, but rather another third generation racer, who carried the surname of Earnhardt. This Daytona 500 belonged to Dale Jr. … and I can still hear the rapturous cheers from Jr. Nation two days later. His unequivocal understanding of plate racing and sheer determination against a snarling pack of cars led to yet another Harley J. Earl trophy for the pied piper of Daytona, as Mike Joy put it.
On the ten year anniversary of his first triumph over Daytona International Speedway, the stars aligned once again for NASCAR’s most popular driver. After an enthralling late-race duel with the likes of Johnson, Biffle, Edwards, Gordon, and Hamlin; Jr. held on and emerged as a Daytona 500 champion for the second time in his career. It was a combination of a powerful race car, luck, a plate racing ace behind the wheel, and fate that led to this very popular and widely celebrated victory.
I don’t know Jr. personally, but those who do would agree …. Dale is more confident right now than he’s ever been before. He is a different driver, and a different person. He’s got that swagger that he showcased in the early 2000’s back. In the 500, he drove aggressively and gave no quarter as he just about single-handily held off two lanes of cars late in the event; denying charges mounted from some of the best drivers in the sport. He sliced and diced from the outside wall to the inside apron at speeds upwards of 200mph without trepidation or hesitation, only instinct.
He walked into the media center that night with a pep in his step as he howled triumphantly before sitting down. One of the first statements out of his mouth was that he and his No. 88 team are “going for the jugular this year.” If you didn’t know any better, you’d think we were listening to Brad Keselowski or Tony Stewart … not the somewhat reserved and timid Dale Earnhardt Jr. we’ve seen on TV in the past. He hasn’t stopped smiling since the victory, and I doubt his enthusiasm will wane any time soon. Jr. has been giving funny, engaging, and well-spoken interviews to every media outlet he’s talked to thus far, and even joined Twitter! The clandestine life of NASCAR’s most popular driver is now being broadcast photo by photo, on social media. One of the first tweets he sent out was of him standing with the statue that immortalized his late-great father outside of the speedway.
He is a driver whose demeanor usually corresponds with his performance on the track, so this is a very good sign for the legion of Earnhardt Jr. fans out there. No, he’s not on the level of Gordon, Stewart, or Johnson; nor will he obliterate the competition in 2014. But, he is perfectly capable of being a formidable championship opponent and confidence can go a very long way for a race car driver …. just ask Denny Hamlin. What happened Sunday night at Daytona International Speedway epitomizes just how empowering a win at Daytona can be, and it will certainly leave an indelible mark on Jr.’s career. The raw, uninhibited emotion from him after the win resonated with the NASCAR community and is quite refreshing to see. It’s almost like that endearing feeling we get when an underdog captures the checkered flag, even though the driver of the No. 88 is nowhere near underdog status.
Or is he? The tumultuous career of Dale Earnhardt Jr. is one that will make you feel a wide range of emotions from all across the spectrum. He’s driving equipment that is superior to most of his competitors, he is a perfectly capable driver, has plenty of money, and has battled a different kind of adversity in his career. Himself. Imagine being a young kid, the world at your feet, and then you lose one of, if not the most influential person in your life. In this case, his father. Suddenly, millions turned to him to fill Dale Sr.’s shoes and presumed that he’d be as good as, if not better than his dad. Imagine the immense pressure he must have felt. How does one deal with that?
As if that wasn’t enough to bring him down, he watched the team his father created fall to pieces before his very eyes. Think about looking at everyone around you, knowing that they all expect you to be something you’re not, and never will be. Think about all those who constantly and relentlessly asked Jr. why he wasn’t meeting their unrealistically high expectations for him. After the barrage of unanswerable questions, he was left to cogitate about all those he disappointed, who felt he wasn’t good enough, and labeled him a failure. If you keep piling weight on someone’s back, they will not grow stronger; they will break, and consequently, never reach their true potential.
But now, Dale realizes that it’s not incumbent of him to attempt to emulate his famous father and repeat his successes in order to suffice the contingent of people out there who yearn for the second coming of “The Intimidator.” No longer does he worry about disappointing those who unfairly expect him to be just like Sr. He just wants to be the best that he can be. The mindset has changed from what does everybody else want from me, to what do I want from me? Now that he’s done that, he can be a Sprint Cup champion.
I only see more good things coming from Dale Earnhardt Jr. in 2014. He’s confident in himself and is comfortable with where he’s at in life. That’s been the missing piece all these years. He’s always had the equipment and the talent, but the intangible that is self-confidence is what will take him to the next level. Dale Earnhardt Jr. has always had the will to win, but he’s now got the complete package, and can finally, after so many years, attain his full potential as a race car driver.
