Auto Racing

LOUDON, N.H. — Dale Earnhardt Jr. has 18 career victories, more than $52 million in winnings and a perpetual hold on NASCAR's most popular driver award.

The only thing missing from his resume is a coveted Cup championship.

What would adding that elusive title mean?

"It would improve my overall awesomeness," Earnhardt declared.

Awesomeness?

"Yeah. I worked on greatness for a while," he explained, "but I tapped it out."

The quest for "awesomeness" begins today at New Hampshire International Speedway, where Earnhardt starts the Chase for the championship seeded fourth in the 12-driver field.

After a one-year absence, he's back in the title hunt and couldn't be more thrilled to be among the contenders. And there's no doubt whatsoever his enthusiasm is genuine.

Earnhardt was in a fantastic mood during NASCAR's two-day swing through New York City to promote the Chase, and tales of his humorous exploits and one-liners followed him from stop-to-stop as teammates Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson asked for constant updates.

When Junior is on, everyone wants to be part of the show.

And if he has it his way, the next 10 weeks will be an all-star performance.

He's statistically had better seasons — "I won six races in 2004, remember?" — but Earnhardt revealed this week he believes he lost the championship that year because he wasn't prepared to win one. He finished fifth in the final points standings that season, the first year of the Chase, and can rattle off a list of mistakes he made down the stretch that took him out of title contention.

He still drove for Dale Earnhardt Inc. back then, and before this season, it was his last legitimate chance to win a title. He missed the Chase in 2005, was a non-factor fifth in 2006, and missed it again last year in his final season driving for his late father's race team.

Now he's with mighty Hendrick Motorsports, where Earnhardt has the equipment, support and freedom from both the pressure and drama that he was saddled with at DEI.

Everything is finally equal for Earnhardt, personally and professionally, and it shows.

"I think he's got a lot more confidence this year," said two-time series champion Tony Stewart. "He's always been confident off the track, but I think you see it in his driving on the track that he's got a renewed confidence that I don't think we've seen the last few years."

Kevin Harvick, who had the unenviable task of taking over the late Earnhardt's ride following his 2001 death, has also noticed a change in Junior this season that he equates to cutting ties with DEI and the troubled relationship he had with stepmother, Teresa.

"He seems a lot more relaxed than what he used to be," Harvick said. "There is probably a lot more stress with the family business and having to answer to his dad's name, and I can kind of relate to that. It's getting into a situation where he is in more control of his own career and it's got to feel more comfortable and more rewarding than the situation that he was in before."

The pressure still remains, though, coming square at him from a rabid fan base that demands the son of the seven-time champion to add a title or two to his name.

Now.

He's ready for it.

"I love the pressure. That means I'm in the middle of it," he said. "I wouldn't change anything about my world as far as in this garage and how I'm treated by my friends and drivers, and really what my position is in this sport. I wouldn't give it up for nothing."

At 33 years old and in the best equipment of his life, Earnhardt no longer has any excuses for falling short in his goals. He's come up empty every year, admitting that he's put winning the championship on his list in each of his previous eight full seasons.

"I'm probably only at about 50 percent in meeting my goals," he said. "I'd like to change that number."

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