Little E raring to go

Thursday, Jan. 31, 2002 | 10:13 a.m.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. has been on a surreal roller-coaster ride since he started his NASCAR Winston Cup Series career two years ago.

After winning back-to-back Busch Series championships in 1998 and 1999, Earnhardt came into Winston Cup as one of the most heralded rookies the series had ever seen.

And he did not disappoint. Earnhardt won two points races, two poles and became the first rookie to win The Winston all-star race -- all with the burden of trying to live up to his family name.

In the process, the now 27-year-old Earnhardt's popularity rose to rock-star proportions as he graced the covers of non-racing publications such as People and Rolling Stone.

But Earnhardt wasn't prepared for the glare of the spotlight that was trained on him last year following the death of his father on the final lap of the Daytona 500. Nevertheless, he responded with a solid season that saw him win three times and finish eighth in the championship.

Amazingly, as he prepares to return to Daytona International Speedway for next month's Daytona 500, Earnhardt said he is more relaxed and focused heading into this season than he was two years ago.

"I think I felt a lot (more) pressure my rookie season," Earnhardt said Wednesday during a break in testing at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. "I always feel like that I've got it a little bit easier now than I did as a rookie.

"We expect to do well, we feel like we should have a good year and when you have those kinds of feelings, it really helps your confidence. We went into last year and we didn't have those kinds of feelings; we didn't expect to do well -- we hoped to."

But Earnhardt's expectations this season admittedly are more realistic than others.

Jeff Gordon, now 30, won his first (of four) Winston Cup championships in his third season of competition and some racing observers have hinted that Earnhardt must at least contend for the title -- if not win it -- for his season to be successful.

Earnhardt rolls his eyes when he reads or hears that.

"Man, I've been here two years -- I believe that's unrealistic to expect that," he said. "I think we can win championships but it's going to be hard to beat Jeff Gordon."

Earnhardt said his own expectations this season are more modest.

"We finished 16th (in points) in my rookie year and eighth last year, so we want to be in the top five this year. I think third to fifth would be a good season for us."

Earnhardt would like to start the season on a strong note -- as he did last year when he finished second to Dale Earnhardt Inc. teammate Michael Waltrip at Daytona.

Although he will be considered one of the favorites to win his first Daytona 500, Earnhardt said he doesn't know what to expect from his No. 8 Budweiser Chevrolet because of off-season changes mandated by NASCAR.

"I'm looking forward to it, it's a great race, but with the new rules, though, I don't know what to expect in the draft," he said. "We tested good there (earlier this month), but we didn't draft at all."

Despite the events of last February 18 at Daytona, Earnhardt said he won't have uneasy feelings when he returns to the 2.5-mile track that claimed his father's life.

"I dealt with that stuff when I went back in July for the race," he said of his emotional win in the Pepsi 400. "I had hardcore emotions about going back (the first time) after my father's death.

"I have said my piece with that place or straightened out any wrinkles we might have had in our relationship, so I look forward to going back because I love Daytona. I probably won't have the same emotion as most people; most people might be depressed or upset, but I'm going to keep on being upbeat and having a damn good time."