Earnhardt is born again as a racer since freeing himself from his perceived shackles at Dale Earnhardt Inc. His confidence is soaring and the Junior tsunami is zooming over everything in its path.
Earnhardt Jr. never will catch his daddy for the top spot in NASCAR history. Not even close. But the one area where Junior does come close to his old man is the highly specialized skill of restrictor-plate racing.
The magic gene that helped Dale Sr. see the air in the draft at Daytona and Talladega was passed down to Dale Jr.
He may be Clark Kent at some racetracks, but Earnhardt Jr. is Superman at the restrictor-plate superspeedways. Give him a competitive car and Junior will get to the front at Daytona and Talladega.
No one in the sport today is better. Knowing how to race with a choked-down engine is an art form. It requires timing, daring, planning and figuring out which drivers can help push you forward.
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