| | HAMPTON, Ga. -- NASCAR racing dates back five decades and is rich in tradition. The sport also boasts several father-son combinations that have played major roles in its history.
The Petty's contribution and success is well documented. The Allisons experienced both success and tragedy on the track, while the Baker boys, Buck and Buddy, were fabulous at times.
The latest father-and-son battles have centered around a family called the Earnhardts.
|  | | From his helmet and goggles, to the way he drives on Sunday, Little E is a chip off the Big E block. |
After last Sunday's 500-miler in Atlanta, in which the Big E won and the Little E qualified on the outside pole, the Dales have now gone head to head nine times in Winston Cup competition. (For the sake of this examination, we will not count the numerous tractor and farm truck races the two have had on the Earnhardt farm. Those results depend on which Earnhardt you're talking to at the time.)
The on-track results have been more than enough, and very interesting. While Little Dale has out-qualified dad in eight of nine races, the Big E has out-raced his son and finished higher in eight of nine. But, when you compare the first four races of their rookie seasons of 1979 vs. 2000, the numbers get even more interesting.
Dale Jr. has started in a higher place on the grid at a higher rate than his father through the first four races of his rookie season, averaging a starting spot of fifth to his father's average of ninth. But, the Big E finished the first four races of his Winston Cup season better, averaging a 11.2 finish to Little E's 17.7 this year.
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EARNHARDT ROOKIE SEASONS
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|
Driver
|
Races
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Wins
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Top 5s
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Top 10s
|
|
1979: Senior
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27
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1
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11
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17
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2000: Junior
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4
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0
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0
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1
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Chevy is the car of choice for both in their rookie seasons and 2000, and the two mirror each other in more than stats. They have the same desire to win, the same diligence to get there by hard work, and they both love the taste of hard racing. One reason for Dale Jr.'s popularity with the fans, he drives hard like his father, speaks his mind like his father, and is very quick-witted ... yes, like his father.
The only real difference? Age.
The Earnhardt father-son competition conjures up images of the Allisons, Bobby and Davey, racing each other hard in the late '80s. Ironically, back in 1987, Atlanta also marked the ninth race of competition for Allisons, and those numbers were interesting as well. Taking into account that Davey raced Winston Cup three times in 1985, with one top-10 finish, before winning rookie of the year in '87, Bobby out-qualified and then beat his son in five of their first nine head-to-head races.
So, how will the Little E fare against his Champion father over the next 30 races and new few years? Well, Dale Jr. has at least one goal this year of following his father's footsteps by winning the rookie of the year title.
He also has a benchmark of 16 when it comes to his first win. Dale Sr., won his first race on April 1, 1979, at the Bristol Motor Speedway in his 16th career start. Oh, by the way, Little E won his first Busch race in his 16th start. If it's going to be another Sweet 16 for Little E, look for Earnhardt in his first Victory Lane under the lights at Richmond -- the same track he qualified 21st last September and finished 10th.
Can history come full circle for the Earnhardts? We'll have to wait and see how the season plays out. But I think he wins a race this season. Maybe not Richmond, but Little E does notch victory No. 1 before seasons end.
That'll put him 83 behind his dad -- at this point. | |
ALSO SEE
Furr: Earnhardt equals excitement
AUDIO/VIDEO
 Dale Earnhardt talks with RPM 2Night's John Kernan.
RealVideo: | 28.8
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