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Friday, December 14

Dale Earnhardt Jr.
By Jerry Bonkowski
ESPN.com

Team: Dale Earnhardt Inc.
Car/sponsor/make: No. 8 Budweiser Chevrolet

Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Earnhardt Jr.

STATS

Year
Rank
Wins
Top 5
Top 10
Money
Best finish

2001 8 3 9 15 $5,384,627 1st, Three times

Career 5 12 21 $8,348,602 1st, Five times

2001 recap
The good: In only his second full season on the circuit, Little E erased any doubt about his qualifications to not only be a bonafide driver, but also proved he is championship-caliber material. With three wins and two runner-up finishes (including finishing second to teammate Michael Waltrip in the ill-fated Daytona 500), Earnhardt continued to show the mettle and racing roots from which he comes from.

Season highlight: Winning the Pepsi 400 at Daytona in July and the EA Sports 500 at Talladega in October. While accusations flew that the Pepsi 400 was "fixed" for Earnhardt to win in some twisted way of closure over his father's death at Daytona five months earlier, Earnhardt silenced his critics by coming back to win another superspeedway race at Talladega in October in convincing fashion.

The bad: Without question, the tragic death of his father in a last-lap crash at the season-opening Daytona 500. Such a devastating blow might have forced other drivers to stop racing, but Junior forged ahead by dedicating what would be a tremendous season to his late father and mentor.

Season lowlight: From a performance standpoint, being taken out by a crash on the first lap at Rockingham, N.C., after qualifying 25th, the first race after his father's death at Daytona.

Junior
Dale Earnhardt Jr. sprays champagne in Victory Lane after winning the Winston No Bull $1 million bonus at Talladega.

Key stat: Even though he finished eighth in the standings in 2001, Earnhardt was the second-highest driver in earnings, taking home $5,384,630, second only to Jeff Gordon's championship-winning total of $6,649,080.

2002 outlook
What needs to be done: Little, if anything, has to be changed on the No. 8 team for next season. Earnhardt Jr. continues to develop into a superstar. After finishing 16th in 2000, and finishing eighth in 2001, Earnhardt stands ready to make the biggest step forward in his career and become a true contender for the 2002 crown with the likes of Jeff Gordon and top challenger Tony Stewart.

Prediction: Next season will be the year Earnhardt Jr. moves into the top echelon of Winston Cup drivers. He is a legitimate contender for the championship. If he fails to win the title, it's still unlikely Earnhardt will finish any lower than fourth or fifth in the final standings.

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