rpm.espn.com: Dale Earnhardt Jr.

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Monday, December 30
Updated: January 6, 4:24 PM ET

Dale Earnhardt Jr.
By Jerry Bonkowski
ESPN.com

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

Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Earnhardt

STATS

Year
Rank
Wins
Top 5
Top 10
Best finish

2002 11 2 11 16 1st, twice

Career 7 23 37 1st, seven times

2002 recap
The good: Earnhardt continued to show his mastery on superspeedways with wins in both races at Talladega, Ala., as well as turning what had been a somewhat dismal season into a strong finish with four top-five finishes (including a win at Talladega) and two other top-10s in his last eight starts.

Season highlight: Winning both races at Talladega, starting fourth in the Aaron's 499 in spring and 13th in the EA Sports 500 in the fall. He also earned two poles -- at the Pepsi 400 in Michigan in August and the Protection One 400 at Kansas in late September.

The bad: For much of the first two-thirds of 2002, Earnhardt suffered through perhaps his worst slump to date, particularly after a hard crash in April's NAPA Auto Parts 500 at Fontana, Calif. It wasn't until just before the race at Kansas that Earnhardt revealed the reason why: he had suffered a serious concussion in the California crash and it affected his driving for the next three months.

Season lowlight: Beginning with the crash, Earnhardt finished 20th or worse in 10 of his next 13 starts due to the after-effects of the concussion. Earnhardt's worst stretch was four consecutive races, starting with California, when he finished 36th, 36th, 35th and 30th, respectively.

Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. swept both races at Talladega in 2002.

Key stat: To show how quickly fortunes can change, consider the three-race stretch in the spring from Talladega to California to Richmond, Va., when Earnhardt Jr. went from fifth to ninth to 12th in the standings. Of course, finishing 36th at both California and Richmond certainly played a role in that slide, one he would not recover from, nor be able to climb back into the top-10 for the remainder of the season.

2003 outlook
What needs to be done: Look for a comeback season for Earnhardt in 2003. He learned some very valuable lessons last season, particularly driving while injured, not to mention all the criticism he recieved from fellow drivers when he revealed his situation. But one thing Earnhardt hasn't lost is the strength his team possesses. DEI is a powerhouse and it will be a big key for him to come back strong this coming season.

Prediction: It's hard to believe Earnhardt has just three full seasons on the Winston Cup circuit under his belt. Although his highest finish in the standings was eighth in 2001, look for next season to be the year he not only finishes in the top-five, but makes a good run at the championship.

Your take
Can Earnhardt Jr. bounce back and compete for a championship? Here are your thoughts on Earnhardt Jr.'s prospects for the 2003 season.

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