Dale Earnhardt

Never judge a band by its name. By calling themselves Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr., Detroit natives Daniel Zott and Joshua Epstein might seem to be going for something tongue-in-cheek as their calling card. Why else would the band (multi-instrumentalists/singers Zott and Epstein with various touring drummers) adopt a famous stock-car racing name and play gigs dressed in NASCAR gear unless they were having a laugh? But the musical duo have assured the race-car driving Junior that they're not making fun of his family, according to ESPN the Magazine, and have actually started writing about sports for ESPN's blog as of late.

BROOKLYN, Mich. - Dale Earnhardt Jr. raced to his first NASCAR Sprint Cup victory in four years, ending a 143-race winless streak Sunday at Michigan International Speedway. The victory came almost exactly four years to the day after his last trip to Victory Lane in a Cup race. That also was in Michigan, on June 15, 2008. He led for 36 laps last weekend at Pocono but made a late stop for gas instead of trying to stretch the fuel to the end. On Sunday, it wasn't even close.

MARTINSVILLE, Va. - Kevin Harvick overcame an ill-handling car to charge to the front, pass Dale Earnhardt Jr. for the lead, and hold on to win at Martinsville Speedway Sunday. Earnhardt had taken over the lead with 20 laps to go with a pass of Kyle Busch that brought everyone in the grandstands to their feet. But Harvick was closing quickly, and pulled onto Earnhardt's bumper with four laps to go. He made his pass in the second turn, Earnhardt tried to get the lead back, but conceded as they rounded the fourth turn.

Like a cross reverently fixed to a country church's steeple, a large No. 3 - six feet of hand-carved wood painted to a sparkling black sheen - is nailed to the side of a clapboard home along Route 52, several miles south of here. Eighteen months after Dale Earnhardt's death, the number - as well as the image, the memory and the legend - of the wildly popular driver lives on in this NASCAR-crazed corner of America as intensely as Elvis Presley's legacy hovers over Memphis. Earnhardt's dramatic demise - at age 49, in a crash near the finish of the 2001 Daytona 500 - transformed him from racing legend to cultural icon.

Jeff Gordon, all of 24 years old and two seasons removed from earning rookie of the year honors on the NASCAR circuit, has two choices entering tomorrow's NAPA 500 season finale in Atlanta. Gordon can play it safe, finish in the top 41 and claim his first Winston Cup Series championship by a narrow margin over seven-time champion Dale Earnhardt. Or Gordon can disregard his 147-point lead in the driver point standings, go for broke and put the title on the line by driving the way he prefers - at the front of the pack.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. has proudly carried on his family's racing tradition. He has won 17 Nextel Cup races and earned millions in racing and from endorsements. Earnhardt still has goals in racing, though. "I need to win a championship," he said yesterday, during NASCAR's media blitz in New York City for the Chase for the Championship. "I'll be 32 in October. I want to retire when I'm 40. "I've won the Daytona 500. I've won on several different types of tracks. I am very proud and satisfied with my accomplishments.

KANSAS CITY, Kan. - Dale Earnhardt Jr. was charging again, hoping that this time he'd be on top of a frantic late fuel-mileage battle. Leader Brad Keselowski stretched his fuel perfectly, dashing Earnhardt's hopes of snapping his 106-race winless streak while ending his own. Keselowski held off Earnhardt to win Sunday's NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Kansas Speedway for his first win since taking Talladega 75 races ago. Keselowski led the...

MARTINSVILLE, Va. - Kevin Harvick overcame an ill-handling car to charge to the front, pass Dale Earnhardt Jr. for the lead and hold on to win yesterday's 263-mile race at Martinsville Speedway. Earnhardt had taken the lead with 20 laps to go with a pass of Kyle Busch that brought everyone in the grandstands to their feet. But Harvick closed quickly, pulled onto Earnhardt's bumper with four laps to go, and made his pass in the second turn. Earnhardt tried to get the lead back, but conceded as they rounded the fourth turn.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. knew he had suffered a concussion in an August crash so jolting that other drivers tweeted about it immediately after the impact. Earnhardt was too stubborn to see a doctor about it. He was too worried he would be yanked from his car, derailing his long-suffering Sprint Cup Championship hopes. So he kept it a secret until a 25-car accident on the last lap Sunday at Talladega left him with a lingering headache. NASCAR's most popular driver sought medical attention from a neurosurgeon, who found Earnhardt had indeed suffered two concussions in six weeks and could not be medically cleared to race.

Michael Waltrip has opinions, and he's not afraid to share them. Mixing humor with pithy anecdotes, the driver of the No. 15 Chevrolet comes across as equal parts preacher and stumping politician. He is likely to discuss any number of topics - from NASCAR's safety record to a fellow driver's inability to keep his mouth shut - and he's not afraid to poke fun at himself. Looking gaunt after dropping 35 pounds for his 40th birthday, Waltrip recently appeared in Philadelphia to help promote today's MBNA America 400 at Dover International Speedway.

DALE EARNHARDT JR. was cleared Tuesday for this weekend's race at Martinsville Speedway after missing the last 2 weeks to recover from a pair of concussions. NASCAR's most popular driver was examined by neurosurgeon Dr. Jerry Petty 1 day after he ran 123 laps at half-mile Gresham Motorsports Park in Jefferson, Ga. Petty monitored Earnhardt during Monday's test at Gresham. "Dale Jr. has done everything asked of him," said Petty, who consults with NASCAR and is Earnhardt's personal physician.

DALE EARNHARDT JR. visited a noted concussion specialist in Pittsburgh on Tuesday as part of the planned rehabilitation program to get NASCAR's most popular driver back in a car. Hendrick Motorsports confirmed that Earnhardt met with Dr. Micky Collins, the clinical and executive director of the UPMC Sports Medicine Concussion Program. Collins is one of the leading experts in the diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation of athletes who have suffered concussions. He and Dr. Mark Lovell developed the ImPACT test now used by many professional sports leagues, including the NFL, to assess concussions and determine when an injured athlete can safely return to play.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. knew he had suffered a concussion in an August crash so jolting that other drivers tweeted about it immediately after the impact. Earnhardt was too stubborn to see a doctor about it. He was too worried he would be yanked from his car, derailing his long-suffering Sprint Cup Championship hopes. So he kept it a secret until a 25-car accident on the last lap Sunday at Talladega left him with a lingering headache. NASCAR's most popular driver sought medical attention from a neurosurgeon, who found Earnhardt had indeed suffered two concussions in six weeks and could not be medically cleared to race.

WHEN DRIVER introductions are held for Saturday night's Sprint Cup race, fans at Charlotte Motor Speedway will hear, "Driving the No. 88 Chevrolet, Regan Smith. " Regan Smith? What happened to Dale Earnhardt Jr.? Two concussions in about 6 weeks are forcing Earnhardt, regarded as NASCAR's most popular driver, to step out of the No. 88 Chevy for the next two Chase races. During a Thursday news conference at the Charlotte racetrack, Earnhardt said he first suffered a concussion during testing Aug. 29 at Kansas Speedway.

BROOKLYN, Mich. - Dale Earnhardt Jr. raced to his first NASCAR Sprint Cup victory in four years, ending a 143-race winless streak Sunday at Michigan International Speedway. The victory came almost exactly four years to the day after his last trip to Victory Lane in a Cup race. That also was in Michigan, on June 15, 2008. He led for 36 laps last weekend at Pocono but made a late stop for gas instead of trying to stretch the fuel to the end. On Sunday, it wasn't even close.

Never judge a band by its name. By calling themselves Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr., Detroit natives Daniel Zott and Joshua Epstein might seem to be going for something tongue-in-cheek as their calling card. Why else would the band (multi-instrumentalists/singers Zott and Epstein with various touring drummers) adopt a famous stock-car racing name and play gigs dressed in NASCAR gear unless they were having a laugh? But the musical duo have assured the race-car driving Junior that they're not making fun of his family, according to ESPN the Magazine, and have actually started writing about sports for ESPN's blog as of late.

LONG POND, Pa. - When he headed to New York for the 2004 NASCAR awards celebration, Dale Earnhardt Jr. had every reason to feel good about himself. Already established as the sport's most popular driver and a prohibitive favorite on restrictor-plate tracks, Earnhardt had followed up his career-best third-place finish in the 2003 points standings with a fifth-place effort in 2004. Yet in a sit-down with a handful of reporters in a swank Manhattan hotel suite, Junior was in no mood to party.

KANSAS CITY, Kan. - Dale Earnhardt Jr. was charging again, hoping that this time he'd be on top of a frantic late fuel-mileage battle. Leader Brad Keselowski stretched his fuel perfectly, dashing Earnhardt's hopes of snapping his 106-race winless streak while ending his own. Keselowski held off Earnhardt to win Sunday's NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Kansas Speedway for his first win since taking Talladega 75 races ago. Keselowski led the...

HAPPY FACES are more visible in Junior Nation these days. Nation's favorite driver, Dale Earnhardt Jr., is eighth in the Sprint Cup points standings. He almost won at Martinsville last Sunday, leading 17 laps before Kevin Harvick passed him for the victory. Earnhardt's runner-up finish was his best since last year's second place in the Daytona 500. Earnhardt's fans have moved from Nation numbness to cautious optimism. Perhaps Sunday's race at Texas will snap Earnhardt's 0-for-99 drought.

MARTINSVILLE, Va. - Kevin Harvick overcame an ill-handling car to charge to the front, pass Dale Earnhardt Jr. for the lead, and hold on to win at Martinsville Speedway Sunday. Earnhardt had taken over the lead with 20 laps to go with a pass of Kyle Busch that brought everyone in the grandstands to their feet. But Harvick was closing quickly, and pulled onto Earnhardt's bumper with four laps to go. He made his pass in the second turn, Earnhardt tried to get the lead back, but conceded as they rounded the fourth turn.