Soft-Spoken Earnhardt Jr. a Different Chip Off the Block

The racing genes apparently kicked in, but that’s about all the similarities you can find in Dale Earnhardt Jr. and his legendary seven-time Winston Cup champion father.

The elder Earnhardt was known early in his career as the Intimidator, a mean-spirited driver with cocky arrogance who expected to win every time he pulled on his helmet. When he wasn’t intimidating drivers on the track, he was intimidating writers and associates off it, right down to the bristling mustache.

Dale Jr., 23, seems almost embarrassed by his success in the Busch Grand National series, in which he will be favored today in the Kenwood Home & Car Audio 300, a Busch series race of 150 laps on California Speedway’s two-mile D-shaped oval.

His personality genes must have come from his mother, Brenda. (Teresa Earnhardt, who owns the car he drives, the No. 3 ACDelco Chevrolet Monte Carlo, is his stepmother).

Clean-shaven, soft-spoken and taken to calling himself “lucky to be in the position I’m in,” or “I didn’t expect to win three races, or be only 12 points out of the lead,” Dale Jr. is the antithesis of an Intimidator.

Dale Jr. is more the Dominator, a driver with the style and personality more attuned to youthful Winston Cup champion Jeff Gordon than to Dale Earnhardt.

He has, in fact, been called “the next Jeff Gordon,” praise that both embarrasses him and gives him a sense of satisfaction.

“I don’t think like that,” he said shyly. “I don’t think the star is as bright as it might seem. I’d like to think I’m talented, but I’m nothing you can’t find at a Saturday night bullring.”

At this stage in the elder Earnhardt’s career, he said, “It means a lot to me what other people think, and I want them to think I’m a tough race driver.” He was so tough he earned the name Ironhead.

Although both father and son drive No. 3, the colors mirror their styles. Senior’s is black, Junior’s is a cool blue.

The one constant between father and son--and between Dale Jr. and Gordon--is their ability to win races.

Junior has won three Busch races in his first full season on the circuit, generally considered the last stepping stone to Winston Cup. Only Matt Kenseth and Joe Nemecheck have won two, with 11 drivers having a single win in the hotly contested NASCAR series.

His wins came on a super speedway at Texas, the high banks of Dover Downs and on the Milwaukee Mile. It was at Milwaukee that he earned the nickname Dominator when he led 109 of 250 laps. He also leads the series in laps led with 602, times led with 16, races led with nine and money won with $445,070.

In points, however, he is third with 2,487, behind Mike McLaughlin with 2,499 and Kenseth with 2,496.

“I need to be more consistent, I need to finish in the top five the rest of the way to have a chance at the championship,” Earnhardt said after qualifying Friday with a speed of 173.993 mph. That put him on the outside of the front row alongside former Winston Cup driver Robert Pressley, who won the pole with a lap of 174.073.

In last year’s Busch race here, Earnhardt drove the No. 7 car and did not finish. The No. 3 car, driven by Steve Park, sat on the pole but finished second to Todd Bodine.

Twelve races remain after today’s 300-miler.

Like everyone else in today’s race, Earnhardt is looking ahead to driving a Winston Cup car, but he’s not in a hurry.

“I don’t think I’ll have enough experience until 2000,” he said. “I’d like to drive in five Cup races next year. That would leave me still eligible for rookie of the year in 2000.”

His father was Winston Cup rookie of the year in 1979 and won the first of his seven championships the following year.

Grand National Notes

Mark McGwire’s 10-year-old son, Matthew, changed the number decal on Bobby Hillin’s Clean Shower Chevrolet from 40 to 42 before Saturday’s races to update his father’s home-run total after he hit two against the Dodgers on Friday.

Three drivers who competed Saturday will return today for 150 more laps in the Busch race. Ron Barfield Jr. and Mike Bliss drove in the Craftsman Truck race, while Lance Hooper was in the Winston West 200.

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Today’s Race

* What: Kenwood Home and Car Audio 300 (150 laps) for Busch Grand National cars, 1 p.m.

* On the Air: TV--ESPN. Radio--KMKC (1350) and KMSL (1510).

* Tickets: (800) 944-RACE.