Dale Earnhardt Jr.

In a sudden, three-year rush, Dale Earnhardt Jr. has become NASCAR's most significant superstar, the first to truly transcend the traditions of stock-car racing and carry the sport to the pages of People, Rolling Stones, and even Playboy. Young Earnhardt embodies the legacy and tragedy of his father, seven-time NASCAR champion Dale Earnhardt, killed at Daytona in February 2001, and he has carried that legacy rightly and modestly to victory in NASCAR's major league. Yet, Junior, even under the magnifying glass, has created a sphere in which he has become a man in his own right.In association with Circle Track and Stock Car Racing and its veteran NASCAR contributor Benny Phillips, Dale Earnhardt Jr. brings you close to this engaging young man, and close to the quiet center of a roaring phenomenon. Phillips, a 40-year veteran of the NASCAR garages and a friend of Earnhardt Sr., tells the story, with illustrative articles from Circle Track and Stock Car Racing. The photography, from Primedia sources and from top NASCAR lensman Nigel Kinrade, is illustrative and spot-on.