2011 To-Do List For Earnhardt Jr.

Every January we all take stock of what we accomplished the prior year, and more importantly, what we would like to accomplish in the year ahead.  Much more than mere New Year's resolutions, we make detailed plans and sacrifices to get where we need  to be in life.  I personally have a very long list for 2011.

For Dale Earnhardt Jr., the list has grown longer since last year, not because he has more to attain, but because he feels he can attain more and is becoming more resolved to do so.  He has gone from speaking like an athlete who is coming to grips with not winning anymore, to someone who won't stop until he wins and can consistently compete again.  SO, besides win, what else is on Dale Jr.'s list for 2011?

1. See less rear bumpers in 2011.  The only way to be able to win consistently and challenge for a championship is to be a regular up front.  In the past two years, the 88 has often been missing from the view of the camera; the only way to track him was by waiting for his name on the ticker up top, hoping he was moving up and not back.  If Jr. wants to make it happen he will have to bring back some of the steel will he got from his father.  All of us remember how hard driving Jr. was in 2002-2006 when the red 8 was usually within striking distance.  He will have to find the resilience he had in those days to keep his car up front even if he had a bad set of tires or an ill-handling car.

2. Less foul language on the radio.  Earnhardt Jr. took some early ribbing from his new Crew Chief, Steve Letarte, due to his reputation for cursing on the radio during races.  Letarte said Dale Jr. would have to "tone it down" due to Letarte's child at home who always listens to the radio communication to and from his father.  Although it was the basis for some joking, there are definite pearls here.  One of Jr.'s main problems with his original 88 team was that, as insiders say, he felt they (not McGrew, the crew and those back home) were not totally behind him.  People have long said that Jr. does not communicate what he needs in the car very well, this may be due to his habit of becoming defensive and corrosive on the radio when handling becomes poor.  Although, in the past, a stern voice, like that of Eury Sr., was needed to whip Jr. into shape, hopefully the cheerleader Letarte can remind Jr he is an 18 time winner in the Cup series and can do better with what he has.

3. More marks on the front bumper.  Although he will never be his father personified, he does have a little of his temper.  Nobody in the NASCAR world did not enjoy the Jr./Busch feuds, whether Kurt or Kyle, and whats more, NASCAR needs those rivalries back.  I personally believe that Jr. will have some minor success to start the season, but if someone could really tick him off, the right situation could bring the confidence back even more quickly than metered success.

4. More smiles when climbing out of the car. This one may seem redundant, but besides enjoying success, Dale Jr. needs to enjoy driving again.  So many times in his career, when he is enjoying racing, he races harder.  I am sure that some of his unhappiness behind the wheel comes from his lack of confidence, so more than likely, he will have to have successes before he can enjoy it again...redundant again, I know.  But if he can string a few good finishes together and really start to click with his new Crew Chief and team, look for that old smirk of his father's to return, and if so, hold on.

5. A return of the "Pied Piper."  From the early '90's until his death ten years ago now, Dale Earnhardt, among many things, was known as the Pied Piper at Daytona and Talladega.  Lines would build up and die down simply because of his choice of lane during the restrictor plate races.  For a few years, Earnhardt Jr. became the Pied Piper and had some great success, showing a steely confidence and an uncanny knowledge of where to gain momentum on the two tracks.  I'm sure he had a good teacher.  Be ready for a return of the Pied Piper.  He began showing his head during a couple of plate races last year, as Jr. began charging late, and showing muscle again.

I have gone from seeing Earnhardt Jr. as the next "greatest ever," to what he is, a little like his father, but mostly like himself.  Although he lacks much of the grit his father had, he seems to be more like the Dale Sr. of the late '90's: less "Ironhead" and more a lover of the sport.  Whether I would like to admit it or not, his lack of success in recent years has made me less of a starry-eyed fanatic, but it has also allowed me to be a much more educated lover of the sport.  Even still, I would like to see that smirk again, so see how many of these you can check off Junior, and soon we will.


Read more from Joseph Davis at The Spotter Stand and follow him on Twitter @the_Bumpdrafter

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