Something Else That Earnhardt Jr. Fans Won't Like

Dale Earnhardt Jr. is NOT his father.

I believe I've covered this ground. But let's recap:

Dale Earnhardt Sr. The Intimidator. The Man in the Black #3. NASCAR's best ever? Arguable.

He was, if nothing else, the most polarizing figure in stock car racing history. You either love and respect Dale, or you despise him. No middle ground. Feelings aside, it can be argued that Dale did more to bring the sport into the mainstream consciousness than anyone else. More public attention, more merchandise sales, more passion.

He also won. A lot. He's in the Top 5 in Cup series wins. He won the Daytona 500. And, he inspired a generation of drivers that followed.

I respect the legacy, and the man. I have somewhat less use for Jr.

Dale Earnhardt, Jr. is the most popular driver in stock car auto racing, six years running. He sells out appearances; draws more money through merchandising and endorsements than anyone in the sport; and anyone -- ANYONE -- who would dare take him out of contention to win a race does so at great personal risk.

Casey Mears...you're a marked man. The millions and MILLIONS of Jr's fans will be looking for a piece of your hide, or perhaps an effigy to burn. Your crime: you spun the #88 Saturday night in Phoenix.

Didn't see how it happened. Did see Jr's response....AFTER the race, Jr. thought it would be a good idea to spin Mears out on the cool-down lap. After which, Mears decided to give Jr. a lovely tap on the ass in the drive out to the garage area.

Who's to blame? Well, frankly, BOTH "men" have a piece of this. A lot of on-track incidents have their roots in accidental contact. Have fast cars and a narrow road surface? Good...mix in 43 rocket-powered sleds and what do you get? A recipe for bent fenders, broken splitters, and bad temper.

Should Mears have spun Jr? Probably not. Should either man have continued their disagreement after the race was over, using race cars as weapons? I'd say, no...and I'd guess Mike Helton, Robin Pemberton and John Darby might be inclined to agree.

Stay tuned on Tuesday for the next chapter in this.