The Struggle of the Shadow

Following the accident that took him out of the Sam's Town 300 at Las Vegas Saturday, Steve Wallace called Dale Earnhardt Jr. a "moron" and an "idiot" for wrecking him after the caution flag came out. After hearing that, all I could think of was how these two drivers are very much the same.

Steve Wallace is the son of 1988 NASCAR Cup champion Rusty Wallace. Rusty, besides his Cup championship and 55 wins, he has won an ASA championship, Rookie of the Year honors in the Cup level, an All-Star race, and an IROC championship. He was also named one of NASCAR's 50 Greatest Drivers in 1998. Steve, on the other hand, won championships in the INEX Bandoleros and a handful of ARCA races, but has not found victory lane in any of NASCAR's major divisions. His career is still young, but the pressure is building.

Dale Earnhardt Jr's father is Dale Earnhardt Sr., considered by many to be the best driver in NASCAR History. His 7 NASCAR Cup championships ties him with the most all-time. He is also a Daytona 500 Champion, a 4 time IROC champion, he won the All-Star Race 3 times, was a Cup Series Rookie of the Year, and won 76 Cup races during his career. There is a good possibility that he could have added to many of these numbers if his life had not been cut short in Daytona. Dale Jr, NASCAR's Most Popular Driver has had a great career by most standards; a two-time Nationwide Series Champion, past winner of the Daytona 500, the All-Star Race, and 18 Cup Series wins.

Steve Wallace is in the beginning of his NASCAR career, while Dale Earnhardt Jr. is in the middle of his, but the sons of two NASCAR legends find themselves stuck in the shadow of their famous fathers. Steven Wallace has been known more for his on-track incidents then his driving abilities during his time in the Nationwide Series. His 2 top 5's and his 8 top 10's dont equal his 14 career DNF's. In 2008, his second year on the circuit, his average finish was only a 20.1. Even considering his age and experience, this is not what everybody expected from Rusty's son.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. has made his mark in the Sprint Cup Series. Regardless of how the remainder of his career goes, he will be regarded as one of the best drivers in the sports history. He is currently tied with Kurt Busch and others for 26th on the all-time win list. But the son of the great Dale Earnhardt was supposed to be the as good as his father. In 2008, many expected to see that come to fruition, after signing with the best team in the garage, Hendrick Motorsports, home to 8 Sprint Cup Championships. His victory in Michigan was supposed to be the first of many last season, but it wasn't to be. This year, Dale Jr. finds himself 29th in points, not where he wanted to be.

Steve Wallace and Dale Earnhardt Jr. are talented drivers, there is no doubt about it. You don't get to this level without some ability to drive a race car. The question is, where would they be if they had a different last name. Some will argue that their name got them here, and they otherwise would not have made it this far. What I wonder is, if they were not stuck with the added pressure of being behind the shadows of their famous fathers, could they have gone even farther?