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BRISTOL, Tenn. - Dale Earnhardt Jr. vacationed in the infield at Bristol Motor Speedway, running wild with his childhood buddies, looking up every so often to see his daddy drive by.
His annual trips to Bristol were a treat, starting with the scenic drive through the mountains, camping in the family van and ending with a fantastic race.
It helped that his father won nine times on the Tennessee track, and Junior hoped to someday make his own visit to Victory Lane.
He did it Saturday night, winning the Sharpie 500 exactly five years to the day after the late Dale Earnhardt's final Bristol victory.
"There's a lot of memories, this is almost like your back yard in a lot of ways," he said. "He had some great races here, that's why this place is so magical to me. I've wanted to win here so bad."
The win resurrected Earnhardt's title hopes, which he had all but declared dead a month ago. Stuck in a terrible slump and nursing serious burns he suffered while practicing for a non-NASCAR race in California, Earnhardt saw no end to his struggles.
"We're not a championship-winning team right now and I think everyone knows that," he declared.
My, how his tune has changed.
Not only does Junior now think he's capable of winning the Nextel Cup title, he's confident enough to declare himself one of the favorites. With two races to go before NASCAR's 10-race playoffs, Earnhardt is in third place in the standings, just 51 points behind Jimmie Johnson and 75 behind leader Jeff Gordon.
NASCAR will reset the field on Sept. 12, separating first through 10th in five-point increments. Then they race for the title.
With a little confidence - and Earnhardt has it after winning both the Busch and Cup races at Bristol - Junior has to be listed alongside Gordon and Johnson as the favorites.
"I'd like to think we are No. 1, but Jimmie is strong, Jeff is very strong. Them two cats right there are tough," he said. "But I hope I am right up there. It is pretty much anybody's championship."
Earnhardt pulled himself back into the race by leading 295 of the 500 laps Saturday. When he was in the lead, no one could challenge him.
It was very different from his father's final win here, when he knocked Terry Labonte out of the lead on the final lap.
The win was condemned by the fans, who drowned Earnhardt out in Victory Lane as he proclaimed over the PA system that he hadn't intended to wreck Labonte, he simply wanted to "rattle his cage."
Junior wasn't at Bristol that night, he had returned to Charlotte after competing in the Busch race the previous day.
He's glad he missed it. The booing would have upset him.
Asked if he thought his father regretted the bump on Labonte, he laughed and gave an emphatic "no."
"He probably hated that it was Terry, they went hunting together some after that," Junior said. "But I still think Terry don't appreciate it. Terry's not that kind of guy.
"Dale Earnhardt was," he said. "Love him or hate him, he was tough."
Junior is proving to be just as tough. He stood strong during a wave of criticism after he was injured while practicing for a meaningless sports car race. He accepts responsibility for the setback it caused to his Dale Earnhardt Inc. team, but makes no apologies for his extracurricular activities.
And when it was obvious to everyone that his team was struggling, he didn't deny it or sugarcoat it or hide from it. Instead, he worked on trying to fix it, all the while defending his team and their effort.
Now he's back on track, secure in being Dale Earnhardt Jr. and living in the spotlight that goes with it.