Opinion: Young gun, old hat

"Let me see the script."

"Do I need to look at the camera to read this voice over?"

"Please speed up the teleprompter a bit."

On sets all over Hollywood, this type of dialogue is a daily occurrence for today's polished actors. But this isn't some studio back lot in sunny Burbank, Calif.

It's an overcast afternoon in suburban Charlotte, N.C., at the Chance 2 Busch team shop on the Dale Earnhardt Inc. compound.

And the polished actor? None other than Dale Earnhardt Jr.

It's been no more than 48 hours since the curtain came down on the 2003 NASCAR Winston Cup season, and Junior's third-place finish in the point standings, but he is still hard at work. Duty still calls.

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Sponsors still have desires, and this time it is Kraft Foods looking to get a jumpstart on its promotion with Junior for the 2004 Nextel Cup season.

Trust me, I don't know anything more about Junior than the rest of you. I see him on TV or at the track and form my own opinions, just like you do. Only today, I get a brief glimpse at the Earnhardt Jr. you don't get to see at the track -- the one running a business.

PHOTO GALLERY  Watch Junior in action

Without any sort of posse or entourage, Earnhardt Jr. simply arrives in jeans and a white T-shirt. He bee-lines it right for the "T" on the floor where he is to supposed to stand during the video shoot. His body language says it all: I am here and I am ready.

His schedule, as I was warned (and as you would assume) is extremely tight. This Kraft shoot, which was allocated just 45 minutes, is the second stop on his itinerary, with a Wrangler obligation to immediately follow, and finally a visit from MTV to round out the day. It is apparent by his non-verbal communication that time is a valuable commodity for Junior, and he doesn't want to waste it.

	NASCAR superstar or Hollywood actor?

Within moments the shoot is under way. Sure, Junior flubs a few lines, tweaks some words in the script he doesn't like, but it is all a fluid motion. You get the sense that he has done this for years and is already an old pro.

It is also clear he has this game figured out, and the equation is simple. Make sure the sponsor gets what they want and move on to the next thing.

Don't let me send the wrong message. The Junior you love to hear about, the one that plays jokes and has a great sense of humor, still sneaks out when you least expect it.

While shooting a short segment for Oreos, he asked the producer if he had to eat them after reading the lines. She told him it was his decision. His reply?

"Probably not a good idea. I don't need Oreo all over my teeth for the camera."

Hysterical!

Then, when asked to adlib his favorite way to eat Oreos, the quick-witted Junior had a simple, yet appropriate response.

"Three at a time, of course."

Consider that this is just a 29-year-old kid who had the unenviable task of taking over the keys to the NASCAR kingdom after the untimely death of his father. His level of maturity and focus is really refreshing, and certainly something you don't get the pleasure of seeing on TV when he is hiding behind his Budweiser helmet.

	A day probably doesn't go by where Junior doesn't sign something for someone!

After a final few safety runs for the camera crew, off he runs into a side room at the shop to perform the assembly line routine of autographing merchandise -- hats, diecasts, hero cards and uniforms. He talks to reporters while signing, because every second counts and he is making sure to maximize them.

And just like that, as the ink dries on the last diecast, Junior shakes hands and is off and running.

On this occassion, "Driver No. 8" was just a businessman, conducting business.

All in a day's work.

Watch for details on the Team Kraft Match 'em and Meet 'em Sweepstakes early next year!

The opinions expressed here are solely those of the writer.