Earnhardt, Kenseth mirror on-track success, but off ...

On the surface, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Matt Kenseth are from diametrically different backgrounds. One grew up in the heart of stock-car racing country; the other was raised in the land of cows, curds and Cheeseheads.

But their Cup Series careers parallel in so many ways. Except when it comes to off track comparisons. Then again, no one in NASCAR compares to Dale in regards to merchandising and sponsorship dollars.

Dale is the everyman single guy. A cool dude. A modern Wrangler. He's hip. He's the apple of the ladies' eyes.

Matt is the father of two. He's understated. He's Heathcliff Huxtable in a firesuit. He's the apple of Katie's eyes.

With the consumers, Dale has a marketable Q Rating. Matt has a Z Rating -- if that.

But races aren't won in public opinion. And these drivers' on-track careers and performances are virtual mirror images:

Cup Series debut
• Earnhardt -- May 30, 1999, at Charlotte (started eighth, finished 16th)
• Kenseth -- Sept. 20, 1998, at Dover (started 16th, finished sixth)

First race with both qualified
Aug. 22, 1999, at Michigan
• Earnhardt -- started 17th, finished 24th
• Kenseth -- started 25th, finished 14th

First full season
• Earnhardt -- 2000: 2 wins, 3 top-five finishes, 5 top-10s, 20.9 avg. finish, 16th in points
• Kenseth -- 2000: 1 win, 4 top-five finishes, 11 top-10s, 18.9 avg. finish, 14th in points

First victory
• Earnhardt -- April 2, 2000, at Texas (12th start)
• Kenseth -- May 28, 2000, at Charlotte (18th start)

If winning is the key to building a fan base -- and ultimately sponsors' big bucks -- then why don't we hear more about Kenseth Nation? Of course it's a rhetorical question, and it's one that cannot be answered.

Earnhardt

DALE EARNHARDT JR. | Bio

Dale's story has been told many times. The grandson of Ralph Earnhardt, the 1956 NASCAR Sportsman champion, and son of seven-time Cup Series champion Dale, Junior carries the family name and all that is expected -- right or wrong.

He made his NASCAR national touring series debut on June 22, 1996, at Myrtle Beach (S.C.) Speedway. He finished 14th in the DEI No. 31 Chevrolet. After eight more starts in 1997, Dale ran a full season in '98 and won the first of consecutive Nationwide Series championships.

In 1998-99, Dale had 13 wins, 34 top-five finishes and 44 top-10s in 63 races.

He made the jump to the Cup Series in 2000 and began a streak of at least one win in seven consecutive seasons, including a single-season career high six in '04.

However, the streak -- and his tenure at DEI -- ended in 2007. He had a bitter and public spat with stepmother Teresa over control of the family business, and ultimately walked away to join Hendrick Motorsports.

Kenseth

MATT KENSETH | Bio

A native of Cambridge, Wis., Matt began racing at age of 16. He won his first feature event in only his third race. Matt made his NASCAR national touring series debut on May 25, 1996, at Charlotte; he finished 31st in the No. 55 Chevrolet for team owner Carl Wegner.

In 1997, Matt was asked by Robbie Reiser to drive his Nationwide Series car. Matt finished second to Steve Park in rookie of the year voting after posting two top-five finishes and seven top-10s in 21 starts.

The rest is Roush Racing history. Matt finished second in points in 1998 and also made his Cup Series debut. The next year he made five Cup Series starts and finished third in the Nationwide standings.

The new millennium wasn't the only change for Matt in 2000; he moved full time to the Cup Series as driver of the No. 17 Ford. He won the Coca-Cola 600 on Memorial Day weekend and was named the series' rookie of the year.

Three years later he won the Cup Series championship -- the final one before the Chase system was implemented -- with an incredibly consistent 10.2 average finish. Despite finishing 43rd in the season finale at Homestead, he handily won the title by 90 points over Jimmie Johnson.

BUILDING THE NEST EGG

Dale Earnhardt Jr. is a rainmaker in the truest sense. If his name or likeness is attached to a product, it resonates with Junior Nation. The list of companies that have bought into Junior is a who's who:

Adidas, Budweiser, KFC, Sony, NAPA, Domino's Pizza, Gillette, Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Drakkar Noir cologne, Wrangler, Chevrolet, Army National Guard, Polaris ATVs, Tylenol, Champion, U.S. Navy, Go Daddy, Quaker State, Amp and Nationwide Insurance.

Dale Jr., ready for his close-up.

Dale also was on the cover of EA Sports' NASCAR Thunder 2003. He's also made appearances in music videos for Sheryl Crow, Trace Adkins, Three Doors Down, Nickleback and Kid Rock, among others.

And don't forget the big screen, with appearances in Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby and voicing the No. 8 "Junior" car in Cars.

Dale also has TV interests with Shifting Gears and Back in the Day in addition to Whisky River, a Charlotte, N.C., bar that opened in 2008. All the while, he chomps on a Big Mo' candy bar while piling up the cash from his varied interests.

Name it and he's pretty much either pitched it or has been pitched to pitch it.

Matt ... not so much. His sponsors have not built marketing campaigns around the driver. DeWalt Power Tools, Carhartt, USG Sheetrock, R+L Carriers, and Dish Network have let his on-track successes account for on-screen time.

With DeWalt stepping down after this season, Crown Royal will become a primary sponsor of the No. 17 Ford in 2010 and no details have been made public in regards to a marketing blitz.

PUBLIC PERCEPTION VS. REALITY

While Dale is perceived by an adoring Nation as the reigning good ol' boy, the reality is that he's thoughtful. Yes, he likes to have a good time -- check that, a great time -- but he's cognizant of his surroundings.

In December 2006 when stepmother Teresa Earnhardt said, ""Right now the ball's in his court to decide on whether he wants to be a NASCAR driver or whether he wants to be a public personality," Dale took matters into his own hands and opted for both, signing with Hendrick Motorsports and leaving the family business (and longtime sponsor Budweiser) in the rear view mirror.

The Onion (the satire site, not Todd Bodine) breaks down Matt.

• Complete story

However, he has one victory, 12 top-five finishes and 21 top-10s in 67 races with HMS.

"It's been a long year," Dale admitted last week at Charlotte. "I really don't want the year to be over with, because I like going to the race track every week and racing. But the last several ... well, all year, it's been so ... low."

Struggling through "probably one of the most frustrating years of my career," Matt's focus remains on getting back to Victory Lane. He won the first two races of the year -- at Daytona and at California -- but has only four other top-five finishes this season (though two of those have come in the past four races).

Matt missed the Chase this season for the first time. He and three-time defending Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson were the only drivers to have qualified for the 10-race playoffs since 2004.

As for Matt, he rivals Bobby Labonte for the driest wit in the garage. In fact, the theonion.com spoofed Matt for a Strong Side / Weak Side feature earlier this year. Among the pluses: "Keeps a low profile so opposing drivers will think, 'Oh, it's just Matt Kenseth.' " Among the minuses: "Intelligent, well-spoken and courteous, Kenseth was never accepted by NASCAR fans."

C'mon, the guy's cat is named Lars -- in tribute to the Metallica drummer. OK, maybe a cat doesn't compare to a dog named Killer, and that may be the quintessential difference between Dale fans and Matt backers. They're just two different breeds -- even if their favorite drivers aren't that much different at their jobs.

Now is your turn to join the discussion. This is not meant to be an exercise in who can spin the best one-liner as a putdown to the other driver. This is your opportunity to make the case for Dale Earnhardt Jr. or Matt Kenseth. What makes Junior Nation tick? Why should someone get on the Matt Kenseth bandwagon?

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