Dale Earnhardt Jr would own Talladega in 2002. He won both races on Alabama's high-banked Superspeedway, making it 3 wins there in a row. He had also won the previous race in 2001.

The 3 win streak at Talladega would tie a long standing record set by Buddy Baker in 1976.

Most Cup drivers have contracts to drive for race teams, but in 2002 Dale Jr reported that he had been driving for DEI simply on his word up to that point. He later signed his first contract, a 2 year agreement to race for Dale Earnhardt Inc.

When the Aaron's 499 at Talladega finally rolled around Earnhardt was ready. He qualified 4th, led 133 of 188 laps, and won his 2nd race in a row there.

But after Talladega Junior would experience another run of bad luck, crashing hard at California Speedway.

On lap 229 Kevin Harvick had a left rear tire in turn 3 and was diving for pit road when he was hit by Earnhardt's No.8 Chevy.

The contact sent Junior head-on into the wall. He climbed from the car, obviously in pain, and was taken by ambulance to the infield care center, where he later emerged on crutches with a bruised right foot near his ankle.

"That was about as hard of a hit as I've ever taken," Earnhardt said. "It just took every bit of air out of me. I could hear the guys on the radio, but I couldn't answer."

Dale Jr's secret was that he had also suffered a concussion in the hard crash as doctor's would later discover after he returned home to North Carolina.

Earnhardt did not reveal his condition to NASCAR, and continued to race. He finally confessed the truth -- but only after he was completely healed -- later that year in September.

Junior admitted he had mishandled the situation.

"I probably would have told. I definitely, definitely, not probably, would have told Mike Helton and a few of the officials so they could be aware of it," Earnhardt said. "They would have probably helped me with a better way of handling it. I kind of hurt the trust between me and Mike a little bit. I think I told the wrong people at the wrong time."

Junior was back at work at the DEI shop the following Monday, and he was ready to race the following week in Richmond.

Engine problems plagued the No.8 team at Charlotte in the May Coca Cola Racing Family 600, where Junior would finish 35th -- his 3rd race in a row with a finish of 35th or worse.

In September he earned another pole -- this time at Kansas -- where he finished 6th.

Then it was back to Talladega for the October EA Sports 500. Dale Jr had won the last 2 Talladega races, and was a favorite to three-peat. That's just what he did winning a caution-free race after leading 56 laps.

He would score 4 more top 10's in the final 6 races of 2002.

Earnhardt finished the season with 2 wins, 11 top 5's and 16 top 10's. He earned 2 poles.

In the final championship standings Junior finished 11th.

His winnings for the year were $4.9 million.