Sure, the 49-year-old Earnhardt already has two grandchildren and another one on the way. And perhaps his best days behind the wheel of a race car are behind him.

But don't make the mistake of thinking that he's mellowed out. Don't assume anything just because Jeremy Mayfield knocked Earnhardt out of the way at the end of a race once. Earnhardt is still the Intimidator, the guy driving the black car that hungers to cross the finish line before anyone else.

"I enjoy the pressure," Earnhardt says. "I thrive on it."

More than ever, Earnhardt is a NASCAR power. Combine his success behind the wheel with the juggernaut of Dale Earnhardt Inc., which fields Winston Cup cars and an ARCA team, and perhaps Dale Sr. is the power in NASCAR.

He still makes offers that it would be better not to refuse.

Dale Earnhardt leads the Winston Cup circuit with 14 top 10 finishes in his last 17 starts.(AP)

Earnhardt has seven Winston Cup championships, tying the legendary Richard Petty for the most in history. He desperately wants an eighth title, and it probably won't be pretty for anybody that stands in his way. Right now, the only thing between Earnhardt and first place in the standings is Bobby Labonte.

Earnhardt has been steadily gaining ground on Labonte, and he is now only 52 points behind. Earnhardt has posted seven consecutive top-10 finishes and leads the circuit with 14 top 10s in 17 starts this season. The season just reached the midway mark, with defending champion Dale Jarrett still a threat in third.

"I think the guys you've got to be concerned with are Jarrett and Labonte." Earnhardt says. "Sure, all of them can be a threat. All of them that are in the top 10 can be a threat for the championship. It took half a season to get where you're at now. It'll take another half of a season to get somewhere else.

"I don't think you'll see one team excel and win several races. You've got to be there every week to be a contender."

Earnhardt and his Richard Childress Racing team have struggled some over the past couple of years, but they were never without honor. Earnhardt won the 1998 Daytona 500, but has had to handle a series of injuries and crew changes. Earnhardt is healthy now and benefiting from the additional downforce of the new Monte Carlo.

"I think our whole program has come together from last year to this year," Earnhardt says. "Our crew has been fine-tuned and moved around and everybody really wants to be there. You're getting paid to be there, but they want to be there. I want to be there. Over the years, I've been offered bigger deals, but I'm with Richard because I want to race, I want to win, I want to be with somebody who wants to win as badly as I want to. I feel like that is the package we have this year. We want to overcome."

Honor has much to do with the success of a NASCAR team, Earnhardt believes. But the honor has to run deep throughout the entire organization.

"The key to it is the team," Earnhardt says. "It's got to be an effort from everybody, a team. You look at that 18 bunch, and they're all excited about being there. They all work together. You look at the 3 team. They're together now. That's how you win races or championships or anything. That group of guys that want to do it and want to do it for the reason of winning, not because I'm getting paid a lot of money, because I want to do it. I want to be good. You never give up. You never quit."

Some of Earnhardt's drive comes from having his children join the family business. Dale Jr., with his two Busch titles and a Winston Cup victory already in his rookie season, looks like he's ready to be a power on his own.

"You're so proud of your kid," Dale Sr. says. "But when you win a race as a driver, that's pretty damn exciting. That's what I'm driven to do. That's what I get up in the morning to go do -- race. I reckon I've got the best of two worlds."

Earnhardt is about as far removed from a rocking chair as a grandfather can be. He's still brokering deals and taking care of business. He doesn't do as much dirty work as he used to, but he still makes all of the big decisions. Earnhardt claims he is as excited about racing as he has ever been, though he doesn't get excited about testing and practice sessions. But when he gets behind the wheel on race day ...

"We're competitive, and we have the team to race for [the title]," Earnhardt says. "It's like having the privilege to race to win. Guys play in the minor leagues and never get to go to the majors. Guys get to race in Busch or the truck series and never get an opportunity to drive a Cup car.

"I'm there. I have the opportunity. I'm excited about what I do. I'm not content with not winning. If somebody tells you I'm riding my years out, they're not paying attention."

Sure Earnhardt is a grandfather, but give him the respect he deserves.