BACK IN THE RACE ONCE AGAIN, THE INTIMIDATOR BECOMING A CONTENDER.

Byline: Steve Ramirez Staff Writer

FONTANA - What comes around, goes around.

Nobody in NASCAR Winston Cup understands that more then Dale Earnhardt, who after nearly three subpar seasons in the late 1990s appears to have recaptured his championship form.

Since finishing a disappointing 21st at the season-opening Daytona 500 in February, Earnhardt has one victory and seven top-10 finishes in eight races. He comes into today's NAPA Auto Parts 500 fourth in points.

``We have a race team right now that every man on it, they're pumped to win,'' said Earnhardt, who has his best chance at winning a Winston Cup championship since 1995. ``They're coming to the race track pumped to win. They're excited. You don't have to do something exciting to excite them. They're ready to go.''

Which is a far cry from where Earnhardt the `Intimidator' was just a couple of seasons ago.

After winning 70 races and seven Winston Cup championships between 1979 and 1994, he dropped into the mainstream. Earnhardt, who was recently voted ESPN Driver of the Decade, won just once in 97 races between March 1996 and February 1998, including going winless in 1997.

``I don't know where I was at,'' Earnhardt said. ``Everybody talked about me being gone or whatever. I've been (here). I just kept working and the guys kept working and we didn't give up on each other.''

Neither did team owner Richard Childress, who realized early in 1999 that he hadn't provided Earnhardt with the best possible equipment during those lean years. The former Winston Cup regular rebuilt his two-team operation, adding aerodynamic specialist Louis Duncan.

``A lot of the critics said it would never work because of the personalities, you know, with me and Dale involved,'' Childress said. ``It hasn't been nothing but positive. If anything, our working relationship has been stronger. I think it makes mine and his personal relationship stronger because we got a common thing we're all working at.''

But Earnhardt's slump wasn't just mechanical. His 49-year-old body had taken its toll following three major crashes between 1996 and '98, including rolling his Monte Carlo at Talladega in 1996.

Earnhardt addressed that issue by having surgery this past December to repair a ruptured disc.

``I feel better than I have in a long time after getting my neck worked on back in December,'' said Earnhardt, who won three times last year. ``It took a lot of strain and stress off me, so I'm in better shape. I think what happened to me happened in '96 at Talladega and it was something that didn't really get aggravated until March of last year when I wrecked in Atlanta. Last year, I was racing pretty much with a lot of pain and stuff.''

And the improved feeling has shown on the race track this season. Earnhardt finished second at Rockingham, won at Atlanta, and was a close third at Talladega. He's suddenly a contender again.

``The rebuilding process was a long hard thing,'' Earnhardt said. ``To put it into perspective that's what we did, we just rebuilt. We were ready this year. I think we're more ready this year, team-wise, than we've been in a long time.''

And it has the team thinking about that eighth Winston Cup championship.

``All of us want to see Dale win that eighth championship,'' Childress said. ``I think it would mean a lot to the sport, (Richard Childress Racing) and for Dale to win that eighth title and down the line.

``It's something I think about every day.''

So does Earnhardt.

``I feel good,'' Earnhardt said. ``I've mellowed as I've gone on and got smarter. I still drive the race car pretty good. I'm just enjoying it.''

TITLE CHASE

Winston Cup driver standings and money leaders:

POINTS

1, Mark Martin, 1,370. 2, Bobby Labonte, 1,346. 3, Ward Burton, 1,293. 4, Dale Earnhardt, 1,272. 5, Jeff Burton, 1,236. 6, Dale Jarrett, 1,167. 7, Jeff Gordon, 1,149. 8, Rusty Wallace, 1,129. 9, Jeremy Mayfield, 1,120. 10, Terry Labonte, 1,118. 11, Ricky Rudd, 1,086. 12, Bill Elliott, 1,051. 13, Tony Stewart, 1,049. 14, Mike Skinner, 1,043. 15, Sterling Marlin, 983. 16, Chad Little, 975. 17, Ken Schrader, 946. 18, Johnny Benson, 940. 19, Matt Kenseth, 921. 20, Jimmy Spencer, 908.

MONEY

1, Dale Jarrett, $3,027,509. 2, Jeff Burton, $2,870,209. 3, Rusty Wallace, $1,048,551. 4, Mark Martin, $1,033,561. 5, Bill Elliott, $1,030,766. 6, Bobby Labonte, $1,009,311. 7, Ward Burton, $839,251. 8, Tony Stewart, $830,841. 9, Dale Earnhardt, $791,766. 10, Jeff Gordon, $783,021. 11, Dale Earnhardt, Jr, $759,986. 12, Terry Labonte, $741,089. 13, Mike Skinner, $642,806. 14, Ricky Rudd, $639,096. 15, Jeremy Mayfield, $588,346. 16, Matt Kenseth, $574,646. 17, Sterling Marlin, $566,301. 18, Kenny Irwin, $564,376. 19, John Andretti, $559,011. 20, Jimmy Spencer, $555,099.

CAPTION(S):

photo, box

Photo: Dale Earnhardt, center, figures to be one of the favorites this afternoon in the Napa Auto Parts 500 at Fontana.

Bill Mitchell/Associated Press

Box: TITLE CHASE (see text)