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Dale Earnhardt Jr. had never filled out an NCAA tournament bracket before this year, even though he's a hoops fan. He says he would have done it earlier, but he doesn't like to lose.

NASCAR's most popular driver seems to be getting a whole lot closer to some more important victories during his outstanding start to the year.

Earnhardt is second in the standings through four races, trailing Brad Keselowski by nine points heading into Sunday's race at Fontana. Earnhardt has two top-five finishes and four top-10s, running well each week.

Earnhardt is modest about his start, crediting much of his consistency to good luck. But it's clear he's already comfortable in NASCAR's new Gen-6 car, which suits his skills.