Chemistry. Confidence. Those words embody the mysterious side of the mechanical, engineering-driven sport of NASCAR racing. Sure, NASCAR looks like an individual sport, but it's really one of the ultimate team sports. No driver can overcome a bad team, and no team can make up for a poor driver. More to the point, you can put a great driver with a great team and still fail if everyone doesn't work together.

Nobody embodies this truth heading into 2010 more than NASCAR's most popular driver, Dale Earnhardt Jr. Everybody has access to the same parts and pieces, the saying goes, and Junior has the best in the world at Hendrick Motorsports. To succeed, he's going to have to master the human element, both within his team, and within himself.

Junior might be unique in the history of American sport because he is far and away racing's biggest "superstar" without being anywhere close to the most accomplished on the track. Yet the connection fans feel with Junior isn't hard to understand when you spend even a small amount of time around him. He is truthful, accessible and authentic. Race fans identify not only with his family story, but they also identify with Junior as an individual. They feel like they know who he is and where he's coming from. And they care about him.

That's a beautiful thing (with the fringe benefit of a healthy paycheck), but it's also a lot to carry, a burden that seemed evident recently in Charlotte at the Sprint Cup Media Tour. Like all his teammates and boss, Rick Hendrick, Driver 88 sported the mandatory white Hendrick shirt and dark pants during the media's visit to the team shop. Unlike his comrades, Junior sported a full beard — perhaps just a small sign of his individuality. Things aren't ever quite the same for Junior, and while so many drivers could speak in giddy tones of "optimism" and "excitement" heading into 2010, Earnhardt Jr. was once again pulled into lengthy conversations about the "meaning" and "burden" of being himself. You could almost feel him wondering, Why does this have to be such a big deal?

Well, it is a big deal. For better or worse, Dale Earnhardt Jr. is the face of NASCAR. And his 25th place finish in last year's standings, even as his teammates swept the top three spots, feels like a millstone around his neck. Hendrick Motorsports has made myriad changes this offseason to help Junior to run with his teammates, more closely linking the 88 team with their garagemates on Mark Martin's No. 5 squad. But this is clearly a human issue. It's about team chemistry. It's about personal confidence.

Starting next to Martin on the front row for Sunday's Daytona 500 is a good start.

Junior is clearly trying to solve those mysteries. He professed never to have had great team chemistry in his career, wondered aloud whether there even was such a thing, and resolutely took a "wait and see" attitude towards 2010: "I'd be foolish to sit here and guarantee you success with how we run last year. We'll just have to get to the racetrack and see what happens."

All that adds up to something simple: The first 5-10 (maybe even 3-4) events of 2010 are absolutely critical for Earnhardt Jr. Success in those first few races will mean that instead of searching for answers, he will have found some. Instead of trying to figure whether he's trying to hard or not hard enough, he can just show up and drive. Instead of questioning everything, and wondering what it all means, endlessly answering searching questions from the press, he can just go out and have some fun.

Slideshow   The Week in Sports Pictures The Giants on top of the football world, getting ready for the London Olympics and more. more photos

But if 2010 starts off the way 2009 ended, it's going to feel like another lost season quickly, another season of burdens no other driver will be asked to bear, no matter who he is or how poorly he runs.

Maybe it's a stretch to say it, maybe it's unfair to say, but I'll say it anyway: This is make or break time for Dale Earnhardt Jr. The most important 10 races of his career won't come at the end of 2010. They'll come right at the beginning.

Bass Masters, Buck Fever and Buzz Cutler are co-hosts of Rowdy.com. For the best NASCAR community on the internet go to Rowdy.com.

SportingNews.com NASCAR Number: 347 Notebook: Edwards gets breathing room in Chase race Harvick's gamble pays off with Michigan win On this day ... August 15 Even in a 1-year deal, Kahne will help Red Bull

Also on NBCSports.com Beyond the Arc: No. 11 Mich. St. takes big step forward Chandler: Jeremy Lin was special even in 8th grade What NFC teams need this offseason  |  And AFC DeMarco: Dodgers could become a contender Follow us on Twitter: @NBCSports  |  And Facebook