DOVER, Del. -- The skinny, strawberry blonde-haired kid in the red driver's uniform has his cap pulled down low to keep his fair skin out of the sun's rays. He leans in the window of his car, turning the steering wheel as the rest of the crew pushes it slowly across the dusty access road that leads to the pits at Dover International Speedway.

Running in one of NASCAR's lower-level regional series, he's an 18-year-old "developmental driver," learning the trade far from the spotlight, which means you help where you can. The only thing that gives him away as somebody special are the Dale Earnhardt Inc. and Bass Pro Shops logos.

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Jeffrey Earnhardt

Welcome to Jeffrey Earnhardt's world. While he toils in near obscurity in the Busch East Series, running at places like Elko, Minn., and Beaver Falls, N.Y., the national media rushes to cover uncle Dale's every breath.

But that's exactly how Kerry Earnhardt's middle son wants it.

"There's pressure because everybody automatically expects you to run good because of your name," Jeffrey Earnhardt said. "But I'm just like all these other guys. I have to learn it all, the same way they did.

"You sort of have to not think about it, just go out there. I'm out here to learn and that's what I was sent out here to do, learn how to drive a racecar."

That comes with the Earnhardt name, Jeffrey admits. But there's a certain pride in being a fourth-generation NASCAR driver.

"My family's been in this sport ever since I can remember and I'm hoping I can keep it going, keep the name out there," he said. "There's a lot to learn and this is making the next step to get there. I think this is a real good learning experience."

Just like most aspiring young drivers, Earnhardt started at a young age, running hobby stocks and Late Models. When he did well in a General Motors-sponsored driver development search last season, it led to an opportunity to drive one of Andy Santerre's cars.

Of course, having Earnhardt on the uniform leads to increased expectations, sometimes unfair ones. Jeffrey said other teams in the series weren't sure what to expect when the No. 1 Chevrolet rolled off the hauler early in the season.

"I think we've done a pretty good job of staying [out of the spotlight] and still running fast," he said. "We started out the season, and everybody was like, 'Oh, boy, what are they going to do.' And now we're out there, beating on their doors.

"I know our team is real happy with the way the season's going and I think we've done a little better than what people were expecting."

Some of that has come from Jeffrey's father, who has been able to add some advice when needed.

"He's helped me a lot, figuring out how to get around tracks and other things," Earnhardt said. "He really helped me with getting around Loudon. We had a real good practice there and two pretty good races."

So what's next for him?

"I think we're going to run another full season of Busch East and maybe some Busch races," Jeffrey said. "I'm really looking forward to next year and having the same team members, so we can keep that relationship going. That's a big key to running good."

Until then, Earnhardt doesn't mind paying his dues away from the media glare that seems to swirl around anyone with the same last name.

And, not surprisingly, his long-term goal is the same as his more famous uncle's: "Hopefully to win a championship in the Cup Series some day."