NASCAR NEWS: USA TODAY interview: At home with Jr.

CLEVELAND, N.C. — Three miles from Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s front gate, a sheriff's vehicle, blue lights flashing, leads a seven-car funeral procession to Antioch Baptist Church.
Down the road, a rebel flag flies behind one of the many prefab homes that share the landscape with grazing cattle.
It's here, just outside his hometown of Mooresville, that this son of a racing legend has built his haven, a 140-acre sanctuary designed for living, entertaining and enjoying occasional periods of tranquillity. It's fewer than 40 miles from NASCAR racing's Charlotte epicenter, yet a world removed from the spotlight that relentlessly follows one of sports' most marketable commodities.
He pays a price for being named NASCAR's most popular driver for four years running. He's often besieged by fans, gawkers and autograph hounds who'll try anything to get up close and personal. Earnhardt can't walk into Wal-Mart or Applebee's without being noticed, so he's done his darnedest to bring the outside world inside his gates.

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Credit for story: By Seth Livingstone, USA TODAY