by Larry McReynolds

I didn't know what to expect. I probably had my guard up pretty high as I began to watch it, fearing it was going to be another "Days of Thunder" or something like that. I'm not saying "Days of Thunder" wasn't a good movie, but it was a little far-fetched.

When "3" went off the air, I felt pretty good about it. I thought it was done in good taste. The end of the movie was done with a lot of class. It didn't get into the morbid aftermath of Earnhardt's death and the autopsy.

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I thought most of the actors did quite a good job of portraying the characters. I don't know how well the gentlemen that played Neil Bonnett and Darrell Waltrip portrayed them. But I thought Barry Pepper did a great job of portraying Dale. I maybe would have liked to have seen Dale a little more upbeat than he was at times. And I thought the young man who played Dale Earnhardt Jr. did a pretty good job. He was actually a driving school instructor and wasn't an actor at all.

All in all, I give it a thumbs up. Some things weren't in chronological order, but we can't forget that it was a movie. I know some people didn't like it, and some people refused to watch it. But I thought it was done with a lot of class and a lot of taste.

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FOX race analyst Larry McReynolds has more than 25 years of NASCAR experience as a mechanic, crew chief and broadcaster. He and his fellow Crew Chief Club members take you behind the wall at www.crewchiefclub.com.

"Larry McReynolds: The Big Picture" is on bookstore shelves now, or you may order your own autographed copy from www.DWStore.com.