If Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s goal is to follow in his father's footsteps, he's on the right path.

Junior's decision to leave DEI for a new team could lead him to Richard Childress Racing at age 32.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. is at the same age as when his father made his most important career decision. (AP)

That's the same age "The Intimidator" was when he joined RCR full-time 27 years ago.

"At 32 years of age, the same age my father was when he made his final and most important career decision, it's time for me to compete on a consistent basis and contend for championships now," Earnhardt Jr. said at Thursday's news conference announcing his departure from DEI. "I believe I'd have my father's blessing."

As well as that of the entire population of Earnhardt Nation.

After winning a title with car owner Rod Osterlund in 1980, Earnhardt Sr. toiled for parts of three seasons with the California car owner as well as in a limited schedule for the independent Bud Moore Racing team before finding his way to RCR as a full-time driver.

He won six times in his first two seasons with Childress before breaking through with 11 trips to Victory Lane and his second championship in 1986. Five more titles would follow in the next 15 years.

And since Earnhardt's tragic death at Daytona in 2001, there has been speculation that some day it would be Dale Jr. back behind the wheel of the famous No. 3 in the RCR stable.

That day might now be near.

Childress and Earnhardt Sr. shared a friendship and bond that was extremely tight. They had a working relationship that was based on that closeness, and the communication between the two was legendary.

"A lot of people maybe thought he was hard-headed," Childress said of the seven-time champion. "He was set in his ways in some things, but you could sit and have a conversation, and he would understand."

Since Senior's death, Dale Jr. and Childress have forged a friendship as well, one that could evolve into a business relationship.

"If things don't work out over there, and he ever does leave, I hope he'll come and talk to me first," Childress said during last January's testing sessions at Daytona.

Earnhardt Jr. has talked about such a scenario before, actually addressing the issue before the start of last season.

"I really think that'll happen," Earnhardt said in January of 2006. "I've informally talked to Richard, just so he knew I wanted to do that."

"I'll drive the No. 3 car toward the end of my career if I've done what I wanted to do at DEI, and that's win championships and win races," Earnhardt said. "And I'll stick around as long as it takes to do it."

Junior even thought out what the car would look like if he did make the jump.

"They could do it however they saw best," Junior said. "If they want to paint it black, they can paint it black. If they don't, I don't care. I don't feel it's my decision. I'd just like to do it because I'd like to drive for Richard. He's been so good to me."

Many within the sport see an Earnhardt-Childress reunion as a logical step in both driver and car owner's careers.

"I've always thought RCR just because of the Childress-Earnhardt relationship," said former champion and current broadcaster Darrell Waltrip, who attended Thursday's press conference at the request of Junior. "I personally have always thought the racing world would be right if Dale Earnhardt Jr. drove the black No. 3 car."

Childress currently fields a three-car team of Kevin Harvick, Jeff Burton and Clint Bowyer. With NASCAR expecting to mandate a four-car team cap next season, there is room on RCR's roster for Earnhardt Jr.

With RCR's recent renaissance and return to one of the Nextel Cup Series' front running operations, coupled with Earnhardt Jr.'s desire to drive for a championship-caliber team, it seems to be a match made in heaven -- not to mention a marketing executive's dream.

An Earnhardt back in a No. 3 Nextel Cup car would no doubt generate enough souvenir and apparel sales revenue to pay off the national debt.

But as intriguing an idea as it may seem, Junior isn't rushing into any decision -- yet.

"I've got to do a little soul searching on how I feel driving the No. 3 car," Earnhardt Jr. said.

Junior might not know exactly how he feels about taking over the legendary ride of his father, but I can assure you a heck of a lot of others sure do.