3 , a made-for-TV biography of NASCAR legend Dale Earnhardt, is one of ESPN's better attempts at dramatic programming. It doesn't really delve too deep into the life and career of the man, but it serves as a nice tribute, and features a great performance by Barry Pepper (who covered similar ground in HBO's 61* ). This two-disc set also features a huge batch of extras Earnhardt & NASCAR fans will love.

Pepper plays Earnhardt from age 17, when he drops out of school to be a race car driver, to age 49, when he died in a last-lap crash during the 2001 Daytona 500. Surprisingly, his achievements in NASCAR (his Rookie of the Year title, followed by seven Winston Cup Championships) are mere footnotes in the film, which chooses to focus more on Dale's off-track relationships with his father, Ralph, his son, Dale Jr., his third wife, Theresa, and his racing pal, driver Neil Bonnett. That's not to say there aren't a lot of racing scenes, which are a combination of new footage and vintage TV broadcasts. For the most part, the race sequences are well-edited and competently shot, blending nicely with the stock footage. However, 3 is more interested in Dale's driven determination and those effected by it, which is all fine, but some of the events footnoted by the script result in some occasionally jarring shifts to the movie's continuity...one minute he's rookie of the year, the next he's a NASCAR champion, the next he's driving for Richard Childress (owner of the #3 three car Dale drove for the rest of his career). In between are a few scenes of personal crisis, but they are quickly glossed over as the film charges forward. Granted, there's a lot to cover in 90 minutes, but that only makes one wish the film was longer, so we could relive those great racing moments in more detail. Still, the movie's continuously interesting - even bittersweet at times - with an amazing performance by Pepper. Aided by some incredible make-up, he looks and sound eerily like Dale Earnhardt. 3 also has the good sense not to show the crash which took Earnhardt's life (fading out just before impact), not just because it would probably be in bad taste, but it would negate the point of the whole movie, which is ultimately about family relationships.

The movie is presented in 1.78:1 widescreen, unlike the broadcast premiere. There's some grain noticeable at times, but for the most part, it looks pretty good. The soundtrack is rendered in 5.1 Dolby Surround, and it isn't bad, either, though I was surprised at how flat the racing scenes sounded. They should have had my speakers rumbling, but they are rendered about as intensely as the dialogue.

This is where the disc really shines. Disc 1 features a 30 minute making-of documentary, with a lot of behind-the-scenes footage, interviews with the cast, director Russell Mulcahy, producer Orly Adelson, writer Robert Eisele, Andy Hillenberg (who built all of the cars used), among others. Also on Disc 1 is a 45 minute retrospective on Earnhardt's life and career, which covers a lot of the same ground as the movie, but features more details on Earnhardt's NASCAR career; this one features comments by drivers, fans, owners and friends. Disc 2 consists entirely of ESPN archive footage featuring Earnhardt himself, from his appearance on 2 Minute Drill (a sports related game show), to several interviews, to a hunting-fishing program he once did for the network. Best of all (for NASCAR fans, anyway), are the condensed presentations of four important races in his career, most notably the 1993 Hooters 500, in which he clinched his record-tying seventh Winston Cup championship. For Earnhardt lovers, Disc 2 alone will be worth the price of admission.

Useless Trivia: This DVD was released three days after it's premiere on ESPN. As a biography, 3 sort-of soft pedals it subject (it ain't no Raging Bull ), and at times feels like kind of a rush job. It's also not likely to offer any insights about Earnhardt NASCAR fans didn't already know or suspect. Still, it's a well-executed, loving look at a sports icon, and features a great performance by Pepper. All-in-all, it's a fitting and respectful souvenir of a man truly missed by racing fans everywhere.