Dale Earnhardt Jr. fulfilled his wish, but is he ready for all that comes with it?

Earnhardt's move next season to Hendrick Motorsports presents the potential to pocket multiple Nextel Cup titles but also provides many pitfalls.

Win at least one championship and Earnhardt validates his move from Dale Earnhardt Inc., steps further from his father's shadow and proves how good a stock-car driver he is.

Fail to win a title with Hendrick Motorsports, NASCAR's top team, and his talent will be questioned, his fans will be frustrated and even Earnhardt will wonder how good he is.

That's the gamble the sport's most popular driver accepted Wednesday when he announced he'll drive for Hendrick Motorsports through 2012.

All this might seem a safe bet for Earnhardt, who already has 17 career Cup victories.

No NASCAR Nextel Cup team has won as many races as Hendrick Motorsports in the last decade.

Hendrick cars have won 10 of the first 14 races this season. Car owner Rick Hendrick's teams have won six of the last 12 Cup crowns and are the favorite to add to that this season.

But things don't always turn out the way they're planned.

Kurt Busch left car owner Jack Roush in 2005 after winning 14 races and a title there. Busch joined Penske Racing, failed to make the Chase for the Nextel Cup last year and enters Sunday's Citizens Bank 400 at Michigan International Speedway 16th in the standings.

Jamie McMurray, who has one career Cup victory, replaced Busch at Roush but McMurray struggled adjusting to the team.

He finished 25th in points last year after a few crew chief changes.

He heads into Sunday's race 15th in the standings.

Then again, Earnhardt can also look to Mark Martin, who left Roush's team after last season for Ginn Racing. Martin, running a part-time schedule, has seven top-10 finishes in 11 starts.

Earnhardt admits he might need time to adjust to the Hendrick cars.

He said Wednesday how new teammate Casey Mears told him that he's struggled understanding how to drive the Hendrick cars compared to what he drove at Chip Ganassi Racing.

One difference there was that Ganassi raced Dodges, while Hendrick runs Chevrolet, the same model Earnhardt races with DEI. Even so, Earnhardt likely will face an adjustment.

"You know, if you give five guys the same pieces to build a car ... even though they try to set them up the same, they will drive differently," Earnhardt said.

Question is how much time Earnhardt has to make the transition.

He's turns 33 in October. Five of the last six Cup champions have been younger than he is now.

Only two drivers older than 35 have finished in the top five in points since 2002.

That trend might be changing this season, which could give Earnhardt hope. Five of top 15 drivers in the points are 35 and older.

While Earnhardt's friendship with Hendrick helped this deal happen, had Hendrick not had title-winning cars, Earnhardt would have looked elsewhere.

He said last month when he announced he would leave DEI after this season he wanted to join a team where he could consistently contend for titles.

Hendrick admits that he feels the pressure to provide Earnhardt the equipment and personnel he needs to win.

Now, that Earnhardt got his wish, he was asked Wednesday what if he can't win a championship with Hendrick.

"I think I can live without it," Earnhardt said.

He continued talking. About 10 seconds later, he said: "I really do want it.'"