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Dale Jr.: Another star in Hendrick stable
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Sunday, 3/22 on FOX 1:30 pm: Food City 500 This week on SPEED Friday, 3/20 Noon: Cup practice 1:30 pm: N'wide practice 3:00 pm: NASCAR LIVE 3:30 pm: Cup qualifying 4:30 pm: N'wide practice 7:00 pm: Trackside Saturday, 3/21 11:00 am: Cup practice 12:20 pm: Cup practice Sunday, 3/22 11:00 am: NASCAR in a hurry 11:30 am: NASCAR Raceday 8:00 pm: Victory Lane All times ET | ||
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If you listened closely to Dale Jr.'s announcement that he was leaving Dale Earnhardt Inc., his words pointed toward where he went. He wanted this move to be the last major change of his driving career, and he wanted to make sure that he would go to a place where he would be a good teammate with the existing drivers.
If you've got an opportunity to drive for an operation that has won 10 of 14 races in 2007 with four different teams, how in the world can you not take advantage of that opportunity? All four teams are competitive. Dale Jr. could have gone a lot of different places and filled in any dollar figure on blank checks. Anybody that tells you money isn't important is telling you a story, but he stayed true to his father's wishes.
Even though Dale Sr. may have been a little bewildered about why something didn't work out at DEI, he probably would have popped his son upside the head and said, "Boy! You've got an opportunity to drive for Rick Hendrick? That's a no-brainer. Get over there and drive that race car."
Hendrick Motorsports just signed the most popular driver that there has ever been in our sport. Taking nothing away from Dale Sr., Richard Petty or anybody else, but let's face it, a nation follows this cat. Combining that popularity with his some talent, it's a no-brainer from the business side for Hendrick as well.
Future is now
There's a lot of pressure on both parties, but Hendrick is confident in giving Dale Jr. everything that he needs because the owner has given everybody on his team everything they need to win this year. On the driver's side, Earnhardt Jr. can't try to do things that aren't possible. While racing at this level is about horsepower, race cars, handling, strategy and pit stops, it really comes down to people.As long as HMS surrounds Earnhardt Jr. with the right team — starting with the right captain to steer the ship, whether it's his current crew chief Tony Eury Jr., No. 5 crew chief Alan Gustafson, No. 25 crew chief Darian Grubb or someone else — he'll do what the other Hendrick teams are doing: win races and be a championship contender.
While Hendrick hasn't been known for having a strong driver development program, that man and his organization have a knack for letting someone else do the development. Then, he has a way of getting him over to his camp. He hired Jimmie Johnson after Johnson won in a Busch Series race at Chicagoland for Herzog Motorsports.
It's what he did with Kyle Busch from Roush Racing and Casey Mears from Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates. And he signed Jeff Gordon after the future four-time champ drove for Bill Davis. Let somebody else develop them and pay the repair bills, and then Hendrick steps in when it's time for them to go.
| Speed Mail Larry McReynolds |
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Don't cry for Kyle
Kyle Busch is a very talented 22-year-old, already with four Cup wins and two poles. He's in the top 10 in points, but this move could be a good situation for him. No matter how many races or championships he won, he would always be the third-string driver behind Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson, but not in pecking order of equipment. Of all the multi-car organizations out there, Hendrick Motorsports gives each team equal equipment and equal resources, week in and week out. It's up to the people to make it work.Who wouldn't want to put Busch in their race car? Right off the bat, you will know where your equipment is. He make knock off a few snouts or tailclips, but if your equipment is good, he'll run up front and win some races. Now, Busch has an opportunity to make a difference with a new team, and there are a lot of teams in dire need of a Kyle Busch. He'll have a lot of options and more than likely be the top cat in an organization.
If Dale Earnhardt Inc. makes a run at Busch, it would make sense DEI and Hendrick to swap the No. 8 and No. 5. Rick Hendrick may be the guy to negotiate that deal with Teresa Earnhardt, but I believe that she would do anything on earth to keep Earnhardt Jr. from having that No. 8, just because. If I'm Teresa Earnhardt, I'm sleeping on Kyle Busch's porch right now, but this is the same person that let Dale Jr. get away from her.
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.
"How to Become a Winning Crew Chief" is on bookstore shelves, or you may order your own autographed copy from www.DWStore.com.
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