by Jeff Hammond

Comment

Racing with respect

John from Bremerton, Washington: Will Hendrick Motorsports become a situation where there are just too many "Top Guns" on the staff? How do you think the No. 24 and No. 48 teams will react to another superstar in the ranks? Have any egos been challenged?

Jeff Hammond: Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon are excellent spokespersons for our sport. The only thing that was holding back Kyle Busch was experience. Now, they're sticking the most popular driver in our sport with two of our other most popular drivers. Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s personality will establish himself there so don't jump on that bandwagon. He has 17 Cup wins; he's not an also-ran. When people start trying to put him in a pecking order, that's junk. Sure, we've got egos in racing. We all want to beat one another. That's why Jeff sometimes hollers at Jimmie, "He's holding me up. I'm going to take him out, Rick." That's the competitive nature that all of these guys bring to the table.

But these guys all respect each other enough to do exactly what Jeff did with Jimmie at Martinsville. He raced him with respect. When you're good, you can put donuts down the side of another car, bump it, knock it around and frustrate the driver all you want, but you won't wreck him. That's what you're going to see with these Hendrick drivers. I don't want to hear about a pecking order because it's not fair to Casey Mears either. He's a good kid trying to earn his way because Rick has chosen him to be part of this organization and make everything successful. When you start questioning an organization's levels of commitment to its drivers, you're disrespecting the talents of all of these individuals, not only behind the wheel, but what each brings to the table.

Youth movement away from HMS

Russ from Seminole, Fla.: Jeff, no one is commenting on two young drivers who actively sought to leave Hendrick. If it is so great, why would Brian Vickers and now Kyle Busch be looking at other options. Will Dale Earnhardt Jr. be able to handle being third banana at Hendrick? What if he feels he is getting third-banana type equipment?

Jeff Hammond: I will argue about with anybody about that notion. Casey Mears doesn't win the Coca-Cola 600 if he's in inferior equipment. Some people will say, "Well, he won it on gas mileage." You've got to be in position and have a car that can put you in the top five so you have options. You're not going to win one of these races today running in 11th, 12th and 13th. It's not going to happen. That's what happened with the No. 25 car. The first time out of the box, Kyle Busch won with the New Car/Car of Tomorrow at Bristol, and he's won before. Hendrick Motorsports doesn't give out 3rd or 4th-place equipment. It doesn't work like that there. Rick Hendrick is very strict about everybody having the same thing. It's up to the crew chief and the driver to make the difference. It's the only way to run a successful multi-car operation.

Kyle Dodging offers?

Mike from Oklahoma City, Okla.: I am a big fan of Dodge. I guess it has stayed with me since I was a kid, watching Richard Petty. I would love to see a hard-charging kid like Kyle Busch land in a Dodge, especially one of the Petty Dodges! I believe the Pettys, or any Dodge team, could use a good shot in the arm that this kind of driver could bring to them. Any chances of this happening?

Jeff Hammond: Kyle hasn't made any bold statements about not wanting to drive for anybody but a Chevrolet team. It really helps his chances of seeing what's available out there. Obviously, some Chevrolet teams — like Richard Childress Racing and Bobby Ginn Racing — have already stood up and said, "Hey, I'm interested." The most important thing for him is to find a competitive deal. If he can get in a competitive ride, he's going to make some noise with his talent. And, yes, it could wind up being a Dodge. I don't look for him to join his brother Kurt at Penske Racing South, but there are still several opportunities out there, including Evernham Motorsports.

Speed Mail Jeff Hammond
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Sooner or later, the Dodge teams are going to figure out their problems, work through them and start getting back into Victory Lane. Ryan Newman has been strong lately. Kurt has had some moments of brilliance. The Dodge teams have too many good competitors to just take it as it comes. They're going to push hard and get back to their winning ways. Don't lose faith, man. Be true, just like you were back in the Petty days. Some days are better than others, but they'll work through it.

Dale Jr. and Richert?

John from Wall, N.J.: Wouldn't it be neat to see Dale Earnhardt Jr. win his first Nextel Cup championship with Doug Richert as his crew chief, the man with whom Dale Sr. won his first title? Talk about history repeating itself. Both have the talent to "Get 'er done," especially in a Hendrick Car!

Jeff Hammond: Doug worked with Dale Jr.'s father, and he understands the Earnhardts pretty well. But you've also got to remember that Doug is under contract with the folks from Toyota. We'll have to wait and see how it plays out. There are a lot of talented crew chiefs, like Richert, out there. Dale Jr. is looking for one that he can relate to and take the car where he wants it to go. Simply put, he just wants to get to Victory Lane.

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FOX race analyst Jeff Hammond led Darrell Waltrip to two of DW's three Winston Cup championships as his crew chief. They also teamed to win the 1989 Daytona 500.

For autographed copies of Jeff Hammond's book "Real Men Work in the Pits" plus magnets, hats and more, check out www.dwstore.com.

For photos and appearances, visit Jeff's web site www.jeffhammond.com.