What next for Dale Jr?

2009 was a dreadful year for Dale Earnhardt, Jr. With no wins, 5 DNFs, and again missing the chase, this was a year to forget.

The year started out with promise. Any driver would feel confident driving for Hendrick Motorsports, NASCARs premier team.  Hendrick cars are the best in the sport, and the teams are known to work well together. With Hendrick cars, equipment is not an excuse. Unfortunately, Earnhardt did not have the same success as his teammates.

Earnhardt’s poor year resulted in the reassignment of his longtime crew chief, Tony Eury, Jr.  Lance McGrew was named crew chief for the remainder of the season.  Junior’s results did not improve.

 

As if it isn’t bad enough being the son of NASCAR’s most iconic figure, Dale Jr. now drives for NASCAR’s most iconic team. Could part of the problem be there is just too much pressure placed on him?  Earnhardt does not seem to enjoy racing the way he once did.  His easygoing smile is harder to find around the garage these days.  Earnhardt makes the required media and fan appearances, but it appears forced.  He seems to be much more comfortable at home in Kennapolis, NC, than at the track. Earnhardt is a magnet for attention, every word he says, every move he makes is magnified a thousand times, who could enjoy that?  When he makes a mistake, it becomes headlines.

Even though he has been running in the middle of the pack, finishing the year 25th in points, Earnhardt was again voted NASCAR’s Most Popular Driver by the fans.  The NASCAR loyalty is legendary.

Everyone believes Dale Jr is capable of winning races, even championships. The question now is becoming “Will he ever do it?”

There is no shortage of opinions on what needs to happen for Earnhardt to regain his winning ways. Some feel he should run more Nationwide races.   The additional track time certainly isn’t hurting Kyle Busch or Carl Edwards.  Others feel he should stop being an owner of a Nationwide Team and focus completely on driving. I don’t see anyone suggesting that to Tony Stewart.  Earnhardt is backing off the ownership responsibilities, though, as his sister, Kelley, and Tony Eury, Jr, as well as Rick Hendrick are now co-owners of JR Motorsports. He will need the extra help to manage that team now that Danica Patrick has been signed to drive for that team. It is sure to be a circus as she begins her NASCAR endeavor.

Whatever the secret to Earnhardt’s success may be, I hope he finds it. For the sake of his fans, for the sake of NASCAR, and mostly, for the sake of Junior, I hope he wins.  He deserves better than 2009.

 

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