January 12, 2011
By Chuck Abrams
It's been a long time since Dale Earnhardt, Jr. won a Cup race. Michigan 2008 to be exact. And before that? 2006. So that is one win in 156 starts... and counting. That is a lot of racing.
Not to say there haven't been moments, most notably last year's Daytona 500. Unfortunately, that was the high point for the year for Junior Nation fans if you don't count the Nationwide Series win.
Rick Hendrick was not happy with the way his organization struggled in 2010 and he made wholesale changes at the end of the year. Now Earnhardt has another new crew chief in Steve Letarte and that comes with a whole lot of expectations on the young man once again.
Earnhardt has 2 years left on his HMS contract and he needs to show his fans, THIS YEAR, that he is up to the challenge. Hendrick has made quite the point about getting Earnhardt back into Victory Lane and this year has to be the year that pays off that patience and all that talk.
There has been every opportunity to make things work. Even with a race or two that showed some promise, the No. 88 team would qualify poorly and rarely be a factor. Other times they would have a decent qualifying run but fall to irrelevance less than halfway through a race.
Chemistry between a crew chief and the driver is a fickle thing. If it were easy, then there would be lots of Jimmie Johnsons winning the title every year. Look what happened with Tony Stewart after he left Zippy. Ryan Newman was unstoppable with Matt Borland.
The name alone is a heavy load for Earnhardt to carry. Add to that his father's legacy, his two Busch Series titles, multiple Talladega wins and his 15 Cup victories with 3 Chase appearances in his first 5 full years of Cup racing -- and you can see the expectations that kept the fans hungry for more.
After 2004, the wheels started to come off. The Car of Tomorrow was introduced. While Junior made the Chase in 2006 on the strength of his top 5 and top 10 finishes, victories were in short order.
People were quick to blame DEI, run by his stepmother Teresa. The organization was struggling and seemed more focused on remembering Dale Sr. than on track performance.
Then the finger turned to his crew chief and cousin Tony Eury, Jr. They were promptly separated, again with no light on an easy path to Victory Lane.
His long time family friend Rick Hendrick came to the rescue and the Earnhardt faithful saw the glories of Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson reflected in the sunglasses of their beloved son.
Now, the shine is off the star but fans are still hopeful every year the Daytona 500 rolls around. This year is no exception. While the name Steve Letarte does not have Junior fans quivering with excitement, the fact that there has been change -- keeps hope alive.
Will Dale Jr. be able to not only win, but win more than once? Will he compete and not be an irrelevant note to nearly every race? And, shudder, can he get back into the Chase?
The answer to that is both simple and complex. He has the talent to do all of this. But can Steve Letarte take the information Dale Jr. gives to him during a race and produce a car that he is comfortable driving will be the driving question for 2011. A win is not out of the question, nor are multiple wins since he still drives for one of the best organizations in NASCAR. Making the Chase may be a bit of a stretch for 2011, but not for 2012.
Dale Jr. is too good of a driver to give up on. He has not forgotten how to drive or what his comfort zone is in a car. He just needs someone who can take what he says and make it work. Then he just has to drive it like he stole it.
And lastly....
Are you angry with NASCAR, the IRL or your local track? Now you have a place to gripe - other than in an email to me. Angry race fans now have a place to sound off 24/7!
Fans can call the Angry Fans hot line at (720) 43-ANGRY any time, day or night, and record their gripe about NASCAR or any other racing series or event. Leave your name and become famous or go totally anonymous, the choice is up to you. The only rule is that you are limited to sixty seconds to sound off.
Let me know your thoughts.
Drive fast, turn left and keep the shiny side up.
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