Read the debate intro and Sports Geek’s argument that Dale Jr. is not good enough to race in NASCAR.
With the struggles of Dale Earnhardt, Jr. this year in NASCAR, there is bound to be talk about his credentials and whether or not he is qualified to drive for Hendrick Motorsports, obviously the premiere racing team in NASCAR. After all, he has no wins this year, while only getting one win last year. Meanwhile, his teammates (Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, and Mark Martin) have combined to win seven races this year. Junior currently sits 21st in points after 19 races with virtually no chance of making the Chase for the Sprint Cup. (For those of you who don’t know, the Chase involves the top twelve drivers in the point standings after the first 26 races.)
The question Bleacher Fan is posing is going to be a little disturbing to fans in the deep South, the heart of NASCAR country, and quite possibly the heart of Dale Earnhardt Nation (both Senior and Junior). But, fear not NASCAR fans! Junior is NOT going anywhere – and he shouldn’t be.
It’s hard to argue the fact that Junior has struggled, especially since NASCAR went to the Car of Tomorrow (COT) full time last year. One win in the past year and a half is definitely an underachievement, and I think he’d be the first one to say that.
Earlier this year, the owner of the #88 car, Rick Hendrick, decided to replace Junior’s crew chief (Junior’s cousin Tony Eury, Jr.) with Lance McGrew. When a change like that is made in the middle of the season it usually means that “the towel is being thrown in” and the organization/team is looking toward the future. That’s what I think is happening in this case… in part. Junior hasn’t placed in the top 10 in the seven races since McGrew took over, and realistically, this is not a shock. They are working on car set-ups and working on establishing a better communication system, something that was admittedly lacking with Eury, Jr. With this change, I think the 2009 season was basically conceded to the field. Yes, occasionally a change works for the better right away, but for every Jim Tracy (who has worked wonders with the Colorado Rockies since being hired in May as a replacement for Clint Hurdle), there is an A.J. Hinch (hired by the Arizona Diamondbacks to replace Bob Melvin back in May and someone who has not worked miracles).
Let’s face it. NASCAR needs Dale Earnhardt, Jr., preferably, to be successful. It’s no secret that NASCAR’s ratings are suffering and that attendance has dropped at most of the tracks. Junior is by far the most popular driver in the Cup series. Go to any race and you will see #88 flags flying everywhere and you will see thousands of fans wearing National Guard or AMP Energy paraphernalia. You might even see old #8 Budweiser souvenirs scattered amongst the throngs of fans. He’s important to NASCAR.
Give Dale some time to make adjustments. Numerous other drivers are struggling worse than he is (see Kevin Harvick, who actually is so frustrated with his performance that he wants out of his contract). While he has the target on his chest because of who his father was, he’s a proven winner in Sprint Cup and he’ll be back. He has the resources and the financial backing to make a charge!
