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Time for Earnhardt to get moving
8/3/06
Friday, August 11, 2006
Subject: Time for Earnhardt to get moving
Time: 12:57:00 AM CDT
Author: lrpatton
Time for Earnhardt to get moving
Earnhardt needs to take care of himself, even if it means leaving DEI
Dale Earnhardt Jr. needs to sit back and do some serious soul-searching about his future. What he feels in his heart and what he knows in his head aren't necessarily on the same path.
Maybe the time is right to end his relationship with Dale Earnhardt Inc., the team his father founded. If so, it's also time to give Richard Childress a call.
Earnhardt turns 32 in October. He's on the bubble for making the Chase for the Nextel Cup after missing it last year. Even if he makes it, Earnhardt is no closer to a championship today than he was five years ago.
Earnhardt's contract with DEI expires after the 2007 season. But as we've seen the last two years, a contract won't stop a driver who wants to go elsewhere.
Despite his carefree image, Earnhardt wants to win a championship. He wants it badly.
Earnhardt isn't trying to equal his father's seven titles, but he wants to prove he's capable of finishing on top.
So Earnhardt has a couple of important questions to ask himself: Can I win a Cup title at DEI? Would my chances be better somewhere else?
Elsewhere is probably Richard Childress Racing, where his father made the black No. 3 famous.
A year ago, RCR wasn't a place where Earnhardt could improve his position. Childress failed to place a driver in the Chase the last two years. The glory days of Earnhardt Sr. were long gone.
But no team has shown more improvement this season than RCR. Two drivers – Jeff Burton and Kevin Harvick – rank in the top five and are almost assured of making the Chase. Clint Bowyer is having a strong rookie season with six top-10 finishes.
Childress is headed in the right direction. Is DEI?
Earnhardt's No. 8 Budweiser Chevy team is better this season with Tony Eury Jr. as crew chief. But the group still lacks consistency.
DEI teammate Martin Truex Jr. has struggled all season after dominating the Busch Series last year. DEI still isn't part of Cup's elite franchises in the win column.
Earnhardt wasn't happy last weekend after the Allstate 400. He finished sixth, thanks to a fortunate call on pit strategy at theend, but his car wasn't competitive.
"We can't make the Chase with 30th-place racecars," he said. "We have people here with talent, but we aren't utilizing them the way we should."
That's a telling statement on Earnhardt's true feelings, but making a decision to leave isn't easy.
This is about family obligation. DEI is his father's legacy, and it could belong to Junior someday. For now, it belongs to his stepmother, Teresa Earnhardt.
No team owner in NASCAR is more of a mystery than Teresa. She rarely attends races and tries her best to avoid the media.
Basically, she's a ghost. And it's no secret that Junior and Teresa don't always see eye to eye on how to run the organization.
For Earnhardt, the decision to join another team presents an internal struggle. Moving to RCR could be his best option, but it could hurt DEI. He could stay out of a sense of responsibility and hope things get better.
Only Earnhardt can make that call, but before he does, he should consider this question: What would his dad say?
Anyone who knew Earnhardt Sr. probably can guess. He would tell his son to do what's best for him, not what's best for DEI.
Earnhardt Sr. became an enormous success story because he did what he had to do, even if it caused him problems with family and friends.
Childress could tell Junior a thing or two about that. He gladly would add Earnhardt Jr. to RCR. And Budweiser is going wherever Earnhardt goes.
Whether he ever drives the No. 3 car (which Childress owns) is a big deal to fans, but it isn't part of the equation for now.
It's about being the best driver he can. If that means separating business from family, so be it.
Written by lrpatton Blog about this entry |
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Subject: Time for Earnhardt to get moving
Time: 12:57:00 AM CDT
Author: lrpatton
Time for Earnhardt to get moving
Earnhardt needs to take care of himself, even if it means leaving DEI
Dale Earnhardt Jr. needs to sit back and do some serious soul-searching about his future. What he feels in his heart and what he knows in his head aren't necessarily on the same path.
Maybe the time is right to end his relationship with Dale Earnhardt Inc., the team his father founded. If so, it's also time to give Richard Childress a call.
Earnhardt turns 32 in October. He's on the bubble for making the Chase for the Nextel Cup after missing it last year. Even if he makes it, Earnhardt is no closer to a championship today than he was five years ago.
Earnhardt's contract with DEI expires after the 2007 season. But as we've seen the last two years, a contract won't stop a driver who wants to go elsewhere.
Despite his carefree image, Earnhardt wants to win a championship. He wants it badly.
Earnhardt isn't trying to equal his father's seven titles, but he wants to prove he's capable of finishing on top.
So Earnhardt has a couple of important questions to ask himself: Can I win a Cup title at DEI? Would my chances be better somewhere else?
Elsewhere is probably Richard Childress Racing, where his father made the black No. 3 famous.
A year ago, RCR wasn't a place where Earnhardt could improve his position. Childress failed to place a driver in the Chase the last two years. The glory days of Earnhardt Sr. were long gone.
But no team has shown more improvement this season than RCR. Two drivers – Jeff Burton and Kevin Harvick – rank in the top five and are almost assured of making the Chase. Clint Bowyer is having a strong rookie season with six top-10 finishes.
Childress is headed in the right direction. Is DEI?
Earnhardt's No. 8 Budweiser Chevy team is better this season with Tony Eury Jr. as crew chief. But the group still lacks consistency.
DEI teammate Martin Truex Jr. has struggled all season after dominating the Busch Series last year. DEI still isn't part of Cup's elite franchises in the win column.
Earnhardt wasn't happy last weekend after the Allstate 400. He finished sixth, thanks to a fortunate call on pit strategy at theend, but his car wasn't competitive.
"We can't make the Chase with 30th-place racecars," he said. "We have people here with talent, but we aren't utilizing them the way we should."
That's a telling statement on Earnhardt's true feelings, but making a decision to leave isn't easy.
This is about family obligation. DEI is his father's legacy, and it could belong to Junior someday. For now, it belongs to his stepmother, Teresa Earnhardt.
No team owner in NASCAR is more of a mystery than Teresa. She rarely attends races and tries her best to avoid the media.
Basically, she's a ghost. And it's no secret that Junior and Teresa don't always see eye to eye on how to run the organization.
For Earnhardt, the decision to join another team presents an internal struggle. Moving to RCR could be his best option, but it could hurt DEI. He could stay out of a sense of responsibility and hope things get better.
Only Earnhardt can make that call, but before he does, he should consider this question: What would his dad say?
Anyone who knew Earnhardt Sr. probably can guess. He would tell his son to do what's best for him, not what's best for DEI.
Earnhardt Sr. became an enormous success story because he did what he had to do, even if it caused him problems with family and friends.
Childress could tell Junior a thing or two about that. He gladly would add Earnhardt Jr. to RCR. And Budweiser is going wherever Earnhardt goes.
Whether he ever drives the No. 3 car (which Childress owns) is a big deal to fans, but it isn't part of the equation for now.
It's about being the best driver he can. If that means separating business from family, so be it.
Written by lrpatton Blog about this entry |
Add to del.icio.us | digg this
8/12/06 12:14 AM