Dale Jr., "I rested on my legacy and last name"

Might explain why he is championless.

(Not a dig or shot at him or his fans, so dont jump)
 
I didn't realize thats where Bonkowski ended up. Used to enjoy his writing for Yahoo
 
TexasRaceLady said:
Thanks, Chex. I was waiting for a transcript of the video.
I think Dale really realizes now how much he has, how much he had, and how much he wasted.
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One thing that transcript doesn't convey is his tone as he was talking about those things. Did you notice that during the interview?
 
Yes, #17D. He was mad at himself. He also was sad that he'd done such stupid things.
A couple of times, he was nearly in tears.

He was not ****y or smart-ass in any way.
 
TexasRaceLady said:
Yes, #17D. He was mad at himself. He also was sad that he'd done such stupid things.
A couple of times, he was nearly in tears.

He was not ****y or smart-ass in any way.
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He definitely wasn't. I thought he was genuinely humble.
 
The Nature Boy said:
It's sad that Dale Jr. wasted his physical prime. He could've won a couple of championships by now.
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I dunno, I still think he can win a Championship or two. This year, he certainly proved he has what it takes. It was stupid mechanical problems or someone else wrecking him out that eliminated him from The Chase, not his own driving.
 
SpeedPagan said:
I dunno, I still think he can win a Championship or two. This year, he certainly proved he has what it takes. It was stupid mechanical problems or someone else wrecking him out that eliminated him from The Chase, not his own driving.
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It was Talladega.

And unless they change this dumb format, people who deserve to win a championship most likely won't because a point reset every 3 races bunched with a plate race is the most stupidest thing a person can come up with.
 
Reck said:
It was Talladega.

And unless they change this dumb format, people who deserve to win a championship most likely won't because a point reset every 3 races bunched with a plate race is the most stupidest thing a person can come up with.
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Yea, but it is what it is. I doubt any of us can really change Brian Frances mind without using a bullet.
 
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FenderBumper said:
I think I posted "Enjoy the race, phuck the chase" and Greg cleaned it up. IDK, he's the guy who reminded me I had said it.
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It has really become my Chase format. I don't give a crap who wins the silly trophy under the silly points format. I simply hope for an exciting race every weekend. Nothing else matters.
 
I've always been a fan of Little E. He's a class act through and through. Such a disappointing end to the Chase coming off one of his best seasons in a decade. No question there was a period of time where that competitive fire wasn't what it once was. He's still got some competitive years to be had in his 40's so we'll see. Hendrick will likely shake up the race shop a bit after this season (5, 48, 88 all eliminated) so we'll see what JR and Greg Ives have to work with in '15.
 
JBone88 said:
I've always been a fan of Little E. He's a class act through and through. Such a disappointing end to the Chase coming off one of his best seasons in a decade. No question there was a period of time where that competitive fire wasn't what it once was. He's still got some competitive years to be had in his 40's so we'll see. Hendrick will likely shake up the race shop a bit after this season (5, 48, 88 all eliminated) so we'll see what JR and Greg Ives have to work with in '15.
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Eh. Rick is not one to do crazy shakeups, save for crew swapping and whatnot.

I think he will clean house with Kahne though. He's not cutting it and will be looking forward to getting rid of him in the near future.
 
FenderBumper said:
Teresa said as much when Jr demanded control of DEI before he left.
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And she was right.
I always amazed at the people that discredit her for the downfall of DEI. They probably would have sunk with Dale Jr running the team, he wouldn't have had Letarte to turn him around. The first time I heard him say 51% I knew it was profoundly stupid, and that it would have been a shipwreck as well. The king of an empire doesn't accept a Letarte type of discipline.

But I do appreciate his honesty and integrity in the interview. It may not sound like it but I really like him as an individual, one of the nicest drivers imo.

I just have a lot of disgust for folks that like to portray Teresa as an sinister force. Dale Sr was the work horse the builder of the Empire, but I doubt that DEI would have existed without her helping Sr to manage his buisness. She was far more foundational than Junior imo, and she didn't get the respect she deserved.

Once again I appreciate his honesty, I always believed what he said prior to today, it was obvious he wore it on his sleeve. He is a good guy imo. The honesty is integrity at its best imo.
 
Greg said:
And she was right.
I always amazed at the people that discredit her for the downfall of DEI. They probably would have sunk with Dale Jr running the team, he wouldn't have had Letarte to turn him around. The first time I heard him say 51% I knew it was profoundly stupid, and that it would have been a shipwreck as well. The king of an empire doesn't accept a Letarte type of discipline.

But I do appreciate his honesty and integrity in the interview. It may not sound like it but I really like him as an individual, one of the nicest drivers imo.

I just have a lot of disgust for folks that like to portray Teresa as an sinister force. Dale Sr was the work horse the builder of the Empire, but I doubt that DEI would have existed without her helping Sr to manage his buisness. She was far more foundational than Junior imo, and she didn't get the respect she deserved.

Once again I appreciate his honesty, I always believed what he said prior to today, it was obvious he wore it on his sleeve. He is a good guy imo. The honesty is integrity at its best imo.
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Wasn't it Teresa that turned Earnhardt Sr. into a household name and turned his image into a brand?
 
Greg said:
From a business POV, yes
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I always thought the problem with DEI wasn't that Teresa was a bad person or she wanted the team to fail. I mean the team was her late husband's legacy, well...one of them. I just think she spent years managing one driver (her husband), and soon after the death of Sr., she was thrust into managing a stable of drivers in the worse possible time (grieving widow and all that) and she just didn't get enough time to get acclimated in her new role before things went downhill.
 
Jr is getting Chase Elliott's crew chief next year. Give them some time to gel on the track & they will rip off wins after wins imo.
 
SpeedPagan said:
I always thought the problem with DEI wasn't that Teresa was a bad person or she wanted the team to fail. I mean the team was her late husband's legacy, well...one of them. I just think she spent years managing one driver (her husband), and soon after the death of Sr., she was thrust into managing a stable of drivers in the worse possible time (grieving widow and all that) and she just didn't get enough time to get acclimated in her new role before things went downhill.
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This is it in a nutshell. Dale Sr. managed the drivers, Teresa managed the business. They complimented each other. You lose one and it falls apart.

If Dale were still alive, I have no doubt that DEI would still be around and Dale Jr. would still be in the #8 Budweiser car. Dale Sr. would've reigned his son in and kept him grounded.
 
I said it before, but you have to admire this revised focus.

He's 40 years old, but I'm pretty sure he can win a championship still. Sometimes we all need that much needed rekindling of a fire in his belly. Letarte definitely did that for him and the last couple of years really show that renewed Jr. Screw the expectations of others because he never will be his father, Dale Jr is his own man wanting to create his own image. I like this and his honesty, demeanor, and overall professionalism.

Dale Jr is so hard not like, it makes you want to find a reason to hate him.
 
Looking back on the interview I respect him even more. Very few are so openly honest, and he was very hard on himself. That is a rare thing among drivers.
 
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