mike honcho
Knuckleheads
LeTart didn't do anything for Jeff.I don't know how they think he will turn Jr around.
SpeedPagan
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One of the major problem with Jr. is that he just doesn't focus enough on racing. He strikes me as a party guy. He likes to have fun more often than actually working.
1
#17D500winner
Guest
That's no secret...in the DEI days, it was well known that everyone except daddy's boy had to attend Monday morning meetings.
Maybe times have changed - I don't know, but somehow I suppose it's Theresa's fault.
de7xwcc
Anarchist
I don't know what it is but I'm not putting all the blame on Jr.
Pre HMS- 17 wins, 76 top 5's and 121 top 10's.
At HMS- 1 win, 15 top 5's and 29 top 10's.
So did he all of a sudden forget how to drive when he got to HMS?
what i've been sayin all along, his move to hendrick wasn't a good thing, i think he would have done much better at RCR
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Mopardh9
Guest
what i've been sayin all along, his move to hendrick wasn't a good thing, i think he would have done much better at RCR
I said that a long time ago, Richard would of got him more focused.
mike honcho
Knuckleheads
Hendrick pit crew tryouts: Hendrick Motorsports will conduct pit crew tryouts on Nov. 29, 2010, for all positions. Two-hour sessions will begin at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., and candidates must attend both sessions. Interested parties should e-mail [email protected] for details and to reserve a slot. Inquiries must include an up-to-date résumé.(11-25-2010)
Interesting... Now we have the possibility of a third 48 pit crew to attend the banquet.
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mickeysimzac
Guest
I just hope that Jeff can get 3 more wins with Gustufson so he can move up to 3rd on the all time win list.
R
RCR4Life
Guest
The only way to Turn Jr. around is to fire him. You could put him in a rocket ship and he still wouldn't win. The dudes got no talent plain and simple.
VaDirt
Dirt Track Fanatic
18 Cup wins and 2 NNS wins say differently.
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MoMike
Guest
You are outright wrong with this statement.
His hang-up is the fact that he has just about everything that he wants in life. Money is not an issue for him, probably never will be.
How do you motivate a guy that has all that he wants? Talent is there, the motivation to buckle down and pursue the title is not.
MoMike
Bucky Badger
Go Kyle Go
Yeah...FIRE HIM
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MoMike
Guest
Do you really think he'd give a flying **** if he was let go? He'd have sponsorship to fund another team, and Rick would look like the bad guy.
You just don't get it.
MoMike
Bucky Badger
Go Kyle Go
I get it just fine....
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MoMike
Guest
The guy used to drive the wheels off a car, and it's not like he's over the hill, he's just lost his motivation to get after it, for whatever reason. I do feel like if he can't get his act together, he should step away from it, and move on to one of his other many ventures. I think he's killing the sport. Not because he isn't winning, but because he's stupid-popular, and every week that he's not performing, thats all we hear about. I got sick of hearing about the JR soap opera. He's too popular to be caught in this much turmoil. He either gets after it, or gets gone.
MoMike
SpeedPagan
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I doubt Hendrick is going to let a cash cow like Jr. go.
Bucky Badger
Go Kyle Go
That cash cow is gonna dry up if he doesn't get his s**t together. Mabey thats the reason for attendance and viewer drop
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MoMike
Guest
That cash cow is gonna dry up if he doesn't get his s**t together. Mabey thats the reason for attendance and viewer drop
Thats exactly it. It's a whacked out phenomenon, but when he wins, it seems the planet goes bonkers.
And the money is going to slow down eventually. It wouldn't surprise me in the least if ithats happening behind the scenes right now.
MoMike
S
SST55
Guest
I'm not going to blame Jr for the attendance and tv viewership drop. Look at how the stands react when he goes for the lead,,,even after the leaders pit under caution,,,
He drove his butt off driving for Sr. winning 2 championships while earning $250.00 a week.
Has fame and fortune gone to his head? Maybe.
He drove his butt off driving for Sr. winning 2 championships while earning $250.00 a week.
Has fame and fortune gone to his head? Maybe.
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Mopardh9
Guest
I'm not going to blame Jr for the attendance and tv viewership drop. Look at how the stands react when he goes for the lead,,,even after the leaders pit under caution,,,
He drove his butt off driving for Sr. winning 2 championships while earning $250.00 a week.
Has fame and fortune gone to his head? Maybe.
I was thinking the same thing, but Jr still seems too be humble, and a down to earth guy. I just think he needs the right motivator, as in crew chief / owner, if he gets that person, I feel he will win again. Hendrick is no place for him, Childress and drive the 33, that's where he belongs...IMO.
Whizzer
Gig'em
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MoMike
Guest
Yeah, he made his own bed though. He had greed on his mind when he went to Hendricks. His dad had been gone for years, when he made his move. There wouldn't have been any more pressure at Childress' than there is at Hendricks.
Matter of fact theres more at Hendricks, because they've been kicking asses and taking names for the past decade. So why can't he do it?
Atleast at RCR, they haven't had the formula for success in 16+ years as a whole in cup, so a lackluster performance could be any number of things.
MoMike
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MoMike
Guest
I think he's afraid of conflict. In order to start winning, he's going to be rubbing fenders with some stiff competition. I think that he doesn't want to be associated with a rivalry..
MoMike
97forever
Team Owner
Repeat after me, boys and girls and Whizzer's:
It isn't Junior, it's HMS. It isn't Junior, it's HMS.
Repeat it, it's the truth.
HMS has had either magic-cars or junk cars since salesman-Rick was sweating out his felony conviction way back in the day.
Junior has been given the junk since day one, otherwise he would have dominated. Damn, even real skill drivers like Martin and Kyle Busch struggled in the junk-drawer, Kenny Schrader cast-off stuff that HMS gave them.
I'm no Junior fan, but this isn't him at fault.
He needs to break and run from the former used car salesman as fast as he can.
Hendrick never wanted Junior to win big and detract from JG or JJ, and still doesn't. If he did, Chad and a few 'choice parts' would be on his pit box quicker than hell would light a Winston.
It isn't Junior, it's HMS. It isn't Junior, it's HMS.
Repeat it, it's the truth.
HMS has had either magic-cars or junk cars since salesman-Rick was sweating out his felony conviction way back in the day.
Junior has been given the junk since day one, otherwise he would have dominated. Damn, even real skill drivers like Martin and Kyle Busch struggled in the junk-drawer, Kenny Schrader cast-off stuff that HMS gave them.
I'm no Junior fan, but this isn't him at fault.
He needs to break and run from the former used car salesman as fast as he can.
Hendrick never wanted Junior to win big and detract from JG or JJ, and still doesn't. If he did, Chad and a few 'choice parts' would be on his pit box quicker than hell would light a Winston.
97forever
Team Owner
Yeah, I haven't agreed with much of your opinions on this so far, but I will agree on that point.
Not playing psyche major, but Junior might just want to NOT be seen as controversial as his dad.
Anyhow, the change Junior needs would be to be teammates with his old best bud Kenseth over at Roush, replacing David Ragan in the number six car. Not convinced Junior would bring a lot to the table really, but Ford and Roush could sure use the name and might actually realize they would only benefit by Jr's success and work towards getting him up to speed.
That will never happen at HMS. They are building the Johnson dynasty and still are riding the Gordon legacy: they really just don't need Earnhardt.
Roush does.
SpeedPagan
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Com'on, HMS has the best car, even their "junk" cars are better than most cars of other teams. The problem isn't the equipment, and just because Chad works well with Johnson, doesn't mean he'll work well with Jr. Johnson and Knaus has a certain chemistry that you can't reproduce just anywhere with anyone.
I think Jr. needs to take this holiday break and think real hard, is he truly dedicated to the sport? Is he really focused to win? Or is he just content with being the most popular driver while having lackluster performance on the track? Earnhardt Sr. drove his ass off to get out from his dad's shadow, I don't see Jr. doing the same thing.
If Jr. is content with mediocrity, then I think he needs to get out of the 88 car and let someone else who has the desire to win a chance to drive.
I think Jr. needs to take this holiday break and think real hard, is he truly dedicated to the sport? Is he really focused to win? Or is he just content with being the most popular driver while having lackluster performance on the track? Earnhardt Sr. drove his ass off to get out from his dad's shadow, I don't see Jr. doing the same thing.
If Jr. is content with mediocrity, then I think he needs to get out of the 88 car and let someone else who has the desire to win a chance to drive.
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MoMike
Guest
HMS has good equipment, because someone has to run the R&D cars. Who do you think that may be?
Roush has good rides and bad rides. The 6's performance/status is masked by a rookie, but you know that car was running R&D.
I don't think a multi-car team can "fully" support more than 1 cup contender through a 10 race chase.
Look at JGR. When it was clear Kyle wasn't going to hang, Hamlins performance somehow skyrocketed for the final 4-5 races. Completely obvious as to where all the resources, and funding went there.
Even the mighty HMS caved to it. Instead of resources, and funding, they took personnel from the 24.
Regardless of what does, or does not make Jr tick, no one is going to win a championship at HMS as long as Knaus and Johnson maintain their pace. Rick isn't going to starve, or deny that team, for Gordon, Earnhardt, or Kahne.
Johnson would have to get locked out of the chase, before any of the other 3 got the resources that the 48 gets.
MoMike
sloggie
Racing I will teach you
I think all you guys are way off. First of all, it's the same equipment for each shop. That meant that the 48 and the 24 were drawing parts from the same pool. It's the same story for the 88 and the 5, except they gave the 88 first pick of every part this year.
So what's the difference? In my opinion it's the driver preferences for the setups. JJ likes a loose setup, which works better with the COT. Put Jeff Gordon in the same car and he's just not as fast.
As for Jr? I don't think he can drive a loose car at all. He complains to his crew chief, who tightens the setups, and as a result he's slower than the rest. Until he learns how to drive a loose car, he will never going be as good as the rest. Changing crew chiefs isn't going to make a tight setup for the COT faster.
Are there exceptions? I think having a loose car doesn't matter at the restrictor plate tracks. Jr. does seem to run better there. Overall though, until the COT changes expect the same results from JR that we have seen for the last few years.
So what's the difference? In my opinion it's the driver preferences for the setups. JJ likes a loose setup, which works better with the COT. Put Jeff Gordon in the same car and he's just not as fast.
As for Jr? I don't think he can drive a loose car at all. He complains to his crew chief, who tightens the setups, and as a result he's slower than the rest. Until he learns how to drive a loose car, he will never going be as good as the rest. Changing crew chiefs isn't going to make a tight setup for the COT faster.
Are there exceptions? I think having a loose car doesn't matter at the restrictor plate tracks. Jr. does seem to run better there. Overall though, until the COT changes expect the same results from JR that we have seen for the last few years.
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MoMike
Guest
Then please explain how he led 90 some laps and finished 7th at Martinsville? You don't do that with a tight car either.
MoMike
sloggie
Racing I will teach you
I think that sometimes Jr. (and many other drivers) just gets that one sweet spot where he has the perfect setup for his style and can go, but they struggle badly with any other.
For example, sake, let's call that perfect setup for Jr 'Setup A'. If you give Jr, setup A, he runs really well. If you give him Setup B,C,D,E,F,G, or H then he runs badly. Now, take JJ. If you give him setup A then he also runs really well. But, if you give JJ setup B,C, or D, he also really runs well (assuming they are all loose setups) where Jr doesn't.
No crew chief is going to be able hit that one perfect setup each time, but they have a much better chance to hit A,B,C, or D.
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MoMike
Guest
It certainly makes a crew chiefs job alot easier if a driver can adapt to a number of situations. Maybe Jr's comfort zone is just that small. You may be right. Then again, that makes Eury Sr one hell of a crew chief.
MoMike
SpeedPagan
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I still say there's a lack of focus on Jrs. part. If you looked at Hamlin, Harvick, and Johnson during The Chase, you could see how hungry they were to win the Championship. I've just never seen Jr. that hungry.
Go Panthers
We are the people our parents warned us about
Ive said this before on this board and i'll say again, check the history of all 4 cars that hendrick runs, and keep in mind that until the shop switch the 88 car was the old 25 car.
Now go back and compare all 4 cars to each other, over the years the 25 has been the red headed step child at HMS. I'm not sure why this is the case, is it bad luck? Something different going on with the 25 team over the years? Who knows, but there's something to it.
HoneyBadger
I love short track racing (Taylor's Version)
What about the 8 car? Mark Martin didn't have performance issues in it in 2008. Montoya and McMurray both won races this year.
Go Panthers
We are the people our parents warned us about
Jr won a lot of races in the 8 car....
HoneyBadger
I love short track racing (Taylor's Version)
2005-2007 he sucked in that car.
I think the Sears Point crash took it out of him.
Go Panthers
We are the people our parents warned us about
As did the 15 and 1, pre merger with Ginn or Ganasi the only car to win on a regular basis at DEI was the 8 car with Jr driving it.
Sure the 15 and 1 won a few races, but not like the 8 did.
HoneyBadger
I love short track racing (Taylor's Version)
The driver of the 15 car plain sucks, and the driver of the #1 car hasn't done a whole lot at a team where his teammate has two wins in two years.
As far as the driver of the 15 who replaced the NAPA driver -- he also sucks.
HoneyBadger
I love short track racing (Taylor's Version)
As far as the #25, there haven't been a great crop of driver filling that seat prior to Junyer. Tim Richmond was very successful, but the others... Schrader, he actually did really well. Ricky Craven, Wally Dallenbach, Jerry Nadeau, Joe Nemecheck, Casey Mears -- not exactly a hall of fame roster of drivers there.