Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Snappy D said:
I read a stat this morning that shocked the hell out of me, Jr has won only 9 times for Hendrick Motorsports since he started driving for them in 08. I thought he won 15-20 races for them, crazy to see the scrutiny Kahne gets compared to Jr. And I like Jr a hell of a lot.
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I like Jr. too....... but...... you have to face the facts..... he's a ''good'' driver..... has had a premiere ride for the last several years... driving for a team that most anyone would kill for..... his win column would not impress very many people or sponsors.. he went for several years without a single win .... Had it not been for his name and marketability.... (most popular driver since Bill Elliott..... and selling the most merchandise which has made him 300 million dollars)........ he would have been down the road a few years ago...... but...... I guess I spoke out of turn.... he has out performed Kasey Kahne and he seems to be set in tighter than a hair in a biscuit.... (which I still don't understand unless Rick or some of his family members are having a liason with a member of Kasey's family)........
 
Im reminded of an interview with Dale Sr. when he was asked if his recent health scare & "poor" performance was worth it to keep racing. He responded "its worth it to win".

Dale Jr is his own man & knows himself better than anyone, but I hope he's thought about it enough to get passed stubbornness.
 
Rear tire changer for the #88 suffers injury in post race accident

Over coming adversity and figuring out a way to make things happen is what NASCAR is all about. For the #88 crew this has come earlier than later. Following the Clash Sunday afternoon in Daytona, rear tire changer Devin DelRicco had his ankle run over by a pit road utility cart. The details are a little sketchy at the moment but sources that were around the accident said the cart got DelRicco’s ankle and that he was having trouble putting any weight on it.

By now everyone knows that Jr. is on the outside pole for the 500. Having a healthy pit crew is a must in order to compete. The #88 is a very talented group of crewman and it would be a shame to have a backup in at the biggest race of the year. On the flip side, the HMS teams are very well coached and they are prepared for situations like this. If a back up is needed, they’ll be ready. As we hear more on DelRicco’s condition we will keep you updated.


http://www.pittalks.com/2017/02/19/...-the-88-suffers-injury-in-post-race-accident/
 
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dpkimmel2001 said:
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Dale Earnhardt Jr.Verified account‏@DaleJr 1h1 hour ago
Dale Earnhardt Jr. Retweeted NASCAR

Made my eyeballs sweat
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I am going to be on eggshells watching Jr. today. I know he is better
but I think he may still be fragile. After seeing some of those hits
in the xfinity and truck race....just going to remain optimistically cautious.
I can only imagine what his Dr's will be feeling, if they will even watch.
 
It's frustrating but the 48 and 88 both have looked pretty crappy and Dale isn't the driver Jimmie is, and Ives isn't the crew chief that Knaus is.
 
I think a top 10 or two would have been a realistic expectation. I guess this is more of a vent of HMS in general. Seems like the past few years they are constantly catching up to the Toyota and Fords.
 
AuzGrams said:
It's frustrating but the 48 and 88 both have looked pretty crappy and Dale isn't the driver Jimmie is, and Ives isn't the crew chief that Knaus is.
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......well, it WAS 146 degrees in the 88 today.......
 
I think the driver that is starring in the Dale Jr role is doing a good job at learning to drive those cars. It could take up to two more races to be top notch.
Really incredible story to find an unknown to take on the role, with the learning potential, look and dialect.

Lot smoother transition than the failed Elvis impersonator fiasco's.
 
Jr will probably win a race or two, he usually starts the season better off.

Its seemed like Ives just does not hit the mark as much as Letarte did, at least IMHO.
 
Junior is more to NASCAR than a driver, and he has been carrying several loads on his back since that fateful day in 2001, as the face of NASCAR, as the legacy of his legendary father, and as an owner/businessman on which employees and their families rely. I'm not his number one fan, but I wish him well and personally don't think less of him for not dominating the sport like his father once did.
 
Stacy said:
Junior is more to NASCAR than a driver, and he has been carrying several loads on his back since that fateful day in 2001, as the face of NASCAR, as the legacy of his legendary father, and as an owner/businessman on which employees and their families rely. I'm not his number one fan, but I wish him well and personally don't think less of him for not dominating the sport like his father once did.
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Don't get me wrong, I've been a die hard jr fan since I was able to crawl.

Jrs head to me doesn't seem to be in the game. I don't think Ives is a good fit for a crew chief for him. He could potentially be one big hit away from the end of his career.

With him gone last year I became a big fan of both Larson and Elliot, and NASCAR became enjoyable again because I was pulling for 2 drivers who were having a lot of success and have come out swinging for the fences in 2017. I'd love to see jr win again but st the same time would love to see him hang his helmet up... I see retirement for him at the end of this year.


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I think as others have said, Junior's a "good" driver, I still feel like if you ranked the drivers in the sport, he's probably 7-12 range. I think Letarte brought more out of him and the car than Ives has.
 
Judge for yourself. Here are by-CC stats for all 599 starts in Junior's career. (Sorted by best avg. finish with each crew chief.)


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Jr%20599_zps4vmorajb.jpg
 
Tough to really get a gauge on how the 88 team is. Usually it seems like the 48/88 run pretty close together with Jimmie having the ability to close races and win races.

My guess is 12th-14th in points by Richmond in the fall. I am a big fan of Dale, but we have to face the facts that he is just a "good" driver. I'm really unsure if he wins a race or not, but I don't expect this team to miss the Chase.
 
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