New CC For The 88?

BobbyFord

BobbyFord

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More rumors on #88 crew chief change UPDATE: a reliable source tells me [Sports Illustrated] that Tony Eury Jr. won't be the crew chief of the #88-Dale Earnhardt Jr. as of Dover this weekend. Whether that actually happens or not remains to be seen, but the two weeks in Charlotte made it obvious both driver and team need a change.(Sports Illustrated)(5-26-2009)
UPDATE: Team owner Rick Hendrick, who has previously said he doesn't plan to make changes to Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s #88 team, wasn't as definitive on Tuesday. "Could it change?" Hendrick said Tuesday following a meeting with NASCAR officials at the Research and Development Center. "We're talking about things. We're going to make decisions as the days go by, but we haven't made any decisions as it stands now." Earnhardt Jr. finished 40th in Monday's rain-delayed Coca-Cola 600. Hendrick did not specifically address breaking up Earnhardt and crew chief Tony Eury Jr. But in the past when discussing changes he made it clear that wasn't a consideration. He wasn't so clear on Tuesday with Earnhardt 19th in points, 203 behind Mark Martin for the 12th and final Chase spot. "We're always concerned when we have a car not run well," Hendrick said. "We're always meeting and trying to figure out how to make it better. We've got to come up with a plan and we've got to work toward that. We thought we had a pretty good plan coming to Charlotte. I was fairly pleased with the All-Star race and thought we would do better Sunday. We weren't."(ESPN)(5-26-2009)
 
Wasn't it just last week that Rick Hendrick said he wasn't going to make any changes for some time?

It is about time!

Hendrick mum on future of Earnhardt's crew chief

By MARK LONG – 3 hours ago

CONCORD, N.C. (AP) — After months of firmly backing Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s crew chief, car owner Rick Hendrick was noncommittal about Tony Eury Jr.'s future Tuesday.

Although Hendrick said no personnel changes have been made on Earnhardt's No. 88 Chevrolet, he declined to give Eury a vote of confidence a day after NASCAR's most popular driver was 40th in the Coca-Cola 600, his worst finish of the season.

Hendrick left open the possibility that Earnhardt could have a new crew chief this weekend in Dover, Del.
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http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iGDrqBJw1M7m-CUZxEzhmLnkzsvwD98E461O0
 
I'm I with the rest of america by saying its about time?
 
They need to do something. He's the only one in the Hendrick stable that is really struggling, although some of it is Jr's fault.
 
Earnhardt Jr. finished 40th in Monday's rain-delayed Coca-Cola 600.
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So he lucked up and over achieved again. Please Mr. Hendrick don't make any changes to the team. He's doing better than expected... :D
 
barelypure said:
Darn, my Lil'E favoritism is showing again, isn't it?
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Yes, yes it is.
eek2.gif
:D
 
If Tony Jr set up his car better he wouldn't have to pit so often and would miss his pit stall less. I think its time for a change here. That whole team has been a disaster. Start with the crew chief. If Jr still can't win then maybe he needs to go. But I think with a new CC it will shake things up and it will get better for the 88 team.
 
BobbyFord said:
They need to do something. He's the only one in the Hendrick stable that is really struggling, although some of it is Jr's fault.
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From what i heard on Nascar Now on ESPN, Jr does not run the same set ups as the other Hendrick teams. According to what was said, this is a big reason why he is not running well. Whether this is Jrs' choice or his crew chiefs' choice to run different set ups, it has to be a major factor in his performance this year. All the other Hendrick teams run the same set ups, or very similar, they seem to be running well on them!
 
if he drove for me and my other 3 cars were running as well as they are he would try their setup or he could start his own team
 
dannynascar said:
If Tony Jr set up his car better he wouldn't have to pit so often and would miss his pit stall less. I think its time for a change here. That whole team has been a disaster. Start with the crew chief. If Jr still can't win then maybe he needs to go. But I think with a new C iCt will shake things up and it will get better for the 88 team.
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You Have to be kidding me with that post. Everybody pits pretty much every caution. So why don't you blame the drivers that get in a wreck, for making JR> pit.
 
jr shouldn't have his cousin/buddy as his crew chief. he needs a crew chief that tells him to take his racing seriously and get his butt in gear. it's no secret that jr doesn't like to practice so he has to take at least half the blame for his teams poor performance. hendrick should treat them both as employees, which they are, and put a stop to this buddy/buddy relationship and put a task maker as jr's crew chief. it's obvious pampering jr isn't working.
 
I could be wrong, but I thought it went beyond the 88 team not using the same set ups to they were not building their chasis the same as the other 3 teams.
Either way they've more than proved their way does not work and it's time to get in line with the teams that are working.
And yes it's time for Rick to act as Owner and tell him to shut up and drive as many crew chiefs and owners have told other drivers in the past.
 
Normally I would not care because its Jr. and because I can't stand the guy but Jr. should get his head back into being driver again. He is in better equipment than he has ever been but he driving worse than he ever has. He's the problem. He should cut out all the little side projects he's got going on until the seasons over and get focused again.
 
chromehorn said:
Normally I would not care because its Jr. and because I can't stand the guy but Jr. should get his head back into being driver again. He is in better equipment than he has ever been but he driving worse than he ever has. He's the problem. He should cut out all the little side projects he's got going on until the seasons over and get focused again.
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As I was reading this post it popped into my head back a couple years ago when Teresa said Jr had to decide if he was going to be a race car drive or what,
(or something to that effect) and Jr Nation went into an uproar. In light of everything else, looks to me like she might have had a point. :beerbang:
 
Speaking of which....... Did anyone go tour the DEI race shop, err museum, over the Charlotte race weekends? :rolleyes:
 
Eagle1 said:
As I was reading this post it popped into my head back a couple years ago when Teresa said Jr had to decide if he was going to be a race car drive or what,
(or something to that effect) and Jr Nation went into an uproar. In light of everything else, looks to me like she might have had a point. :beerbang:
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Just curious, what is jr doing differently that any other driver out there? I keep hearing that Jr has too much going on, he's not doing anything that other drivers havent done in the past or are doing now.
 
I have no idea, but it is people close to him that are making the statements.

I don't think it matters what other drivers are doing, they're not struggling. Some people can handle more things on their plate better than others so the only question is what is it that's distracting Jr?
 
Eagle1 said:
I have no idea, but it is people close to him that are making the statements.

I don't think it matters what other drivers are doing, they're not struggling. Some people can handle more things on their plate better than others so the only question is what is it that's distracting Jr?
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If your using Teresa as "the people close to him" i dont think thats valid.

From what he's said they arent close.

Its funny to hear that come from her mouth, as she was the one that went after the endorsements for both Sr and Jr.

I've heard a lot of things through the grapevine here locally about her, the more i hear the more i dont like.
 
Sure go ahead and ignore the real question by talking hearsay BS about some one you've never met.
I was not saying what she said was gospel but I was pointing out that someone that is closer to him than you and I and may have had more insight as to what he was doing with his time than any of us was making an observation because he was struggling then too.
Now he's moved to one of the top organizations in NASCAR all his team mates are running WAY better than he is and the same equipment is available to him. Heck even a one off Rookie jumped into a Hendrick car and won a race, Hendrick satellite teams are running circles around him. It's 2 1/2 years later after Teresa made that statement and he's at a completely new team in top of the line equipment so you explain it then.

I don't think it matters what other drivers are doing, they're not struggling. Some people can handle more things on their plate better than others so the only question is; what is it that's distracting Jr?
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Eagle1 said:
Sure go ahead and ignore the real question by talking hearsay BS about some one you've never met.
I was not saying what she said was gospel but I was pointing out that someone that is closer to him than you and I and may have had more insight as to what he was doing with his time than any of us was making an observation because he was struggling then too.
Now he's moved to one of the top organizations in NASCAR all his team mates are running WAY better than he is and the same equipment is available to him. Heck even a one off Rookie jumped into a Hendrick car and won a race, Hendrick satellite teams are running circles around him. It's 2 1/2 years later after Teresa made that statement and he's at a completely new team in top of the line equipment so you explain it then.
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who says i havent met her?

I dont want to make excuses because whats going on at the 88 is absurd right now.

But let me ask this question...before JR moved to Hendrick what car was the 88?....the 25.

The 25 car is the one car at Hendrick that has consistently ran mid pack even when the 5, 24, and 48 were winning championships.

Maybe the problem is bigger than both Dale Jr and Tony Jr.

To back that up...look at the win totals for the 4 Hendrick Cars

Car Wins
24 81
48 40
5 27
25/50/88 18

*As of 2008.

Note that the 24 and 48 are the youngest teams at Hendrick.
 
Mopardh9 said:
From what i heard on Nascar Now on ESPN, Jr does not run the same set ups as the other Hendrick teams. According to what was said, this is a big reason why he is not running well. Whether this is Jrs' choice or his crew chiefs' choice to run different set ups, it has to be a major factor in his performance this year. All the other Hendrick teams run the same set ups, or very similar, they seem to be running well on them!
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Well for that matter Jeff does not run the same set up as Jimmie. He likes his car tighter. So personal preference does come in to play there. Now the question would be, is Lil'E doing poorly due to the level of equipment compared to the other Hendrick drivers? If that answer is no then the fault lies with him, his talent, or those around him.

Actually I read in Nascar Scene what could be the answer to his problems and I'd never thought of it before. Remember in '04 when the Corvette caught on fire and the had to put it out with fire extinguishers with him in the car. Theory is that maybe they put out the fire in his belly then. And, if you look at the time line his wins did drop off to nearly nothing just after that. So, maybe...
 
It is time for Eury, Jr. to move on. I recall Jr. had the opportunity to drive a Hendrick car while he was still driving for DEI. Didn't he sub for Kyle Busch one time? And after the race commented how great the car was? I don't remember which race or where he finished, but the problem is one heckuva lot deeper than the number on the door and roof.

My guess is, if three out of four of the Hendrick race teams are competitive, and all teams share equally, the problem lies with the driver and/or crew chief. I guess we'll all know once the crew chief change is made. And if that doesn't work, there is only one other place to look.
 
About time, now lets get Junior some lasik surgery, a I.V. full of Grape Amp energy drink so, and Chad Knauser in his pits so we can start winning.

Earnhardts are not to finish 40th unless they wreck out of the race.
 
GREAT AMERICAN RACE FAN said:
About time, now lets get Junior some lasik surgery, a I.V. full of Grape Amp energy drink so, and Chad Knauser in his pits so we can start winning.

Earnhardts are not to finish 40th unless they wreck out of the race.
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There have been several good race car drivers with the name of Earnhardt.... But only one GREAT driver with that name! Seriously, I think JR needs to drink a few Budweisers and then give it another shot. :beerbang:
 
BobbyFord said:
More rumors on #88 crew chief change UPDATE: a reliable source tells me [Sports Illustrated] that Tony Eury Jr. won't be the crew chief of the #88-Dale Earnhardt Jr. as of Dover this weekend. Whether that actually happens or not remains to be seen, but the two weeks in Charlotte made it obvious both driver and team need a change.(Sports Illustrated)(5-26-2009)
UPDATE: Team owner Rick Hendrick, who has previously said he doesn't plan to make changes to Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s #88 team, wasn't as definitive on Tuesday. "Could it change?" Hendrick said Tuesday following a meeting with NASCAR officials at the Research and Development Center. "We're talking about things. We're going to make decisions as the days go by, but we haven't made any decisions as it stands now." Earnhardt Jr. finished 40th in Monday's rain-delayed Coca-Cola 600. Hendrick did not specifically address breaking up Earnhardt and crew chief Tony Eury Jr. But in the past when discussing changes he made it clear that wasn't a consideration. He wasn't so clear on Tuesday with Earnhardt 19th in points, 203 behind Mark Martin for the 12th and final Chase spot. "We're always concerned when we have a car not run well," Hendrick said. "We're always meeting and trying to figure out how to make it better. We've got to come up with a plan and we've got to work toward that. We thought we had a pretty good plan coming to Charlotte. I was fairly pleased with the All-Star race and thought we would do better Sunday. We weren't."(ESPN)(5-26-2009)
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I bet somehow this is all Teresa's fault.
drivingz.gif
 
Dale Jr does need to get his head out of his assbut i don't think the poor results are 100% his fault or 100% Tony Jr's fault. If they get rid of tony jr it should be a wake up call for lil e If the get another cc and he keeps doing crappy maybe he needs to go. But they gotta do something
 
Whizzer said:
It is time for Eury, Jr. to move on. I recall Jr. had the opportunity to drive a Hendrick car while he was still driving for DEI. Didn't he sub for Kyle Busch one time? And after the race commented how great the car was? I don't remember which race or where he finished, but the problem is one heckuva lot deeper than the number on the door and roof.

QUOTE]

It was Texas after Kyle, running 3rd, diid not check up for a spin and flew into the smoke wide open and killed both cars. Just Kyle being Kyle.

As for what Jr said....... "It drove like a wrecked race car."
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jep88fan said:
It was Texas after Kyle, running 3rd, diid not check up for a spin and flew into the smoke wide open and killed both cars. Just Kyle being Kyle.
As for what Jr said....... "It drove like a wrecked race car."
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Thanks for the refresher. But Junior did drive a Hendrick car somewhere in that same time frame, whether a test or during practice and complimented on how good it was. Or am i screwing this up too? :)
DAMN! But this getting old takes a toll.
 
Whizzer said:
Thanks for the refresher. But Junior did drive a Hendrick car somewhere in that same time frame, whether a test or during practice and complimented on how good it was. Or am i screwing this up too? :)
DAMN! But this getting old takes a toll.
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I'm with on the getting old, Whizzer.

As far as I can remember, Jr did say it drove like a wrecked car, but that he was still impressed at good it drove even when wrecked.
 
Go Panthers said:
Just curious, what is jr doing differently that any other driver out there? I keep hearing that Jr has too much going on, he's not doing anything that other drivers havent done in the past or are doing now.
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Some people have the brain power to multitask and some don't. Jr falls in the some don't category.
 
chromehorn said:
Some people have the brain power to multitask and some don't. Jr falls in the some don't category.
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But he didnt fall into that category when he was winning championships in the busch series and races in the cup series?

I dont see it...i mean he's proven he can drive....
 
Go Panthers said:
.....I dont see it...i mean he's proven he can drive....
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I don't think there is doubt that he can drive and win. The question is, does he really have the drive to go all-out and do it.

Now with the crew chief change we will find out how driven he really is.

Time will tell.
 
seen comments from rick and tony jr but nothing from dale jr. wonder if he's a bit unhappy. seems like he would have said something toeing the company line that it was time to try something different. can't believe his comments wouldn't have been reported if he had said something.
 
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