Is it possible that Dale Jr. just isn't an elite NASCAR driver?

[Double Down]

Maybe there is a NASCAR thread where this is being discussed, but it seems like it's worthy of opening it up to non-gear heads like me since he's still the most recognizable name in the sport. I see where Tony Eury Jr. got fired as Junior's crew chief after what has been a pretty ****ty season. I don't follow this stuff that much, but I do feel like I read about 100 features about how Dale Jr. was finally going to have access to the best technology and have a chance to show how good he really is after he went to Hendrick Motor Sports, and that hasn't exactly worked out that way (yet). And Kyle Busch, who I know is a pretty gigantic douche, took a dig at Junior by saying "It's always someone else's fault with him" today in his presser.

So enlighten me. Is he on a bad run, or are we sort of figuring out that he's just not quite an elite driver. One of the top 20 NASCAR drivers, maybe, but not anything close to the level of Gordon, Johnson, Edwards, Stewart, etc.

 

[Rockbottom]

I have long argued with my father in law that Junior fans are equal to Alabama fans, in the gap between their blind loyalty/expectation of greatness and their driver's/team's actual ability.

Is he popular? Without question. If his name was Dale Smith Jr., I am not entirely certain he would have a full-time ride right now.

RB

 

[GB-Hack]

Interesting that you bring this up, I was just reading a piece on SI.com that concerned this.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/writers/mark_beech/05/29/Earnhardt/index.html

Some people in the sport, however, are hinting that the problem may not be on top of the pit box."If Junior doesn't run well, then [Lance McGrew's] going to be the problem," says Kyle Busch. "It's never Junior. It's always the crew chief."

Left unsaid by most, of course, is that the problem might be Junior. That seems to be the conclusion that nobody -- at least, nobody this side of Busch -- wants to come to right now.

To me, as it is to Beach, it's interesting that Kyle got the push to bring Junior in, and yet he's the one that's done really well the last two seasons.

 

[westcoastvol]

Junior is the Boris Said of superspeedways.

And that concludes my scouting report.

 

[Shoeless Joe]

What makes him the most popular is also his biggest handicap — his last name. Everyone has these expectations that he be his dad.

 

[Double Down]

I always thought the "He's not as good as his daddy!" stuff was a little silly, because how many guys have ever been that good? But it doesn't seem like too much to ask that he'd be as good as, say, Matt Kenseth (or something) considering all the love he gets.

 

[Moderator1]

We did a compare/contrast story to Kenseth/Earnhardt Jr. not long after Kenseth won his title. Low key guy, no name - but probably a much better driver. I think Jr is good not great. Maybe not even in the same league as his dad, though lots of guys aren't. Big Dale may have been the best ever.
Yeah, Dale Smith would be out of a ride now.

 

[slappy4428]

What makes him the most popular is also his biggest handicap — his last name. Everyone has these expectations that he be his dad.

But most of us gave up those same expectations of Kyle Petty by 1991

 

[Double J]

The last NASCAR driver I can think of who was as good as, if not better than a championship-calibre father was, coincidentally, another Dale who drove the 88 - Jarrett.

Of course, Richard Petty left his old man in the dust.

 

[Bubbler]

I wrote a column at least six or seven years ago making the argument that Dale Earnhardt Jr. was in danger of becoming the Anna Kournikova of motorsports.

Nothing that's happened in his career since then has proven the idea wrong.

 

[Double Down]

It's sort of uncomfortable to see him suck this much because he seems like such a nice guy and lord knows it would be hell to have to deal with those kind of expectations, but at some point, Hendrick Motor Sports has got to feel like it's dumping way, way too much money down a hole without getting much results. Now, I don't really have even a basic grasp of how the economics work, so maybe with sponsorships and apparel sales they get from having him makes up for whatever ****ty results he's putting up.

Again, I'm ignorant on all this, but wasn't he winning races back when he was running for DEI with equipment people felt like wasn't quite as good as the stuff the super teams were using? It seems like he got results in the past, he has the talent. But maybe the sport has changed and he's been left behind.

 

[DanOregon]

Anna Kournikova didn't even sniff 18 wins. I do think that Junior's free ride at Hendrick is over and he's going to have to start producing this year or he's gone.

 

[imjustagirl]

Possible? No. Probable to definite? Yes.

Junior was winning with DEI, but he was winning on the superspeedways when DEI had that restrictor plate **** figured out. He has 18 career wins, 17 of them at DEI. Seven of those, nearly half, came at either Daytona or Talladega.

He's been a fair-to-middlin' driver on the rest of the tracks, with a few wins pulled out. Without taking into account money or sponsorship, just on basic driving levels, there are more than a handful of drivers in that garage I'd take first.

I was talking to kleeda about this. He said in an IROC-type series (everyone has the same equipment), Junior would finish 11th or 12th. I took him more literally and said if we're literally talking about stock cars, where it's all on the driver to figure it out and do more than the other guys...I'm not sure he'd finish top 15.

 

[TigerVols]

I have long argued with my father in law that Junior fans are equal to Alabama fans, in the gap between their blind loyalty/expectation of greatness and their driver's/team's actual ability.

Whattttt? "Mountain Music" is one of the best songs of all time, and "The Closer you Get" is a great song, too.

 

[DanOregon]

True - I think Junior is in his "The Touch/Angels Amonst Us" phase.

 

[Double J]

I have long argued with my father in law that Junior fans are equal to Alabama fans, in the gap between their blind loyalty/expectation of greatness and their driver's/team's actual ability.

Whattttt? "Mountain Music" is one of the best songs of all time, and "The Closer you Get" is a great song, too.

Solid.

The closer you get, the further I fall. I'll be over the edge now in no time at all.

 

[HejiraHenry]

Answer to thread question: Yes, it's quite possible.

 

[Shoeless Joe]

What makes him the most popular is also his biggest handicap — his last name. Everyone has these expectations that he be his dad.

But most of us gave up those same expectations of Kyle Petty by 1991

Your are correct but it's those of us who can make that comparison that really don't. Most of today's Johnny-come-lately post Days of Thunder NASCAR fans have no idea what you are talking about.

I'll see your Kyle Petty and raise you Larry Pearson. ;D

 

[buckweaver]

Hell, how many NASCAR fans today have even seen Days of Thunder?

I remember when the DoT video game came out for Sega Genesis. It was awesome. I was also 9.

 

[Double J]

What makes him the most popular is also his biggest handicap — his last name. Everyone has these expectations that he be his dad.

But most of us gave up those same expectations of Kyle Petty by 1991

Your are correct but it's those of us who can make that comparison that really don't. Most of today's Johnny-come-lately post Days of Thunder NASCAR fans have no idea what you are talking about.

I'll see your Kyle Petty and raise you Larry Pearson. ;D

Kerry Earnhardt. End of thread.