Dale Jr

[Baron von BeeGee]

So out of all the other members on the forum there has to be at least one other that follows a bit of NASCAR (and DeRoux quit, so I guess that leaves me ).

Anyways, huge news! Dale Jr striking out on his own from DEI and the thumb of his stepmother (good ol' NASCAR incest!). This is the equivalent of the biggest star in any sport leaving their franchise and then some since it was the "family business". Ultimately I think he'll be better off, though.

 

[Dude]

Saw that...it intrigues me too, even if I'm not a NASCAR fan. DEI is screwed now. Who do they have to fall back on, Paul Menard now that the bitch is dating John Menard?

 

[Baron von BeeGee]

They don't have anybody...they're hosed, at least for a while. There's talent out there that would definitely race for DEI, but none of the top talent now that Jr. has basically said he doesn't think they're on the path to contending, and most people feel like racing and fielding top teams is the furthest thing from Teresa Earnhardt's mind, anyways.

It'll be interesting to see who Dale signs with, how much, and then longer term to see what happens with DEI.

 

[Evets]

It'll also be interesting to see if Jr can start winning races again.

 

[Baron von BeeGee]

It'll also be interesting to see if Jr can start winning races again.

Yeah, he's definitely putting his 'legacy' on the line if he winds up with a top team like Hendrick/RCR/Gibbs. If he doesn't win with those resources there will be a lot of whispering in the garage area.

 

[2nd Street Brewery]

I was never a big Earnhardt fan(Dale Sr) but I think that the fans would go wild if he went back to Childress and broke out the old black number 3.

 

[Baron von BeeGee]

I was never a big Earnhardt fan(Dale Sr) but I think that the fans would go wild if he went back to Childress and broke out the old black number 3.

He was actually asked specifically about that and kind of hemmed and hawed on it - I'm not convinced he actually wants to drive it. But it would be a marketer's wet dream. Wet, wet dream.

 

[Dude]

I was never a big Earnhardt fan(Dale Sr) but I think that the fans would go wild if he went back to Childress and broke out the old black number 3.

Junior's ego is much bigger than Daddy's. It won't happen, IMHO.

 

[RichBrewer]

Last week there was a rumor going around that there was merger talks between DEI and Robert Yates Racing I believe.
I love this one. The rumor was that DEI would convert to Ford. Can you imagine Dale Jr. Driving a Ford? Earnhardt nation would riot! Dale Sr. would roll over in his grave.
It's a non issue now I guess but I would love to see the uproar if Jr. got into a Ford.

 

[sause]

Jr. sucks anyways. The only reason that he won any races is that DEI was very good at getting more horsepower out of restrictor plate engines that any one else for a couple years. I hate sympathy fans. His dad didn't have that many fans comma everybody hated him. I was a Sr. fan because everybody hated him and was a Jr. fan when he was a Busch driver but when everybody jumped to him after the crash I jumped ship. He'll go to the next team that gives him the most money. I don't care if they say it isn't comma it always is. He'll never be a good race car driver comma he doesn't have enough talent. He might be the only racer I wish would go away.

 

[pa-in-utah]

I think him leaving DEI screws DEI. I think it will benifit Jr. If he could bumps Casey Mears and drive for Hendrick. HOLY S*&T. Talk about ruling the roost. Driving for Joe Gibbs, him and smoke would do well and it would benifit Hamlin. Going to RCR, that is a whole new ball of wax cuz of Dale Sr.

As for yates and DEI..... I thought the rumor was Yates would switch to Chevy. NASCAR is getting bigger than any southern redneck could have every imagined!!!!!

I wish Jr the best because I think he is good for the sport and deserves a championship. Will Tony Eury move with him?? I bet Budweiser does.

 

[2nd Street Brewery]

Junior's ego is much bigger than Daddy's. It won't happen, IMHO.

I think just the opposite is true Dude. I think Jr. is too insecure to run his fathers car. Dale Sr. was such a strong persona in NASCAR that I think it would put too much pressure on Dale Jr. I think Jr. is planning on ramping his Busch team up to the next level while getting his engines from one of the bigger teams like Hendricks. And Bud will go along for the ride.

 

[JnJ]

I would love to see him go to Gibbs and team up with Smoke! But, I think he'll be in with his dad's old team. He also said he wants to keep Bud as his main sponsor, Gibbbs wont allow that..... I do think he will drive #3, but it will be red and have Bud on it.
The story I read said DEI's stock will drop by as much as 50%! Ouch, that will suck for them.

 

[beeraggie]

You know Bud goes with Jr.

 

[dblvsn]

Crappy beer, crappy driver... sure he had his moments on the restrictor plate tracks, but where's he been the last couple years? Is DEI holding him back? Yeah. He'll most definitely be better off with a different team. (Childress, there's no doubt he'll go there and race the #3. And he'll do it just to piss off Theresa and DEI) But he'll still never be half the driver his dad was. Jr. just isn't aggressive enough. DEI has a lot of work to get back in the saddle of winning. I don't see it happening for a long time either.

 

[Baron von BeeGee]

Jr has the fourth most wins in Cup amongst active drivers and two Busch championships to his credit, so I'm not too sure his talent can really be impugned too much. Restrictor plate races have definitely been DEI's strong point, but Jr has won at other tracks and it's not clear to me how we would stack up in a program that put good cars on every track.

As far as comparing him to his father, I'm not really sure anybody can be compared to Sr. I'm not a Gordon fan, but he's the only current driver that can really be favorably compared at the moment. Not just because of the Championships and number of victories, but because the competition seems much more even now than during Sr's early career (same could be said for Petty, even more so).

 

[dblvsn]

Not sure where you get him as having the 4th most wins among current drivers. I see him at 9th. Which is still impressive. I do believe that Jr. has been held back at DEI with the equipment they've given him. He has been caught up in several wrecks due to being at the wrong place at the wrong time. He's had lots of troubles with crew chiefs and teammates. The best thing he can do for his career is exactly what he is doing. Get on with another team.

 

[Baron von BeeGee]

I only see Gordon, Stewart, and Johnson ahead of him and he's tied with Jarrett, but it could just be the statistics I'm checking or I don't have the filters set correctly. I'm only looking at Cup races, too.

 

[dblvsn]

Think the sheet you are looking at is inaccurate. Here's the list of current drivers I have.

Nascar Nextel Cup:Most Wins By Driver (First number is over-all rank)
6. Jeff Gordon - 77 wins
17. Mark Martin - 35 wins
19. Dale Jarrett - 32 wins
20. Tony Stewart - 29 wins
22. Jimmie Johnson - 27 wins
26. Ricky Rudd - 23 wins
28. Bobby Labonte - 21 wins
34. Jeff Burton - 19 wins
39. Dale Earnhardt Jr. - 17 wins

 

[the_bird]

Where's Dick Trickle on that list?

 

[dblvsn]

If only he would have won 1 race in his career he might just have made the list Maybe he should have been more concerned about racing than lighting up cigarettes during the race

 

[2nd Street Brewery]

He won a race. Oh wait, that was Cole Trickle in Days of Thunder Any one who's parents would name a kid Dick Trickle are Sadists.

 

[Baron von BeeGee]

Think the sheet you are looking at is inaccurate. Here's the list of current drivers I have.

Nascar Nextel Cup:Most Wins By Driver (First number is over-all rank)
6. Jeff Gordon - 77 wins
17. Mark Martin - 35 wins
19. Dale Jarrett - 32 wins
20. Tony Stewart - 29 wins
22. Jimmie Johnson - 27 wins
26. Ricky Rudd - 23 wins
28. Bobby Labonte - 21 wins
34. Jeff Burton - 19 wins
39. Dale Earnhardt Jr. - 17 wins

Thanks, that actually looks better than the site I was looking at which had Martin with 16. Hard to believe he never won a championship. Hard to believe Burton fell off so hard, too, though he's having a bit of a resurgence last year and this year.

 

[pa-in-utah]

I think M. Martin is one of the greatest in the sport. I will miss him and so will the NASCAR community. He is a purist (if I can say such a thing about NASCAR)... He is genuine and for real. He has had too many 2nd place finishes in the championship runs. He deserves to be #1.

I think Jeff Burton has a lot of potentail and RCR is helping. I am leaning toward rooting for him after my driver hangs it up.

I am DJ (Dale Jarett) all the way but Toyota hasn't been a strong point so far. I think DJ may be past his prime and needs to go. I hate to say that cuz I have been following him since I started watching NASCAR 7 years ago!!!!! No sure who to root for once he is gone. Maybe Dale Jr. if he drives a ford?.?.?.?...

regardless, Dale Jr. will end up at RCR. I am pretty sure of that.