Rick Hendrick owns dozens of car dealerships selling all makes and models of cars, new and used. Apparently none of them has a bus on their lot, which explains why he never throws anybody under one. Thus it is no surprise he’s spoken up about the most fiercely raging debate in NASCAR this side of Digger, namely the state of his currently misfiring Rocket 88, not to rip Dale Earnhardt Jr. or Tony Eury Jr. but rather to reassure.
Hendrick didn’t get to be Hendrick by making kneejerk decisions. (Which would make him a lousy blogger. But I digress.) His approach with his race teams has been and is working to assemble the puzzle using pieces already at hand rather than throwing half of it away at the drop of a hat. The Cat in the Hat, a/k/a Jack Roush, approach of swapping crew chiefs with alacrity doesn’t appeal to Hendrick. While it works on occasion, Hendrick is more patient. Find the missing piece and fit it; when in doubt work it out. The story is often told how during a time when Jimmie Johnson and Chad Knaus were anything but the dynamic duo Hendrick sent them both some milk and cookies along with a note that if they were going to behave like children… They got the hint, as three straight championships testify quite nicely. Would Roush have been as patient?
Last year, Hendrick turned a deaf ear to those calling for Steve Letarte’s head on a restrictor plate, including yours truly — like Rick Hendrick’s going to look to me for advice on how to run a race team, but again I digress — as Jeff Gordon struggled through a most un-Jeff Gordonish year. Instead, he brought in more help to the existing crew and one suspects had a heart to heart with Gordon about what it takes to win in today’s NASCAR. This year we’re seeing the fruit of Hendrick’s patient approach. It’s not will Gordon win a race, it’s which one and have you looked at the standings lately?
Certainly it’s maddening beyond words for the Earnhardt Nation to have their driver the target of Kyle Busch’s slams as he’s doing the post-race “and here’s the winner” press conferences while Junior is on pit road explaining as best he can why the only air time he got in the vicinity of the lead was when he was getting lapped. A quick fix is being screamed for from all sides. The problem with this solution to the problem is there are no quick fixes for a struggling team. You don’t cure a multi-race, multi-year funk overnight.
Preaching patience when everyone’s patience has worn thin won’t make anyone happy. However, it’s the only legitimate option. Rick Hendrick is not going to allow the driver he loves like a son to flounder. The solution will be found. You will see AMP being sprayed in Victory Lane. Bank on it.
Listen to what the man said. He knows what he’s talking about and he knows what he’s doing. It’ll be all right.
Speaking of what the man said, a live clip from a while back:
[video http://www.diecast-dude.com/gac/paul_mccartney_listen_to_what_the_man_said.flv nolink]
