What is wrong with Dale Earnhardt Jr. and the entire #88 team?
Seriously. What is wrong with these people?
Last Saturday night at Darlington was yet another embarrassment in a season filled with embarrassments. Overshooting his pit box (at least he didn’t miss it entirely — again). When the other three Hendrick cars were charging forward Dale Jr. was in full retreat as he disappeared from sight. Great adjustments on the car there, Tony Eury Jr. The only way Dale Jr. got air time during the latter portion of the race, since the primary focus was on the action up front, came via a spin and crash apparently caused by a butterfly sneezing on the Mt. Dew can. Or hitting a wet spot on the track where someone had thrown their Mountain Dew in disgust. Whatever. The end result was another miserable race in a year when this has become the norm rather than the exception.
In interviews, Dale Jr.’s mixture of aw-shucks country boy and confident racer has been replaced by a stammering near incoherency as he speaks in sentences so fragmented it’s easier to win a round of solitare with a deck that has a card missing than figure out what he’s trying to say. His voice and demeanor is that of a whipped puppy scared of its own shadow out of fear any action on its part will bring about the next beating. Why?
Why can’t Eury Jr. learn how to set up the new car? It’s not like he’s out there flailing away on his own with no one to turn to for help. Steve Letarte struggled mightily last year with the COT. This year he knows what to do. Chad Knaus seldom makes a misstep in the initial setup or adjustments during the race. Alan Gustafson and Mark Martin have clicked to the tune of two wins and a championship caliber run. There is no excuse for Eury Jr. not knowing what he’s doing.
Physical, mental, emotional, psychological, spiritual… I don’t know. I don’t know what the problem is. It’s getting ever closer to the point where I don’t care what the problem is. All I care about is that something is very wrong and it needs to be fixed. New crew chief, shaking up the team, someone getting through to Dale Jr. with a solution for what’s dragging him down (personal recommendation: a little churchin’ up never hurt anyone). Whatever, whoever. But fix it. Now. For the good not just of the Junior Nation but all of NASCAR, fix it. Now.
Please.
AMEN! You took the words right out of my mouth! Thank you!!!!
Oh by the way, I’m in a bad mood too. For some reason I’m pi$$ed off at the world.
at least he had on some kick butt skeleton gloves.
True, those were cool. Weird, but cool.
Some reason his heart is not in it this year
Ditto! It’s a shame we didn’t see that nice paint scheme in the front. I thought it was sleek!
Right on! At the end of last year the media talked about what a failed season it was for Jr. and crew. I gave them a “learning pass”. This year – no excuses. I think Jr. needs to suck it up and forget about hurting anyones feelings and get a new crew chief. And the gloves were cool.
I totally agree with you. I do believe his confidence is down and something has to be done. If they can’t convince Dale Jr to get rid of Tony Jr then pressure Tony Jr to leave or take another position within the company. Something needs to be done now before it’s too late. Dale Jr is a great racer and he’s got heart. I think his emotions get in the way of his feedback and maybe a little knowledge wouldn’t hurt either. GO JR!!!