Dale Earnhardt Jr

Anthony Fontanelle asked:


Earlier this month, Dale Earnhardt Junior, the most popular driver today in NASCAR, announced that he will be leaving the team that his father, the legendary Earnhardt Senior, started. He made the announcement after failing to gain control of the DEI team from his stepmother Teresa.

After the announcement there have been speculations that the Dale Jr. merchandise sale would slow down. Currently, the two-time Busch Series champion holds the largest stake in the NASCAR merchandise market. His leaving the team has made experts concerned that the DEI is in danger of losing a driver who generates much of the money coming in for the team. The famous young driver said that he will be leaving the team after the end of the season. For now, he drives the Number 8 Budweiser Chevrolet Impala which he has ridden for only a single top five finish.

While it was feared that sale of the Dale Jr. merchandise would falter after the announcement, the exact opposite happened. Instead of slowing down, Dale Jr. merchandise sold as fast as the sale of the Chevrolet pickup hood scoop. Mark Dyer, NASCAR’s Vice-President for licensing, has this to say about the increased sale of Dale Jr. merchandise: “I was a little concerned about his sales after the announcement, what the reaction would be, but it looks like it’s terrific. It looks like there’s an affinity for that No. 8 car. There’s been a lot of great moments, the fact that it’s a DEI car, and the whole Dale Jr. thing. I think its indicative of the fact that people aren’t ready just this moment, they want at least one last souvenir before they move on to the next chapter with him.”

Dyer also pointed out that of all the drivers in NASCAR today, Earnhardt has the biggest share of the market with 25 to 30 percent share. His closest competition in the market is the winner of the recently concluded Dodge Avenger 500 which was held in Darlington, South Carolina - Jeff Gordon. It has been reported that Gordon controls about 15 to 19 percent of the market. For three straight years, Dale Earnhardt Jr. was voted by fans as the most popular driver in NASCAR today and his biggest share in the market comes as no surprise.

This same selling power of the young driver is seen as a way for Junior to gain control of DEI. Some experts think that his stepmother Teresa would be willing to give the reins of the team to Junior instead of letting him go and be left with a team with no championship to boast and a reduced income from licensing. It has been estimated that the sale of Earnhardt’s merchandise brings $30 million per year to the Dale Earnhardt Inc. His biggest sponsor is Budweiser which is yet to comment on what step they will take when Junior leaves DEI at the end of this season. In fact, the company only stated that they will be talking to Junior and DEI concerning their sponsorship of Earnhardt.

The sudden increase in Earnhardt merchandise sale is expected to slow down since production of new products will surely take time. “It’s a very long process to get these things done,” says Dyer. “The car number and sponsor has to be decided, the paint scheme has to be designed and approved by Dale Jr.’s people, the team, the sponsor and then NASCAR’s competition committee. Then it all has to get made. The very latest production can start to guarantee die casts for the Daytona 500 is early-to-late fall.” But once these products are available it can be expected that sales would skyrocket.

For now, Earnhardt may have his mind on things aside from his merchandise sale. This is because his run for a championship title this season has been derailed. NASCAR implemented a 100-point deduction on Earnhardt as it was found out that his car used the wrong rear wing mounting brackets. Aside from the deduction, his crew chief and cousin Tony Eury Jr. was suspended for four races. This infraction cost Earnhardt his twelfth spot in the driver standings. He now sits at the 14th spot with 1160 points and that is 721 points behind the leader Jeff Gordon. After eleven races this season, Earnhardt has so far only posted four top ten finishes.



DOMINGO

KatieJones asked:


Last month, the most popular NASCAR driver today announced that he will be leaving his father’s team at the end of the season. Dale Earnhardt Jr., voted as the most popular NASCAR driver today by fans, publicized that he will be leaving the Dale Earnhardt Inc. after the 2007 Nextel Cup Series. The NASCAR team was put up by his late father - the legendary seven-time champion Dale Earnhardt Sr.

After the announcement, the NASCAR community has been speculating which team Junior will be racing for next year. For weeks, fans of the superstar have waited for his decision. Recently, he announced that he will be racing for Hendrick Motorsports next year.

With Junior joining Hendrick Motorsports, he will replace Kyle Busch. For the next season, Junior will still be driving a Chevy which is currently dominating the Nextel Cup Series. Chevrolet cars with their Chevy door handles shaved have already won ten of the fourteen races so far this season.

Brian France, son of the late Bill France, the Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of NASCAR, has this to say of Junior’s jump to Hendrick: “Today’s announcement of Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s move to Hendrick Motorsports is indeed an important announcement for this season and beyond, and it should be noted that high-profile partnerships have always been a part of NASCAR’s competitive history. There have been so many great partnerships involving people of great character and ability. We’re proud of what they have brought to our sport. Dale Earnhardt Jr. has always said that first and foremost, he wants to win a NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series championship. We wish him the best of luck.”

There are questions surrounding his sponsorship with Budweiser. The company has been the most notable supporter of the 34-year old NASCAR driver. Tony Ponturo, the Vice-President for Global Media and Sports Marketing for Anheuser-Busch Inc., has this to say after Junior’s announcement: “Anheuser-Busch has enjoyed a remarkable relationship with Dale Earnhardt Jr. since our sponsorship commenced back in 1999. Dale Jr. is an excellent ambassador for the sport and our company, and we look forward to exploring options with Hendrick Motorsports and JR Motorsports to continue Budweiser’s relationship with him as he enters this new stage of his racing career.”

Ironically, Junior will be joining the team which knocked off his father from the top spot of the motorsports in the 1990s. His new teammate Jeff Gordon led the uprising of young drivers which took the place of Dale Earnhardt Sr. and his contemporaries at the pinnacle of the sport. Aside from Gordon, Junior will be joining defending champion Jimmie Johnson and Casey Mears.

Analysts saw the jump to Hendrick by Junior as an excellent decision. Tim Brewer, an analyst for ESPN, says: “I think it’s a great decision because he wants to go and win races and win championships. He’s going to make the change for himself, get in a good race car and he’ll get the job done. He’s been saying all along that he really wants to drive the No. 3 car at the end of his career so I think that’s the reason he didn’t go to Richard Childress yet. They are proven winners and proven champions at Hendrick. The combination he’s had hasn’t been working, and that’s no disrespect to anyone. If I were him I would show up, not even take my helmet, and just ask ‘which car do you want me to get in?’ If I’d implemented a change and gone this far, I believe I’d make a big change.”



SEBASTIAN

David Maillie asked:


NASCAR racing is all about speed, adrenaline, checkered flags, and, unfortunatley, accidents and injuries. Its in the news almost on a daily basis nowadays. “Dale Earnhardt Jr. briefly lost consciousness and he hid a significant head injury from his team and NASCAR last year”, “Winston Cup driver Jerry Nadeau, critically injured during a crash during practice at Richmond International Raceway”, etc… We will discuss what causes these crashes and injuries and what is currently being done to prevent them and why more needs to be done.

The worst injuries result in death and lately their have been numerous basal skull fractures received by drivers like Dale Earnhardt and Adam Petty. Doctors have determined that a helmet harness is a good protective measure to stop some of these injuries. A basal skull fracture can result fro a severe whipping forward motion and/or a sudden abrupt stop - as in Dale Earnhardt’s case. A basal skull fracture almost always results in immediate death. Another highly effective measure is shock or crash absorbing walls instead of steel reinforced concrete walls that have zero give - These could have spared Jerry Nadeau from his severe injuries or at least limited them. These walls are now being introduced and installed at several tracks.

NASCAR is over 50 years old. Why does it take a famous death or several to begin safety measures or to take them more seriously? Why is it that our own automobiles have air bags, side airbags, crumple zones, etc… Can’t these same devices be reconfigured for NASCAR specs. Air bags have been proven in tests to be highly effective at speeds well over 100 mph. NASCAR drivers deserve more protection than we are currently giving them. The problem is that more attention has been given to advertising, advertisers, and speed. Placement of advertisers stickers on the car were and still are more important than the driver. More money is spent to make sure the different advertisers have their brands clearly displayed on the driver and car than on any safety measures. Some safety measures are thought of as increasing too much weight and are therefor discarded (thicker firewalls, absorbant

Take any other sport - Football, Baseball, basketball - the athletes don’t have stickers, or patches with 50 different sponsors all over them. They are actually more concerned about athlete safety over advertising revenue in these sports, not in NASCAR, though. Yes, NASCAR is experiencing a huge winfall in earnings lately, but that cannot bring back the great legends like Dale Earnhardt. There is no problem with sport profits, but lets focus a little more on safety of our athletes. With all the money NASCAR has they should already be installing safety walls at all tracks, not just a few. Lets focus on safety rather than just on advertising dollars. That way we won’t be left praying for our drivers outcome after a crash anymore.



STAN

Mike Bartley asked:


After Dale Earnhardt Jr. announced that he will be leaving the team that his father started, he has once again made news by being slapped with a 100-point deduction due to the use of wrong mounting brackets for the rear wing on his No. 8 Chevrolet Impala. Aside from the 100-point deduction, Earnhardt Junior’s crew chief and cousin Tony Eury Junior is suspended for six races. Team owner Teresa Earnhardt was also penalized after the violation was found out in the pre-race inspection before the Darlington race.

Initially, Dale Earnhardt Inc. (DEI) appealed to NASCAR that the penalties were too severe. Recently tough, the team withdrew their appeal and let the deduction, fine, and suspension stand.

Richie Gilmore, DEI’s Vice President of Motorsports, has this to say after they have announced that they will no longer be appealing to the governing body of the Nextel Cup Series: “The rules are black and white. We were clearly in violation of those rules and accept the penalties handed down by NASCAR. Going forward, we’ve reviewed our internal processes and procedures to insure something like this doesn’t happen again.”

Meanwhile, Tony Eury Jr. maintained that the rear wing mounting brackets are old and may have been accidentally put into the car. He also pointed out that the mistake was corrected before the end of the race saying that the No. 8 Chevrolet driven by his cousin is using the correct mounting bracket when it crossed the finish line. This shows how strict NASCAR is about the modifications made to the Car of Tomorrow (CoT). Not even Pacesetter exhaust pipes would have been allowed by the governing body in the CoT.

Eury Jr. will be serving his six-race suspension starting with the Coca-Cola 600. He will be taking an “unscheduled vacation” according to some insiders. This will give him some time to think about the move that Dale Jr. will be doing after the current season. It is widely known that he will obviously want to go where Dale Jr. will be going next season. But there are issues that will have to be resolved to make sure that he will have a job next season if indeed Dale Jr. makes a jump to another team. For the six races that Eury Jr. will be out, crew chief Tony Gibson will be stepping in his place. Eury is expected to be back on July 7 for the Pepsi 400 at the Daytona International Speedway.



LUCAS

Kaye Leery asked:


Reid Spencer, a Sporting News NASCAR journalist, predicts who is going to qualify for the Chase for the NASCAR Nextel Cup for the next nine more weeks. He also has predictions as to who will not qualify in the top 35 in owner points at the end of the year and why the entire landscape of Toyota’s Nextel Cup effort will witness dramatic changes for next season.

He first looked at the points report NASCAR furnished after Sunday’s Lenox Industrial Tools 300 at New Hampshire International Speedway. With this, he concluded that the current top eight drivers in points - Jeff Gordon, Denny Hamlin, Matt Kenseth, Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Burton, Tony Stewart, Carl Edwards and Kevin Harvick - are going to be in the race when the cutoff comes at Richmond in September.

Series leader Harvick in eighth place is 507 points behind Gordon. Harvick is 248 points ahead of Ryan Newman in 13th, the first position outside Chase worthiness. Fourteenth placer Jamie McMurray is 305 behind Harvick, and 15th-place Kurt Busch drags the Daytona 500 winner by 357.

Having those figures, the journalist writes that it might be possible for one of those three drivers to replace Harvick, but the writer assures it is not going to happen.

Positions nine through 12 are occupied by Chevrolet drivers Kyle Busch, Martin Truex Jr., Clint Bowyer and Dale Earnhardt Jr. Behind Gordon at 628 points lead is Earnhardt. But Earnhardt is 127 ahead of Newman (Dodge), 184 ahead of McMurray (Ford) and 236 ahead of Kurt Busch (Dodge).

Spencer writes that it is possible for any of the four drivers in 9th through 12th to fall out of the Chase, but again, he predicts that it is not going to happen. He adds that drivers currently in the top 12 will still be in the top 12 after Richmond, without exception.

He further writes that the introduction of the Car of Tomorrow (COT) has built a status system in Nextel Cup -those who have an advantage in testing and development of the COT, and those who do not have.

Hendrick Motorsports, Joe Gibbs Racing, Dale Earnhardt Inc. and Richard Childress Racing have their COT programs hitting on all cylinders, from a team standpoint. But from a manufacturer view, Chevy is at the forefront in the development of the new car.

Getting the top eight positions at New Hampshire are the Chevy drivers. Seven of those drivers belong to one of the four teams mentioned above, Jeff Green being the exception.

Also finished in the top 13 at NHIS were 12 of the drivers currently in the top 13 in the standings, with Bowyer being the only exception, who had trouble with an oil cooler line. The journalist writes that the situation is hardly a coincidence and just more of evidence that the gap will widen between 12th place and those below the cutoff.

Spencer adds that the teams that are performing well now will continue to do so in order to solidify their positions in the race. He deduces that the public will not witness a battle for the final spot when Richmond rolls around. He further writes that the suspense and drama of 2006 when Kasey Kahne edged Tony Stewart by 16 points in the race for the 10th and final position before the Chase was increased to 12 drivers simply will not happen this year.

He adds that there will not be any suspense on who makes the top 35 in owner points, either. According to him, failing to qualify for the Lenox Industrial Tools 300 was a devastating flurry for 36th placer Scott Riggs’ Evernham Motorsports team, which descended 182 points behind the No. 70 Haas CNC Chevy driven by Johnny Sauter.

Thirty-seventh in owner points New Hampshire pole sitter Dave Blaney is 188 back of Sauter. The Wood Brothers No. 21 Ford driver Bill Elliott is 219 points behind Sauter in 38th spot. Spencer predicts that those are the only three cars with a remote possibility of unseating the No. 70.

However, the writer again forecasts that it will not happen, and that is the basis of Toyota’s difficulty. According to him, Toyota, maker of quality Toyota starters, will start the 2008 season in a more unfavorable shape than it started 2007 — with no teams in the top 35 in owner points.

Being in the top 35 in 2006, Blaney, therefore was guaranteed a starting spot in the first five races this year. Dale Jarrett will still have six past champion’s provisionals to use next year. These statements were based on a lot of assumptions like: NASCAR does not amend the past champion’s rule, Jarrett still drives a Toyota and Michael Waltrip Racing still exists.

The writer states that it is not the sort of progress Toyota will find acceptable in its second season. Blaney’s pole at Toyota’s first in the Cup Series - New Hampshire - certainly was a parcel on a generally barren landscape. But the current predicament of Toyota, according to Spencer, brings urgency to the carmaker’s courtship of Joe Gibbs Racing.

Spencer recommends that Toyota needs a team with marquee stars who are guaranteed to race. From Gibbs’ standpoint, the organization would move from second, third or fourth in Chevy’s stricking order - depending on how heavily a driver weights performance, history and sentiment - to elite status as Toyota’s flagship team.



JEFFERSON

Correy Putton asked:


Earlier this month, Dale Earnhardt Jr. announced that he will be leaving Dale Earnhardt Inc., the team that his legendary father started. The most popular NASCAR driver today said that he will be racing for a new team when the new season starts next year. His decision came after failing to take control of DEI from stepmother Teresa Earnhardt.

After the initial stunned reaction of the NASCAR nation, the industry was filled with speculations and expectations where the young Earnhardt would go after the current season. While he has his own team competing at the Busch Series, experts expect him to find an established team which will be competing at the Nextel Cup Series. This is because of the fact that running a team at this level needs a lot of financing and while Earnhardt Jr. gains a lot of money from his sponsor, it is not as large as the budget of major racing teams.

Recently there have been talks that Earnhardt may be talking with Joe Gibbs Racing, or JGR, that is owned by the Hall of Fame American football coach Joe Gibbs. Recently, the distinguished team owner took a break from the Redskins training camp to enjoy the All-Star Challenge. During the said event, Joe Gibbs commented about the talks saying that Dale Junior is on his way to joining JGR. Although he spoke about Dale Jr., he did not point out whether they will be taking in Earnhardt for the next season or not. “We talked a lot about it last week and were pretty forthright about it,” says Gibbs. “Right now we’re not going to comment about it and let the thing run its course. We think we’ve said what’s important about it. Right now it’s not going to do any good to talk any more about it.”

He added that: “Junior needs to go through the normal deal and we’ll see what happens. The things we do at (Joe Gibbs Racing) effects a lot of people and I don’t think it’s something that we need to talk about it.”

Meanwhile, for his part, Earnhardt said that he is “very pleased” with the developments in his search for a new team. “Things are good,” says Earnhardt. “We haven’t hit any speed bumps or obstacles, and the temperature of the conversations that we’ve had up to this point have been very good.” Although the popular driver may be confident in his search for a new team, many of his fans are eagerly waiting for news that would tell them where Earnhardt will race for come the next season.

While JGR has not committed to taking in Dale Earnhardt Jr. for the next season, Rick Hendrick of Hendrick Motorsports said that there is no room in their team for Dale Junior. In an interview with the Associated Press, Hendrick has this to say about Dale Jr.: “We’re good friends and I’ve talked to him, because I really want him to make the best decision and do the best thing for himself. But right now, I’m full.”

Meanwhile, another team which is seen by some as a good choice for the popular driver is Richard Childress Racing. This is the team his late father raced for and won championships. But up to now, it seems that Dale Junior is avoiding falling into the shadow of his father as he has not yet entered into talks with RCR. Recently, Richard Childress, the owner of the team commented about the plight of the most popular NASCAR driver today. “Dale is like family to me,” said Childress. “I remember him from a kid growing up. He knows I’m always there for him. I want to give him the best advice and I’ll support him wherever he goes. I’ll support whatever he wants to do. We haven’t talked since he made his decision. I just want him to take some time and look at whatever is out there. The time will come right when we’ll talk. And if it’s in the cards, whatever will be, will be.”

He added that: “Anyone would love to have Dale Jr. drive for them. I know that he would fit in our organization. Our drivers, I’ve talked to them. I know they would fit with him and the crew chiefs. It has to mix. It has to be positive not only for Dale Jr. to come over but for all our sponsors, all of our race teams, for everyone involved. And that’s the same wherever he goes.” If ever Junior joined RCR, there are talks that the team might revive the Number 3 car that his father drove for the team and tragically died on. Although Junior admitted that he is not comfortable driving the No. 3 car. Indeed, there are those who would want to see Dale Jr. follow in his father’s step by joining Richard Childress Racing but there are those who disagree saying that Junior needs to make a name for his own and that means staying away from RCR and the No. 3 car.

But one thing is for sure though, Junior needs to concentrate on racing especially that he was recently docked 100 points which puts him outside the top twelve in the driver’s standings. He is currently ranked 14th with 1160 points, 721 points behind leader Jeff Gordon. So far, he only has recorded one top-five finish and four top-ten finishes. Although he is driving a Chevrolet Impala which currently dominates the current Nextel Cup Series like a high-powered sports car equipped with the Dynomax exhaust dominates an entry level sedan, Dale Junior seems to be struggling. For now, Earnhardt must focus on racing for DEI, after all, this might be the last year he will be driving for his father’s team.



BERT

Mike Bartley asked:


Ralph Dale Earnhardt, Jr. recently announced that he will leave Dale Earnhardt Inc. (DEI), the company founded by his father, to drive for Hendrick Motorsports starting in 2008.

It is expected that his primary sponsor, Budweiser, will tag on him to his next team, although Budweiser still has a contract with DEI. Earnhardt, Jr. will take Kyle Busch’s spot in Hendrick Motorsports. Busch, meanwhile, will leave the organization at the end of the 2007 NEXTEL Cup season.

Earnhardt, Jr.’s decision, like a dependable Gibson exhaust, elicited positive feedback from the NASCAR community. “Today’s announcement of Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s move to Hendrick Motorsports is indeed an important announcement for this season and beyond, and it should be noted that high-profile partnerships have always been a part of NASCAR’s competitive history. There have been so many great partnerships involving people of great character and ability. We’re proud of what they have brought to our sport. Dale Earnhardt Jr. has always said that first and foremost, he wants to win a NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series championship. We wish him the best of luck,” said Brian France, the NASCAR Chairman and CEO.

Tony Ponturo, the Vice President of Global Media and Sports Marketing Anheuser-Busch, Inc., has this to say: “Anheuser-Busch has enjoyed a remarkable relationship with Dale Earnhardt Jr. since our sponsorship commenced back in 1999. Dale Jr. is an excellent ambassador for the sport and our company, and we look forward to exploring options with Hendrick Motorsports and JR Motorsports to continue Budweiser’s relationship with him as he enters this new stage of his racing career.”

“Dale Earnhardt, Jr. has been synonymous with the modern era of Chevy Motorsports with his 17 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series victories and two NASCAR Busch Series championships, all powered by the legendary small-block Chevy V8. Dale, Jr. has a choice in his future direction. We are proud he chose to stay with Team Chevy - the winningest name in motorsports with 609 wins and 30 championships - to pursue his championship bid. On behalf of General Motors and Chevrolet, congratulations to Dale Earnhardt, Jr. and Hendrick Motorsports on the announcement of their partnership,” noted Brent Dewar, General Motors’ North America Vice President of Vehicle Sales, Service and Parts.

Even the American cable television network ESPN is backing the professional American driver’s decision. “I can’t think of anything at all that’s bigger. He hit a home run and hit it out of the ballpark. His father always loved Rick Hendrick and had a great admiration for him. With Junior finding that he can be in a car with points, he’s assured that he’s in all the races next year. You’ll never risk any problems whether it rains or you have a blown engine that can keep you out of a race. I think he could have done well at Richard Childress next season, but there was one problem - he wouldn’t have had points headed into the 2008 season,” said Rusty Wallace, an ESPN analyst.

Wallace’s workmate, Tim Brewer, added: “I think it’s a great decision because he wants to go and win races and win championships. He’s going to make the change for himself, get in a good race car and he’ll get the job done. They are proven winners and proven champions at Hendrick. The combination he’s had hasn’t been working, and that’s no disrespect to anyone. If I were him I would show up, not even take my helmet, and just ask ‘which car do you want me to get in?’ If I’d implemented a change and gone this far, I believe I’d make a big change.”



CLEMENT

Rick Grantham asked:


What is NASCAR? It stands for National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing. They are a sanctioning body that evaluates the various stock car racing in the US. NASCAR is one of the most popular sports today in the US. One of the reasons why its popularity boomed is because of media exposure. The top three racing series the association sanctions are the Craftsman Truck Series, Nationwide Series, and Sprint Cup.

The sport has also made celebrities out of their car drivers. Among the most famous riders NASCAR has is Dale Earnhardt Jr. He started his car-racing career at the young age of 17. Now he races in the Sprint Cup Series. His father conquered this same series in his years. For five consecutive years, he received the NASCAR Most Popular Driver award from 2003 to 2007. Fans are responsible for choosing the recipient for this award.

You can say that racing is in the blood of Earnhardt Jr. He has close relatives who are also driving other racing series. Others have business related to NASCAR. One of the most noted Earnhardt is Ralph, his grandfather. He started a long lineage of car racers in his family.

Ralph Earnhardt is a legend in the sport. He won his only NASCAR Sportsmanship Award in 1956. However, various groups in the industry have recognized his contributions. National Motorsports Press Association inducted him to the Hall of Fame in 1989. In 1997, the International Motorsports Hall of Fame did the same. The Oceanside Rotary Club of Daytona Beach Stock Car Racing Hall of Fame inducted him in 2004. Finally, in 2007, National Dirt Late Model Hall of Fame inducted him.

Dale’s father, Ralph’s son also became a racecar driver. Ralph wanted his son to take on a different path. However, Dale Sr. was determined to follow into his father’s footsteps. He dropped out from school and pursued his dream.

He became successful in the Winston Cup Series, now known as the Sprint Cup. In 1979, he became the Rookie of the Year for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. He became a champion in the series for seven years. The Motorsports Hall of Fame inducted him in 2002. In addition, the International Motorsports hall of Fame inducted him in 2006.

It was evident that someone from his kids would assume his role. As it turned out, he did not only influence Dale Earnhardt Jr. but his other oldest son Kerry Dale as well. Although Kerry did not spend a lot of time with his father while he was growing up, he ended up doing the sport his father loved. Racing is probably strong in Earnhardt blood, because his son, Jeffrey, also began racing in 2007.

Jeffrey Earnhardt was impressive at Wythe Raceway, Hornet Division. Here, he won the Rookie of the Year award. He also made it to the General Motors’ search for the next best thing in the car-racing field. In 2007, he competed in the Busch East Series where he placed fifth. By the end of the season, he won the Most Popular Driver award.



IGNACIO

Lauren Woods asked:


After announcing that he will be leaving the team that his late father founded, Dale Earnhardt Junior made news. In fact, the most recent Nextel Cup race was overshadowed by Dale Jr.’s announcement. With the motorsport community buzzing after that announcement, the most popular NASCAR driver at present made the headlines once again after NASCAR penalized him and implemented a 100-point penalty. This came after it was found out that his No. 8 car used the wrong rear wing mounting bracket.

The infraction cost Dale Jr. his 12th spot in the standings. The penalty will surely hurt Earnhardt’s bid for a championship run in his final season with the Dale Earnhardt Inc. (DEI) team.

Aside from the 100-point deduction, Earnhardt’s crew chief Tony Eury Jr. has been suspended for six races. Eury is Earnhardt’s own cousin. For his part, Eury has this to say: “It was a bad deal. We have done a lot of off season testing for NASCAR. There have been three different styles of brackets on there, and it just happened to be one of those old-style brackets.” He also maintained that the penalties they were slapped with are too harsh. The team has taken steps to appeal to the ruling body of the Nextel Cup Series.

An official statement from DEI says: “We do not question the infraction, which is clearly spelled out in the NASCAR rule book. However, we have appealed the severity of the penalty.”

Eury also said that they did use the wrong parts intentionally and that the No. 8 Chevy Impala that Dale Earnhardt was driving used the correct mounting brackets when he finished the race. If the suspension though is implemented, Eury will have plenty of time in his hands to think about where he would go when Dale Junior packs his bag and leaves DEI. The suspension is for point races only so Eury can work with Earnhardt at the upcoming Nextel All-Star Challenge which Earnhardt last won in the year 2000. While he can work with Dale Junior at the All-Star Challenge, he will have to sit out the races to be held in Charlotte, Dover, Michigan and Sonoma, California. Taking on Eury’s role upon the effect of the suspension will be DEI car chief Tony Gibson.

For Dale, he is now currently out of the top twelve drivers. This means that he has to perform well at the next races in order for him to qualify for the Chase. He currently has 1160 points after the deduction. He is 721 points behind leader Jeff Gordon who has already garnered 1881 points. The remainder of the season should be a good one for Earnhardt if he wants a championship before he leaves his father’s legacy.

After eleven point races this season, Dale only recorded one top-five finish and four top ten finishes. While he may appear to be struggling, he still remains as the most popular driver today.

The penalty meted out is the harshest in Dale Jr.’s career. Earlier this season, other drivers have been also penalized by NASCAR for relatively minor infractions. During the first points race of the season in Daytona held in February this year, both Kasey Kahne and Matt Kenseth were docked 50 points each while their crew chiefs were suspended for four races. The infractions committed were minor compared to the violation committed by Michael Waltrip’s team. At the same race in Daytona, it was found out that Waltrip’s car used an illegal fuel additive. This resulted to a 100-point deduction for Waltrip and an indefinite suspension for his crew chief and competition director. This shows how NASCAR oversees the game to ensure fairness. After all, the cars used by these drivers are known to be engineered for speed and not even a vehicle equipped with a Toucan cold air intake system can match its power.

If NASCAR will not regulate the modifications done by teams, the game will surely be not as competitive as it is today.



EVAN

Rick Grantham asked:


Anthony Wayne Stewart is a NASCAR Sprint Cup driver. He was born on May 20 1971 at Columbus, Indiana. If there is one thing that Stewart wants, it is racing.

While growing up, he developed a keen interest in go-karts. He started racing, and in 1987, he became the champion of the World Karting Association. This is just the beginning of his long list of achievements. Aside from the go-karts, he also tried riding three-quarter midgets and raced. He joined the United States Auto Club Series. On his debut, he won the Rookie of the Year award. He was relatively successful in the open-wheel auto racing.

He had an interesting start in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. He faced the much-favored racer, Dale Earnhardt Jr. in a Gatorade Twin 125 races. Although Earnhardt won, Tony Stewart has grabbed many of the spectators’ attention. He gained more following as he continued to race. Many were impress in his strong finishes. He always managed to find a spot in the top ten. This made him deserving to win another Rookie of the year Award, this time from the Winston Cup.

After winning the Rookie of the Year Award in 1999, he did not show any sign of slowing down. During the next season, he was still consistent with his strong driving abilities. Although this was the case, the competition was tougher. The tight competition caused him to drop to the sixth spot. However, he won the midget car event in the Turkey Night Grand Prix and he could not be prouder.

The following season, Stewart was in an accident during the race but he was able to walk away without major injuries. Controversy also filled the season. He had unpleasant encounters with a NASCAR official for some violations. He also had some unlikely encounter with another driver, Jeff Gordon. This led to his fining. Many consider him as short tempered. These encounters earned him the nickname the bad boy of NASCAR.

He had a good run in 2002. It did not start right for him though. He placed seventh in the standings during the first part of the season. NASCAR placed him on probation after a misunderstanding with a photographer in the Brickyard 400. However, this did not alter his ability to ride. He had a good run during the last few races. By the end of the year, he would have his very first Winston Cup Championship title.

There are quite a few highlights in his career in 2004. He started out strong. He had notable wins in Chicagoland and Watkins Glen International. He also teamed up with two of NASCAR’s great drivers, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Andy Wallace for the 24 Hours of Daytona. Although they had a great start, they were not able to pull it off, their suspension broke, and the rear wheels dislocated.

The next season was a success. It included his second NASCAR Nextel Cup Title. However, he missed his chance to win it again in 2006.

Tony Stewart is one talented racecar driver. However, that is not the only highlight in his career. He also made his mark because of the various unpleasant encounters he had with other drivers and officials.



WILFREDO