Earnhardt Jr. To Drive For Hendrick in 2008!

[Senator7]

http://www.nascar.com/2007/news/headlines/cup/06/12/dearnhardtjr.future.plans/index.html

[hawk 5]

Don't know what to think. Kyle Bush is ever bit the driver JR is. Like to see how this plays out. Yes I know JR has twice the following as Bush has.

[bigboydan]

The rich get richer in NASCAR.

[rob]

I really thought he'd go to Childress. But it's a great move...nearly every driver would give his left nut to drive for Hendrick, clearly the best team in NASCAR at the moment.
Kind of surprised that he'll replace Busch. Obviously, winning at Charlotte was worth a lot more to Mears than the trophy and the check. It probably also kept his job.
Busch is a helluva talent. His only problems have been impatience and maturity. But he's only 22...those qualities will come with time. Current rumors have him going to the Mark Martin-revitalized Ginn team
And what about Budweiser? Figured they be with Jr. forever. I wonder how anxious Jr. fans are going to be to trade in their beer apparel for corn flakes wardrobe.
I've always viewed Jr. as a decent driver at best. His best times came on the restrictor plate tracks when DEI dominated. Heck, they even got Michael Waltrip a win!
I think Jr.'s a great guy. It's his fans I've always had a problem with. I can't wait to see their reaction to him being a teammate to Johnson and Gordon!

[onlooker]

Good move for him, maybe he can win more races with a better team.

I thought Budweiser was staying with Junior? Not sure.

Now his number 8 is up in the air.

Rob, good point on the fans. Most of Juniors fans dislike Jeff Gordon, and its going to be interesting when they become teammates.

[rob]

Onlooker, yesterday I spoke with a friend of mine who has recently relocated, for a second time, to Alabama, a state where you're hard-pressed to find a pickup without a 3 or 8 decal in the back window.
She told me that a lot of what she's hearing is that people are upset that Jr. is leaving his "father's team". To me, it's not his father's team but Jr.'s step-mother's team using his father's name.
My friend has resided in areas from coast-to-coast in the U.S. She's always told me that the southeast has by far the most unique culture - an area where blood is definitely the thickest over water.
I've never quite known how to perceive Jr. At first, I felt that he was in NASCAR only because of his name. He never grew up struggling, racing the local short tracks like many of those in NASCAR. But then, no other driver has had to deal with racing with a surname such as his.
An interesting situation, to say the least.

[The General]

Earnhardt Jr better get it together soon. Hendricks finally made a move and took cousin Eury off the pit box today. Jr is in the same stuff as Gordon, Johnson, & Martin. Hendricks is pulling out all tricks here to help JR. I am going to guess things have to improve, but time will tell how much.

Eury Jr. out as 88 crew chief

[diogee]

It is a move that Hendrick should have made a long time ago given how poorly the car setups have been this year...Eury started to diminish towards the end of last year for whatever reason. No reason at all for the crap handling cars when the rest of the team is doing great. Just don't understand what he did so different from the AllStar race to last week to make the car un drivable. Was the last straw for sure.

[onlooker]

I wonder what Hendrick thinks now? Letting Kyle get away and getting Dale Jr.

[The General]

Kyle Busch made some negative remarks about Jr today. I think it is just Kyle wanting to be the bad guy taking on the most popular voted driver in Jr. Kyle markets himself this way for attention and it is working for him. Kid is not stupid.

[The General]

BTW, Kyle is favored in all 3 races this weekend. To bad they're not all better than 3/1.