Thread: Dale Earnhardt Jr's troubles

So what do you think is going on with Dale Earnhardt Jr. It’s a terrible year for him in racing. Right now he is in 22nd place in points. He has not won a race since June of 2008! I have to admit I’m not a big fan of his, as I was not a fan of his dads either.
Do you think he will be back next year? With the same sponsors and same pit crew? I keep reading that he is upset with the way his car is running. I would say it’s part car and part driver.

Face it, folks, Dale Jr. is not a good driver. I applaud his having the guts to come to Hendrick. He has the best equipment available. He spent years at DEI blaming the cars and Teresa. He can't do that anymore, and he knows it. If he wasn't named Earnhardt, he wouldn't have a ride at all. Yes, he'll be back at Hendrick in '10, and I'm guessing McGrew will ramain as the crew chief, but you never know. Jr. needs to suck it up and start learning from his teammates, or he might as well move on.

Junior had way to much expectations put on his shoulders, in particular after the death of his father. The fans, the press and indeed NASCAR almost saw him or hoped for him to be the reincarnation of his very popular father.
The constant scrutiny has probably affected him negatively and while he is a talented driver, his lack on consistency and his name are like an albatross around his neck and unless he can turn things around next year (he has to take a serious look at himself in the mirror) he will probably be out of the driver's seat by the end of next season.

You know I never really thought about it that way. About him being expected to be Great! I never really expected him to be. I do applaud him every time he gets into a race car, after all it was a race car that took his dad.
I'm thinking next season will be his last, unless he suddenly gets better.

It is pretty incredible that he gets in that car every time. I'm betting that he'll drop out as well. If he doesn't get better, why would people keep him around much longer. It's sad, really.

Jr. is still a name with the largest fan base. However, many of those are really Sr's fans. They don't necessarily listen to Jr., like when Jr. was honored by what Jeff Gordon did in saluting his dad. The idiot fans were throwing things on the track. Still, they buy, so marketing wise, Jr. has a lot of pull. However, he doesn't devote himself to driving like he should. Darrell Waltrip asked him a year or so again if maybe Jr. shouldn't cut back on all the outside stuff he does and really focus on racing. Waltrip loves Jr. and was trying to give him a hint. Jr. ignored it and denied it was necessary. There was something similiar this year. I can't remember exactly what it was, but Jr. was asked about focusing more on driving. He's in his zone. People are trying to help him, and he thinks he knows it all. He's right; they're wrong. It was a mistake to bring Eury Jr. with him to Hendrick, but I guess that's another subject.

I am a Jr. fan. I think those expectations were put on his shoulders, not only by the fans but by his father himself. He is trying to keep the legacy alive. I think if his racing comes to an end, he is going to be crushed. He may feel he is going to let his father down.

I do agree that I think he is doing a lot of this for his father, plus the pay is good right. He is very marketable and for that reason he might stay. There are a lot of racers that don't win and they stay. I'm just thinking from listening to his interviews and hearing his frustration, that he isn't happy and won't stay in the sport for long.

What do you think would make him happier? Do you think that winning would really fix the problems? I do think you're right speedster, about it being good pay and being a result of his wanting to do it for his dad. That's so much pressure for one person.

Jr. is really trying to be his own man. That's a big part of why he left DEI and went with Hendrick. He's not his father, and he knows it. I don't think money for him is a factor. He likes racing, but he's not winning, and I think for a long time he blamed DEI and Teresa for that. Now he has no one to blame and he's faced with looking himself in the mirror. He has the best and he's surrounded by the best. I feel sorry for him. I mean even the Stewart Haas guys got into the chase.