Dale Earnhardt Jr takes #3 to Daytona Nationwide Win

Photo Credit: Jeff Markland/ Getty Images for NASCAR

By Reid Spencer

Sporting News NASCAR ire Service

(July 2, 2010)

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla.—Driving the No. 3 Wrangler Chevrolet in honor of his late father, Dale Earnhardt Jr. broke a NASCAR Nationwide Series drought of almost four years in winning Friday night's Subway Jalapeno 250 NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Daytona International Speedway.

Earnhardt's emotional win was the result of a collaboration between owner Richard Childress, Teresa Earnhardt, JR Motorsports and Hendrick Motorsports, which supplied the engine for the No. 3 car.

The victory, the 23rd of Earnhardt's career, was his first in the series since Aug. 19, 2006, when he took the checkered flag at Michigan. It was his first points win in any of NASCAR's top three series since June 15, 2008, when Earnhardt captured the Lifelock 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup race, again at Michigan.

In a race that saw the debut of NASCAR's new Nationwide Series car, Earnhardt held off runner-up Joey Logano and third-place finisher Ricky Stenhouse Jr. in a green-white-checkered-flag finish that took the race two laps beyond its scheduled distance of 100 laps.

"I was so worried that I wasn't going to win, 'cause nothing but a win would get it—for everybody," Earnhardt said after getting hugs from Childress, crew chief Tony Eury Jr. and a multitude of others in victory lane. "If we didn't win, what a waste of time. …

"I worked hard to try to win, not only for daddy—I'm proud of him going to the Hall of Fame, and he would be proud of this, I'm sure—but just all these fans. I hope they enjoyed this. This is it—no more '3' for me. That's it."

With a push from Justin Allgaier, Earnhardt took the lead for the first time on Lap 70, surging past Kyle Busch through Turns 1 and 2. On that same lap, NASCAR called a caution for debris on the backstretch. Pitting under the caution, Earnhardt retained his lead, thanks to a quick, problem-free stop by Earnhardt's No. 88 Sprint Cup crew, which volunteered for the race.

Earnhardt held the top spot through Lap 96, when NASCAR threw a debris caution that set up a two-lap run to the finish. Earnhardt stayed out on old tires, as did seven other contending cars, but Busch, Carl Edwards, Clint Bowyer, Trevor Bayne and Ryan Newman came to the pits for tires under the yellow.

The strategy didn't work for those drivers, as track position proved more beneficial that fresh rubber. Points leader Brad Keselowski and Kevin Harvick ran fourth and fifth, respectively, on old tires. Keselowski extended his margin in the standings to 277 points over second-place Edwards, who finished 11th Saturday.

But the day belonged to Earnhardt.

"It's emotional," he said. "I'm proud of myself. I'm proud to have done what I did with this group."

Childress, who won six Sprint Cup championships as Dale Earnhardt Sr.'s car owner, told Earnhardt Jr. his father would have been proud.

"He just said that daddy would have been happy, real happy," Earnhardt said. "And who would know better than him?"

Photo Credit: John Harrelson/ Getty Images for NASCAR

A changing attitude with Dale Earnhardt Jr?

Photo Credit: Jason Smith/Getty Images for NASCAR


Having finished a dismal 25th place in the 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup, the series' most popular driver Dale Earnhardt Jr maintained a tone of optimism. Despite being at his worst, the driver of the #88 Chevrolet has shown exceptional class in dealing with everything from engine problems, driving severely-damaged stock cars or adjusting to team personnel changes. With 2010 working as a clean slate, it remained to be seen if Dale Earnhardt Jr's positiveness would be rewarded. Having been used to happy-go-lucky Dale Earnhardt Jr, the driver got out of his #88 Chevrolet sounding like a different competitor. Appearing to be more personality traits in common with Kyle Busch after a bad race, the 2004 Daytona 500 winning driver clearly conveyed frustration and disgust taking second best in the first race of the year.

With 6 wins on restrictor plate race tracks Daytona International Speedway and Talladega Superspeedway in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Earnhardt Jr is favoured more in the four total races run at those ovals over almost any other venue. As hoped for by JR Nation, the green and white #88 AMP Chevy put on a magnificent show on the final green-white-checkered period of the 2010 Daytona 500. Exhibiting a marvelous piece of restrictor plate racing, Earnhardt Jr methodically worked his way from an obscure 10th place to have a chance to win the Daytona 500 coming up just one position short. As Jamie McMurray and his newly-acquainted with #1 Chevrolet crew celebrated an emotional triumph at Daytona, the second place interview happened to catch the attention of some NASCAR fans watching the broadcast on Fox.

While paying congratulations to McMurray and the victorious #1 crew (A team which was founded by the senior Dale Earnhardt 12 years ago), Earnhardt Jr also gave credit to Hendrick Motorsport's engine department. However, the driver left without giving credit for himself. Typically Dale Earnhardt Jr is a modest driver but some NASCAR fans felt the post-race comments were unprofessional during the spontaneity of the Fox interview unwilling to gracefully accept the 2nd place run.

Anyone who is a careful observer of professional sports knows that athletes stride to be at the highest plateaus. Speaking like a true racer playing to win, the fans composing Jr Nation are certain to give their driver a well-earned applause for the #88 Hendrick Motorsport driver. Appreciating the optimism that the 2010 Sprint Cup season can bring, Earnhardt Jr's fanbase have eagerly awaited the renaissance of their favourite sportsman. It is also the good nature of fans to elevate their athlete's confidence. The post race TV interview might have sat badly with some JR Nation fans since the only thing worse than seeing a good man be torn down is a man who will tear themselves apart.

Besides the Fox post-race chat, Dale Earnhardt Jr convened for a separate NASCAR interview. In that interview performed in great detail with Daytona 500 winner Jamie McMurray and 3rd place Greg Biffle, Earnhardt was much more in character commenting on the event. "I had a hell of a time tonight" Dale Earnhardt Jr happily chirped as he described the final laps of the 2010 Daytona 500 as a "blur". Following the frustrated admissions late in the television broadcast, the NASCAR post-race interview provided a more sportsmanlike reflection from Earnhardt Jr. "I feel good about the finish. It's just frustrating coming that close. Hell, I don't have anything to be -- you know, when you're running 22nd, you're mad because you just want to get a top 10. When you get a top 10, you're pissed off because you can't get in the top five. Then when you're running second it gets you mad because you didn't get a win. That's how racecar drivers are, I hope."

However, as this more intense attitude emerges from Dale Earnhardt Jr, the naysayers of the third-generation stock car driver's career have above all questioned Earnhardt Jr's hunger to win. Clearly, Dale Earnhardt Jr is starving in 2010!

Dale Earnhardt Wins 2009 Chex Most Popular Driver Award

Photo Credit: Sam Greenwood/Getty Images for NASCAR


Through the 2009 tour, 3 of the 4 Hendrick Motorsport drivers have enjoyed the fruits of a fortunate NASCAR Sprint Cup season. Jeff Gordon winning in Texas, Mark Martin regaining his mojo with 5 Cup series victories, and finally Jimmie Johnson taking top honours for the 4th year in a row in the Chase for the Sprint Cup. With those three drive placing their Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolets in the top three Sprint Cup points positions in the final seasons, the team's #88 car driven by Dale Earnhardt Jr enjoyed little success through the 36 race schedule. Plagued by plain bad circumstances and an noisy chorus of critics through much of this season, the son of NASCAR's Man in Black has largely been the black sheep of Hendrick Motorsports.

While his struggles were all to present on the track, the fans of JR Nation were always behind their respected driver. During NASCAR Sprint Cup Champions Week in Las Vegas, the legion of Dale Earnhardt Jr supporters demonstrated their vote of confidence.

Proclaimed the winner at the NMPA (National Motorsport Press Association) luncheon on Thursday December 3rd, Earnhardt received the most votes in a year-round ballot polling the fans of NASCAR. The 2009 Chex Most Popular Driver Award honours represented a true test of Dale Earnhardt Jr fans with actually two votes required to seal the #88 driver's victory. With the first vote occurring between February 10 to September 13, the top 10 drivers from that vote transferred on to a new ballot which ran until the late November. In the end, Jr Nation has rallied around the 3rd generation stock driver in both votes allowing Earnhardt to top Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart, Kasey Kahne, and Matt Kenseth for 2009 Nascar's Most Popular Driver.

His the 7th time in a row taking the Chex Most Popular Driver accolade, Dale Earnhardt Jr 2009 Award places him 4th all-time for total awards behind Bobby Allison with 8, Richard Petty holding 9, and fan favourite Bill Elliott who won 16 times.

To the Defense of Dale Earnhardt Jr

Photo Credit: Todd Warshaw/Getty Images for NASCAR


While I'm a fan of almost every driver on the NASCAR Sprint Cup series, I've always had a particular fondness of Dale Earnhardt Jr. As you can expect, the 2009 and even the late 2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup series has been quite trying as the #88 has been locked out of victory lane. Everything from tire problems, mechanical issues, and late-race accidents have erased any progress made by the #88 AMP/National Guard Chevrolet Impala team. Not helping the painful sight has been the ongoing coverage of Dale Earnhardt Jr's dismal race happenings.

Not requiring embellishment, Earnhardt Jr's problems were spotlighted heavily by the media outlets around NASCAR. Effectively leading the initiative to remove Tony Eury Jr long before Hendrick Motorsports made the move after the May Richmond race, the #88 Chevy's new crew chief Lance McGrew (a formidable Hendrick wrenchman) was unable to reverse the team's fortunes.

After the crew chief change, remarks had been leveled against Earnhardt himself insinuating he's 'past his prime' after winning 18 Sprint Cup series races. NASCAR.com's Duane Cross has even made an irrelevant career comparison to actress Lindsay Lohan when he wrote his column titled "Junior's struggles mount as life now imitates art". Personally, I fail to make the connection of a NASCAR driver's drought to a troubled female celebrity. A multitude of racing greats endured winless season recently including Jeff Gordon and even Mark Martin (two drivers enjoying Chase contention for 2009). With their struggles weren't nearly as well documented by the NASCAR press, Dale Earnhardt Jr's massive fanbase has certainly provided a newsworthy topic for moving pens (or tapping keyboards). Of course, it is so easy to blame the media and I guess it makes me self-hating in that regard to levy much criticism against the better established auto racing resources.

Television also appears to be against Dale Earnhardt Jr as broadcasts seem to go far to rub a little more salt in the wounds of a driver hurting from a hard 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup season. In today's (October 25th) running of the Martinsville Speedway Tums Fast Relief 500, ABC commentator Dale Jarrett sounded certain that Earnhardt contributed to Kasey Kahne's spin. On the replay of the incident, the #88 Chevrolet was more than five car lengths ahead of the red #9 Dodge when it veered loose on turn two. In their respect, sugar-coated praise for Earnhardt Jr and the #88 team should not be served to their Martinsville effort either. Three right front tire failures is an inexcusable mistake which is definitely a team problem.


Even with the down year for the #88 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, the driver enjoys the continuing admiration of an extensive fan group called JR Nation spending more money on merchandise than any other fan group. However, with other drivers on the circuit, many NASCAR fans will freely argue why a Sprint Cup driver who has only won a single points-paying Cup race in three seasons should be kept in a prestigious operation like Hendrick Motorsports. Anti-Earnhardt fans poke at his inclusion on the circuit being a result of his family name. In honesty, Dale Earnhardt Jr can should on his own merits. Two-time NASCAR Busch (Nationwide) Series champion, 2004 Daytona 500 winner, and six-straight most popular driver awards are not just statistics but proof.

As one of the fans, please allow me to state JR Nation need not be reminded of the struggles. Rather, it would be worth reassuring why their choice driver will eventually rise from this situation hungrier and more focused to justify this admiration. We need Dale Earnhardt Jr back at the front in the most crucial part of the NASCAR Sprint Cup events.