For Dale Jr, Caution Is Wise, But Optimism Is Due

What a difference a year can make in the life of a NASCAR driver. Owner's can change, a driver can go from a life threatening, clotting and chest pain issue to 200 mph, and a driver wondering if he'll ever be competitive again can quickly become relevant and posting solid finishes.

For Dale Earnhardt Jr., you could say what a difference an offseason can make. After being a large part of the wholesale, off season changes, it seems as though Junior's whole world has changed. He spends much more time with his new crew and crew chief, Steve Letarte, communicates more effectively on the radio, and is quickly returning to his hard-charging form from several years ago.

Many around the 88 crew, driver and crew chief included, are quick to say that much work is left to do and that there will be some growing pains while the two learn each other's style and preferences. Often, new driver/crew chief pairings take a few months of competition to iron out personalities, preferences, and everything else.

Although Earnhardt and Letarte are no different than most new pairings, looking from the outside in, one might think that a large part of Earnhardt's troubles has been due to a fog of inconsistency and a lack of direction. Now that Earnhardt Jr. has had a taste of stability with Letarte, it seems as though his head is clearing and along with it, his outlook for the 2011 season.

Yes, yes, I know he is not in the near championship form he was in during the 2004 season, nor is it likely that he will soon rip of a string of wins. However, he is consistently feeling like he can compete for top fives and wins late in the race. Last year, the attitude he let off late in most races was "how many more laps..."

After four races this year, Dale Earnhardt Jr. is 9th in points, and has 2 top tens and an average finish of 13th. At this point last year, he had 1 top five/top ten, and an average finish of 16th. His only competitive run thus far in 2010 was at Daytona, a plate track, on which he thrives. So far in 2011, he has been competitive on a plate track, a flat track, a short track, and a downforce track. Thus the optimism.

One area the Earnhardt/Letarte crew needs to catch up to where the 88 competed in 2010 is that of qualifying. Through four races in 2010, the 88 had an averate starting position of 8.5, compared to an average starting spot of 33rd in 2011 (with actual starting spot from Daytona factored in).

Once the 88 crew can begin qualifying more strongly, giving themselves a better foundation on which to build for the weekend, they will begin challenging for top fives and wins. If they can continue the improved communication and Junior can continue to believe in both his crew and himself, they will soon begin challenging for wins on a weekly basis again. Optimism...with a splash of caution.


To read more by Joseph Davis, visit The Spotter Stand and follow him on Twitter @the_Bumpdrafter

Posted in: Dale Earnhardt Jr,Nascar,Nascar Blog,nascar news,Sprint Cup,steve letarte