11:01 PM
JD
After finishing a season inside the top 10 in points for the first time at Hendrick Motorsports, and the first time since 2006, Dale Earnhardt Jr. could be poised for a much more relaxed start to the Sprint Cup season. He did not win in 2011, nor did he blow any doors off, but he did finish better more consistently than he has in a while, and his cohesion with crew chief Steve Letarte seems to be getting stronger going into the off-season.
It has been quite a while since Earnhardt Jr. entered a season without a ton of questions surrounding him or his team. Since he joined Hendrick Motorsports in 2008, he has entered Daytona either with a new crew chief, a new team, or lingering issues from the previous season. In his last 3 season openers while at DEI, Junior either had a new crew chief or a looming showdown with his stepmother over his contract to look forward to.
The last year Dale Jr. flew down to Daytona with a clear mind and a relaxed right foot was 2004. He had crew chief, and uncle, Tony Eury Sr. and had little question about his ability to win. In that season he went on to win 6 times and contended for the championship until late in the Chase.
No. Calm down. I am not saying Earnhardt Jr. will win 6 races in 2012, but I do think he will win one or two. If Letarte spends as much time reviewing notes and preparing setups as I think he will in the off-season, the 88 team could be in for a definite improvement on 2011.
The question for Junior, as it has been in most of his seasons, comes in the summer races. Earnhardt seems to always get bogged down from Sonoma to Richmond. In the past that has led to missing the Chase or entering the Chase with absolutely no momentum whatsoever. If the 88 team is going to be in a position to contend in the Chase, they must enter the Chase with a head full of steam.
A definite stepping stone for “team Earntarte” going into 2012 is his improvement at tracks like Pocono, Kansas, and Martinsville. At the 6 races at those tracks in 2011 he had an average finish of 6.7. Granted, Earnhardt’s average finish at Martinsville is 13th, but he definitely improved at Kansas and Pocono where his averages are 17.2 and 17.0, respectively.
Steady foot, clear head, budding driver/crew chief combination… How many more weeks??
Posted in: Dale Earnhardt Jr,Dale Jr Crew Chief,Daytona,Hendrick,Nascar,Nascar Blog,nascar news,NASCAR Race Results,Rick Hendrick,steve letarte
2 comments:
If Jr was anymore relaxed, he would be asleep!!! Someone needs to wake him up!!!
As long as Jr is at hendrick he'll stay winless and go nowhere. They havent gave him hardly anything good. The 48 and 24 always gets the attention on rides. He would be better off starting his own cup team. He has the money.
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