Cricket and debbieJo I am glad to see that you girls are still supportive of Jr.He is taking a gamble but he will be much happier. I truly think that he looks to Rick Hendrick as a father figure which he will value greatly since he lost his own. The ties to Rick thru both Sr. and his grandfather will give him a feeling of coming home instead of leaving. Rick expressed during the interview that he has known Jr. since he was a pup. He is good friends with the other drivers on the team and a lot of the pit crews also. He will meld with them all and git er done!!!

I kinda doubt a newborn baby was given a name because he showed racing spirit!

If I was to choose anyone I would want it to be with DEI, that's where I look at spending my future," said Jeffrey Earnhardt last week at New Hampshire International Speedway. "It's a great group of guys. Everyone works real good together and no one butts heads, and I mean they shouldn't at the race tracks. Everybody gets along and we perform good. I think it's real good to be working with all those guys. We're going to have a good season."


In defence of Teresa

Earnhardt's widow has been vilified
By DEAN McNULTY -- Sun Media



The vilification of Teresa Earnhardt is now approaching epic proportions in the wake of Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s decision to leave the family firm after failing to get a 51% stake in Dale Earnhardt Inc.

But the fairness of the attacks on Teresa deserved to be questioned. It seems that some utterly ridiculous claims against the widow of Dale Earnhardt are being thrown out by otherwise rational NASCAR observers without the benefit of facts to back them up.

Right out front there has been the assertion from the moment Dale Earnhardt Sr. was killed in 2001 at Daytona International Speedway that he wanted DEI to go to his children.

PROVE IT

If that were true, and we are constantly being told it is, then to whom did he say this?

According to court records in Mooresville, N.C., Earnhardt's will was clear that in the event of his death, DEI would continue to be run and owned by Teresa -- his wife and business partner of 19 years.

For the sake of argument, let's assume that somewhere, some time Earnhardt did in fact bequeath the company to his children.

Would that be to all of his children? Or did he mean that only Dale Jr. and Kelley Earnhardt Elledge would get the company, leaving Kerry Earnhardt and Taylor Earnhardt on the outside looking in?

Let's not forget, too, that while Dale Sr. was busy winning championships at Richard Childress Racing, Teresa was busy building DEI into a formidable business enterprise. Is she now expected just to give that up without a scrap?

Another charge being levelled at Teresa is that she doesn't have a racing pedigree.

All of those who claim that to be true must gloss over the fact that Earnhardt met his future wife at the race track, where she spent just about every weekend of her formative years with her short-track legend dad, Hal Houston, and her uncle Tommy Houston, who was one of the first stars of the NASCAR Busch Series.

Teresa may lack a background in some areas, but stock car racing isn't one of them.

Finally, critics point to the fact that she fired Ty Norris --the former tobacco executive hired by her late husband to run the racing side of DEI -- as proof that she is lacks managerial skills.

That would be the same Ty Norris who is now running Michael Waltrip racing. How is that working out?

No one is arguing that Teresa Earnhardt is Mother Teresa, but neither is she the Mommy Dearest most think she is.

Dale Jr. is a skilled race car driver who in the past couple of years with the help of his sister Kelley has also become a very skilled media manipulator. In the end he will walk into a deal that will test both those skills, because he won't have Teresa or DEI to blame if he fails to get the championship he so cherishes.

You need to go to work for DEI. They have lots of openings and more to come. They could use some thumbs to plug the holes in the hull of the sinking ship! Same old story . I have seen nothing new from you in ages. Go hold Jeffery's bottle for him cause he is so wet behind the ears a Petty could beat him.I am glad to see that you are reinforcing my point.No room to advance ...so he left! PERIOD. He wants his own deal not the witches.

Gordon sucks, Dale Jr rocks. So he goes to Hendricks. The fans go to Hendricks as well. Dale will finally get to show off the skill of a driver he is because he will be out from under Tereasa's thumb.

Great to see another Jr. fan on here Yelm. I just can't wait till next year. The pieces are all falling in place for him and I feel that he will have a great time and win some races.

DEI looking strong!
Two cars starting in the top 10 at a flat track!
Thats pretty good with crappy equipment!

Yep..Gordon and Johnnson are right there with them so it will be a good race. I have already said about the witch opening her purse strings but too late to keep Jr. The plans to leave were drawn up a long time before he did it when the engines were tired and blowing up left and right earlier in the year. I have been the one touting the new engine program. I just think that DEI is in for some hard times if they don't keep the rest of their key people. Qualifying does not usually mean that much on the circle tracks. You can move from back to front pretty fast! Look at Newman....Hell of a qualifier but always in the back in the end!

Early prediction=Truex to win!!!
And that will be three!!!!

I totally agree with you yelm! I must admit, I wasn't too fond of the idea of Jr going to Hendricks..because of the fact that he'd be teammates with Gordon and Johnson..but then I quickly dismissed that thought...because I know Hendricks is the top team in Nascar..and the simple fact that I don't have to root for them...just cuz they'll be Jr's teammates!!

Jr was asked the question..at qualifications yesterday..if he thinks alot about the points, and he replied no...in such a calm manner..and that he wouldn't until later. I understand that, to a point, but being 12th in the point standings, and #19 of 38 races almost completed, doesn't leave a whole lot of time to play catch-up..and be a true contender for the chase..if he doesn't start winning some races! He's come a long way this year...opposed to last...placing top 5's and 10's...but hey...what's he gotta do to start winning some races?? I think he's just happy to be where he is..given the struggle they had with the COT...he's come a long ways baby! but you ain't seen nothin yet...wait til next year!

Jr. says that he isn't thinking about the points much but you know it's in the back of his mind. He is just racing as hard as he can and advancing the best that he can. If he can just get into the Chase he will then think more seriously about the points. He has definitely come a long way. He said in an interview that he can concentrate a lot better on racing now that he knows where he will be next year.

I agree that the points have to be in the back of his mind...and I do believe he's giving it his all this year, even though it's his last year with DEI...he's racing hard...and not giving up!...and I'm sure his mind's more at ease now..knowing where he's gonna be next year! Hey Lakeman...it's RACE DAY...let's go racing!!!...BOOGITY...BOOGITY!! Go Jr!

WoooHoooo....Jr placed 4th!!

1 Denny Hamlin 11 Chevrolet
2 Jeff Gordon 24 Chevrolet
3 Martin Truex Jr. 1 Chevrolet
4 Dale Earnhardt Jr. 8 Chevrolet
5 Jimmie Johnson 48 Chevrolet
6 Jeff Green 66 Chevrolet
7 Jeff Burton 31 Chevrolet
8 Kevin Harvick 29 Chevrolet
9 Matt Kenseth 17 Ford
10 Ryan Newman 12 Dodge

Good thing DEI has crappy equipment!
Otherwise They might have finished 1-2!!!

they're happy with where they placed...all that matters!!!...

Yep, me too!!!

Congrats Denny..........

Denny Hamlin!!!

Great Race!! Way to go Hamlin!!! He was due to win one. That's the way we like to see a good race! 20 lead changes during this race! Edwards' pit crew messed him up or he could have been in there also! The 2 tire strategy paid off for the Hamlin crew. Sometimes a little gamble pays off!

Quotes from NASCAR.com
Sources confirmed that Letarte, Knaus and Eury Jr. were all at the track. Spokesman Ramsey Poston said the suspensions imposed on the crew chiefs prohibits them from being in the garage area at tracks and from being involved in radio communications with their teams during a race, but that NASCAR cannot police Internet or cell-phone communications, should a suspended chief attempt to use those means to interact with his team.

Earnhardt said that he wasn't surprised the Hendrick cars ran so well despite this being the first week with the interim crew chiefs in place.

"Those guys are setting those cars up at the race shop, and they come to the racetrack in the ballpark. There aren't a lot of adjustments that are needed to improve the car from there, if they're as good as they are," Earnhardt said.

"I've run pretty good with Tony Gibson. I don't think it slowed our team down a bit, to be honest with you. Not even a tiny bit. It didn't really slow our team down at all."
Jr. made the statement that Tony Eury Jr. will have to really step it up to beat out Tony Gibson for that position!
This is where Hendricks is ahead of the curve. Some tracks are more difficult to get the setup right than others. This track was easier than most because it was a flat track. Most of the teams got pretty good setups which kept them all competitive.
Hendricks has the 7 post shaker and a boat load of other equipment that can really make the drivers job a lot easier.

Macmurray made a nice win last week and we hope to see another great race today!! Jr. will be better I am sure if he has the luck of not getting caught up in someon elses mistakes!!!

They are racing right now about 3 miles north of me in Joliet..I stepped out of work to come home, and saw a blimp in the sky, and it took me a minute to realize that the race was today.. duh