To say Dale Earnhardt Jr had a tumultuous week leading up to Sunday’s race at Dover is an understatement.
After a season of poor performances Earnhardt lost crew chief and cousin Tony Eury Jr. as the Hendrick Motorsports organization searches for ways to improve the teams finishes. 
Entering Sunday, Earnhardt had Lance McGrew and Brian Whitesell on top of the pit box.
Early in the race Earnhardt found himself running in the top ten and even briefly in the top five. But bad adjustments on a pit stop, one of the many problems that have haunted the team this season, caused Earnhardt to fade. He finished the day 12th.
“I would like to have run better than 12th,” Earnhardt said. “We had the car really good there for most of the race. We got it a little too loose, then got real tight trying to fix it. Track position was real important and we didn’t have it at the end of the race. We had good communication and we made the car a little better, by lap 200, I was pretty happy and pleased. We need to keep doing that.”
While the finish was better then his last three races (40th and two 27th place runs), the 12th place wasn’t much better then many of the sub par finishes Earnhardt had when Eury Jr. was his crew chief.
Earnhardt will have to hope the team with new leadership will continue to improve on their finishes. If not then perhaps Hendrick Motorsports will start to wonder if a change in team leadership was what was needed to begin with.
Comments
Glad to see you're astute in noting that a 12th place finish isn't much of an improvement over what that team has been doing. In fact, were it not for the "mystery cautions", the 88 would have finished somewhere in the 20's. The first of these race manipulators took them from 22nd to 8th. Each time the 88 started to fade, another would magically appear. Of course, the exciting conclusion to the event was also orchestrated by the famous "debris caution" to bunch up the field. Not once did Fox make any effort to show the debris or question these yellow flags. That's because they have a stake in seeing the races manipulated for the enjoyment of the fan. While I love to see exciting racing, I prefer to have it happen on it's own.
Actually QQQQ88 Fox did show the debris on a few of them. You must not have been paying enough attention. On the caution that helped Jr. get track position it was a blown tire by Andretti that caused that caution and they did show that debris. So I can't say that that was a bogus caution because I saw chunks of Andretti's tire on the track. There was another debris caution where Fox showed the debris too. I have to admit, during the last caution I wasn't paying attention to the race so I don't know if Fox showed it or not. But even if there wasn't any debris, I could understand why NASCAR would throw a caution with all of the tire problems that they had not just yesterday but throughout the entire weekend. It gave them a 35 or so laps run to the finish without having to worry about tire problems which was fine by me. And the fastest car still won the race so the debris cautions didn't keep that from happening.
Ken, I'll have to go back and look again, but I believe they showed Andretti hitting the wall and commenting that it did NOT bring out a caution at that time. If it was for tire debris from that incident, NASCAR waited to throw a caution when it would achieve the desired effect.
Get a life "Q"...Trying to manipulate races for one driver, please!!
Now manipulating the race to add drama, I'm all for it!!
What will all you nay sayers have to say when the team gels? I'll bet you won't say a word.
Larry, what are you gonna say when nothing changes and Jr still runs midpack? It is time to see reality! Jr is nothing more then a mid-level driver. No matter what is done to help him improve, it won't work. He does not have the talent to be anything more then a mid level driver.
People keep calling Jr a mid level driver and he will never be more... He already has in the past. This guy won 6 races in 2004 and finished in the top 5 in points in 2003, 2004 and 2006. Not to mention two dominating Busch championships over the likes of Kenseth and Harvick. He has been to the top before. Hey may never win 7 championships but he certainly has the ability to threaten for wins and championships.
Austex18 doesn't mind manipulating the race for his entertainment. My, what a big "sports" fan you are. And, yes, NASCAR can and does, make calls that favor a specific driver. Here are a few examples of how: 1)The debris cautions already discussed (There is debris on the track during the entire race so NASCAR can throw the yellow anytime it suits their cause and have an argument for doing it). 2) Pit road speeding. You have got to take their word for it every time. Wouldn'T it be nice with all the technology we have today to have real time speeds on pit road posted on a big screen for all to see? 3) Restrictor plate racing. You assume that all the cars have the same size plate? I, my friend do have a life and it's in the real world where things get bent when money is involved.
For Clint, I offer the fact that more than a handful of Junior's 18 wins came at restrictor plate tracks.
Yes Clint, he has won in the past, but he is not consistent at all. He has not won 3-5 races a year, year after year like your top of the line drivers have. Gordon, Stewart, Johnson. They are top of the line drivers. They have won 3-5 races (or more) a year, year after year. Jr has not. Yeah, Gordon had an off year last year, but he has also been driving in Cup for 15+ years. That happens to the best of them. Jr has been driving in Cup for 9 years, yet he has not won a championship. All 3 of the above, had already won a championship before their 9th year. All three won a Championship only 2-3 years after comming into cup. Jr has not. I could keep going on, but I think you get the point. Jr is good, but he is not on the same level as Gordon Stewart or Johnson.
Hey Johanna, what Clint said. And when he gets back to winning form; what if anything will Johanna have to say? You haters kill me, if it wasn't for us residents of "The Nation" what would you have to do? Jr is our driver, we support him, I guess a little to strongly for most folks. I think that is what really bugs the heck out of the non Jr fan. We support our driver NO MATTER WHAT. Now most of you haters spend WAY too much time TRYING to convince us that WE ARE WRONG and misguided and to that end you haters are trying to do the neighborly thing and help us. Thank You, but we like our little (BIGGEST FAN BASE IN ALL OF NASCAR) nation and you are more than welcome to join us, believe me, give in and join us you'll be glad you did. Heres a tip for all you haters, put just 30% of the energy you put into helping Jr's fans see the light(LOL) into supporting the driver of your choice, you may find that it is a lot of fun, a lot more fun than tearing your fellow NASCAR lovers down.
See now Larry, You are the main reason so many people don't like Jr. You attack people for no reason. I did not attack you or your driver. I never said I hated him. I just made statements. And stated FACTS!!! Yet you can't handle that, so the only response you can make to me is to attack. Why? Why respond like a 3 year old having a tantrum instead of like an adult?? Why am I "hater"? Cause I don't think he is perfect, nothing is ever his fault, and everyone should like him? I don't, but that does not make me a hater, I am just not a fan of his. That's all. I am a fan of other drivers. Nothing more. Jr fans wonder why so many people don't like Jr?? YOU are the reason. His fans! Maybe if his rabid little fans could respond to others like mature adults and not like immature children, Jr would get more respect. But I guess that is not possible, sorry to say. Oh and if Jr does do better now, that would be just fine. It would be a good thing. I hope he does.
Johanna RELAX....God. Attacked you ? I don't see that at all, perhaps you read between the lines too much. Oh there's another attack. Sorry, as far as people not liking Jr fans;So? And most Jr fans could care less if they are "liked" or not. Attacked you, I don't see it, perhaps it is you that is more the three year old. Oh and INFO you I'm 50 years past three, been around a long time, been a fan of NASCAR long before you folks could whine about it on the computer. Johanna don't take things so personal, it is only racing you know. You have a wonderful day!!
Johanna, if you look at the progression of comments, Larry commented, then you made a direct comment to Larry telling him it's "time to see reality!" Tell me again who "attacked" who? I think it's funny that people who clearly aren't Jr fans go to stories about Jr and make comments that he sucks and he's no good then act like we're the jerks for calling them out.
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