NASCAR held a rare group meeting between drivers, owners and series officials on Tuesday, all hoping to come up with ideas to improve the Sprint Cup series as television ratings fall, attendance drops and complaints about the racecar persist.
On the same day that meeting was being held at the NASCAR Research and Development facility in Concord, N.C., racecar owner Rick Hendrick was acknowledging publicly that changes are being considered on Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s No. 88 team. Seems NASCAR’s woes are happening at the same time that Earnhardt, the sport’s most popular driver, is struggling through perhaps the worst stretch of his career.
Interesting coincidence.
Of course, Earnhardt Jr. isn’t responsible for an economic recession that has forced some fans to cut back on attending races. But could his lack of success since NASCAR mandated the transition to the Car of Tomorrow beginning in 2007 play a part in a ratings drop? As noted race promoter and Texas Motor Speedway president Eddie Gossage told The New York Times last year, “Nobody sells more tickets and nobody drives television ratings more than Dale Earnhardt Jr. And as a sport, we need him to do well. If he's doing well, it's the Tiger Woods effect.
“If he's in contention going into the final round, look at the Sunday T.V. ratings and that golf tournament is up, up, up. So if Junior's doing good, that's going to have a positive effect on the gate and a positive effect on the television ratings. Very important.’’
Gossage said that before the start of the 2008 season, after Earnhardt had left his father’s race team, Dale Earnhardt Inc., to sign with powerful Hendrick Motorsports. Hopes were high that Earnhardt would once again be at the front of the field contending for victories again.
That hasn’t happened. Earnhardt posted one victory in 2008 and made the 12-car field for the playoff Chase. But he faded in the 10-race playoff and finished 12th in the standings. He is winless this season, 19th in the points race and 203 back of 12th place through 12 races. That includes a 40th-place finish in the Coca-Cola 600 Monday at Lowe’s Motor Speedway.
In the wake of that performance, Hendrick declined to give crew chief Tony Eury Jr., Earnhardt’s cousin, a vote of confidence.
“Could it change?’’ Hendrick told reporters. “We’re talking about things. We’re meeting. We’re going to make decisions as the days go by. But we haven’t made any decision as of right now.’’
Hendrick apparently didn’t rule out a switch as early as this week, when the series shifts to Dover.
In the meantime, Hendrick praised NASCAR for putting together the meeting. Among the topics of discussion: Finding ways to improve the racecar and competition on the track. Maybe if they all put their heads together, they can find a way to make Dale Earnhardt Jr. competitive again, too.
Who knows, it may do wonders for the sport.
Comments
Yet another stupid article about "JR.", how dumb. Seems when every writer in the country can't think of anything else they write about JR.!
Why not an article about how smart Theresa was in not turning over the reins of DEI to the sulky, moody, non-performer called, yep! JR.!
Now hers was one great move because she knows just how "dedicated" JR. is to racing!
NOT!
JR. is a second rate driver, taking top 5 equipment to 40th place finishes, yep, job well done JR.!
How about relating
NA$CRAP and the media have only themselves to blame for years of force feeding a OVER-HYPED, OVER-RATED average at best JR. on the public. JR. simply is being EXPOSED as a driver who CAN NOT live up to the continued HYPE. And will continue to do so in the years ahead. He peaked 5 years ago, so GET A CLUE and write about it, or else TRY writing a interesting on another subject!
JR this JR this am sick of it .second rate driver. he is not nascar!
teresa should have turned over the reigns to him...look at what she did to the company - EGR???
I for one and sick of hearing that NASCAR'S ratings are down because Junior isn't winning. NOT!!! I am sick of him being crammed down our throats week after week. Face it, he's just an average driver with little or no motivation to be any better than that.
The people writing comments to this story have to be the dumbest bunch of morons two monkeys ever produced, I would bet you a dollar to a donut that not one of these idiots even watch a Nascar race, get a life you damm morons!
You clowns are funny, if the situation was different, you would be whining that Nascar is giving Jr "the good stuff" so he can win.
LOL keep babbling, your fun to read.
Junior's slump certainly doesn't help ratings, but NASCAR has scores of structural problems that transcend the 88's recent futility and the national economic downturn.
Here's a few of the problems (and solutions):
1. The fans cannot identify with the cars anymore
Solution: return to production-based race cars and engines; dump the "common template" COT.
2. The fans cannot identify with the superteams
Solution: return to production-based race cars and dump the "common templat
i would rather hear about Jr. the punk kyle busch..Screw all you Jr.bashers..
LOVE LOVE LOVE your articles!! I totally agree with the writer of this column. Ive said the same thing to my husband. Jr. is the most popular driver-hes in a slump and so is NASCAR. I beleive Dale Jr. is a great driver going through a rough patch this year. Like other less popular drivers have gone through. Jr. is always under the microscope. I dont know how he stands the pressure he is under.He just wants to race.Hopefully he will get back to normal soon.
hahahahaha JR IS A NO DRIVING FOOL
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