Earnhardt's new crew chief ready to spark season
May 29, 2009
DOVER, Del. (AP) -Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s new crew chief said Friday that making the Chase for the championship is still the goal for this season.
Team manager Brian Whitesell will be Earnhardt's crew chief this weekend at Dover. Lance McGrew will take over next week at Pocono Raceway on an interim basis.
Ultimately when you're presented an opportunity like this, you dive in and go,'' McGrew said Friday at Dover International Speedway. ``That would be the goal, to make the Chase and make a run for the championship. It would be landmark for that to happen.''
NASCAR's most popular driver, Earnhardt is 19th in points and coming off a season-worst 40th-place finish at Lowe's Motor Speedway. That finish prompted team owner Rick Hendrick to remove Tony Eury Jr. from his position as Earnhardt's crew chief to try and salvage this season.
Earnhardt and Eury spent Tuesday and Wednesday testing on the road course at Virginia International Raceway. Hendrick told them he was splitting them up when they returned Wednesday evening.
Kyle Busch, who was replaced by Earnhardt at Hendrick Motorsports, said the Eury-Earnhardt combination hasn't been clicking since last summer.
Busch's career has skyrocketed since he went to Joe Gibbs Racing, and he didn't seem to have much empathy for Earnhardt's struggles. Busch said it's time for Earnhardt to produce and no excuses are left if he keeps struggling.
If Junior doesn't run well, he's going to be the problem,'' he said. ``It's never Junior. It's always the crew chief.''
Eury Jr. and Earnhardt left Dale Earnhardt Inc. last season to drive for Hendrick Motorsports. Despite driving for NASCAR's top team, they had just one win in 48 races with Hendrick.
Earnhardt and Whitesell will get their first crack at working together on the No. 88 during qualifying Friday.
As far as him getting better, I feel his talent is exactly where he needs to be,'' Whitesell said