While fans of the top 12 drivers celebrated the end of NASCAR's regular season and looked ahead to the Chase, things hit rock bottom for Dale Earnhardt Jr. fans.
The sport's most popular driver suffered through what he called "one of my worst performances," finishing five laps down in 34th place and behind even Red Bull's Mattias Ekstrom, who had never run an oval race before.
After the race, he spent nearly 30 minutes inside his No. 88 team transporter talking with crew chief Lance McGrew before emerging to speak with a couple reporters in a near-empty garage.
"I'm just really, really disappointed," Earnhardt Jr. said. "I'm pretty upset, you know? And I think Lance feels the same way. Me and him sat in there and talked for awhile. We're both pretty beat up about how the car performed after what we saw in practice and everything."
Earnhardt Jr. and his Hendrick Motorsports team had tested at the Gresham Motorsports Park short track in preparation for Richmond and felt optimistic they had hit on something positive. When Earnhardt Jr. qualified ninth for Saturday's race, the team's optimism only grew.
And then the race started.
Earnhardt Jr. went backward and backward some more. He said his car was so tight off of Turn 4, "I was just getting killed. The guys were beating the shit out of me."
The team tried to make changes, but Earnhardt Jr. knew it was going to be an impossible battle within the first few laps.
"We did everything we could trying to get the car even mediocre at best, but couldn't do anything with it," he said. "... Even though we were going to try to fix it, I knew the chances of us hitting on anything were real slim to zero."
Overall, Earnhardt Jr. said, "We were trying something new and it just didn't work out."
The team had a new rear spring package and front spindles it had never run before, he said, all in attempt to find something – anything – that would improve the team.
"Running like we've been running all year long ain't good enough, so we figured we'd try to go in a different direction, and it was a bad choice tonight," he said. "We're going testing on Monday (at Homestead), and we'll do as much testing as we can do the rest of the year to figure out what's wrong and to get a package that will work."
In the meantime? Earnhardt Jr. said he didn't know what else to say.
"You've got to go home and figure out how to get over it real quick," he said. "Show up and go to work Monday.
"I'm going to go to the Redskins game (Sunday). Maybe that will cheer me up. If they get their ass kicked, that's not going to be good. Monday will be a bad day."
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Sorry Night At Richmond Marks One Of Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s 'Worst Peformances'
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Comments
I feel bad for Dale, because nothing seems to be working for him. I do think that things will turn around for him. He is a good driver, the team just needs to figure out whats wrong.
by summer_nights87 on Sep 12, 2010 12:02 AM EDT reply actions
I do not know
This whole Dale thing is vexing I mean he either has the worse luck, a crew chief who is more of a behind the scenes engineer that can’t mesh with Dale, or is Dale not able to really communicate the technical details that this car seems to need? I also think HMS is not a good fit for him he does not seem comfortable and really hasn’t since all that stuff went down at DEI. Sure he had a very good 08 season but you have to ask your self does Dale really fit the corporate image of HMS like Jimmie and Jeff Gordon? I do not almost in the same way Jamie Mac never really fit in with RFR or even Smoke with JGR when they moved to Toyota. He is not happy and its not just with the on track stuff in my mind. Then again it could just be Jr nation and everyone else making a big deal out of nothing because he is Dale Jr and comes with being Dale Jr .
by Len_DiJoseph on Sep 12, 2010 12:46 AM EDT reply actions
Get ready for a lot of people to bash Rick Hendrick and Lance McGrew....
…Because we all KNOW that they are purposely not giving quality equipment to Dale, Jr. And they only want the 24 or the 48 to win. And since Dale, Jr. himself said that he might be testing stuff for the 24 and 48 during the chase….oh, my. Watch out!
I don’t believe this, but many Dale, Jr. fans, whom I love dearly, but disagree with vehemently, feel the need to blame SOMEONE so they will make these baseless claims.
Carol Dahlberg
by RVnGrammy on Sep 12, 2010 12:59 AM EDT reply actions
I was actually waiting for this comment
and you proved I was right. It’s obvious in your eyes that Rick and Jeff and HMS can do no wrong.
When it comes down to it, Jr (or Martin for that matter) should not be test cars for Jeff or Jimmie. If either of them cannot win a championship against the other 11 cars in the Chase without teo test cars then they don’t deserve to win it. Jr and Mark should be focusing on Jr and Mark…no one else.
The 88 team tested for three days before this race. What the heck were they doing and who was keeping notes because this car was the worst car I’ve seen Junior attempt to drive in a long time. Communication was next to nothing but then why bother when Lance’s feedback is “I dont know what to tell you Dale”. But then that was better than his response to Jr asking for tires since he was embarrassed. Lances “this has been embarrassing for 300 laps” Great way to motivate your driver Lance.
God help this team because something has to give. This chemistry is more like ammonia and bleach. These next ten races plus 72 more in 2011-2012 are going to put Junior through hell unless someone at HMS realizes these people are human beings not robots.I’d love to see them give Jr’s Richmond car to Jimmie and Chad and let them try to fix it under race conditions. But I know that will never happen.
by Bobbie1231 on Sep 12, 2010 9:16 AM EDT up reply actions
the Lord intervening...? :)
Last week at Atlanta, Nascar tried to keep Jr. on the lead lap, while Rick was trying to bury him in mid-pack. This week Rick established that he runs Nascar. Mark Martin, his garage mate, also ended up 2 laps down. He is also R&Ding. HMS wants JJ to win his 5th championship and HMS is behind other teams, so all resources will be going to making that happen. Even JG went down a lap. Only JJ was up front. Can you imagine Jr. having these problelms if Chad or Addington were his cc…? Not a chance!
Jr. said in an interview on Friday that all resources would go to JJ’s win. This is just the way it is going to be. Contrary to what some folks who call themselves reporter/journalists keep repeating, Jr. is not in a ‘deep emotional abyss’, but handling the reality of the situation he has been trapped in by Rick with a great deal of maturity. He is rationally analyzing where he is & what is reasonable and will be for the next 2 1/3 years, unless the Lord intervenes. Have you ever heard of the 25/88 R&D car running competitively for a championship…? I am praying for the Lord to intervene. If Rick wanted Jr. winning, he would be. I am praying for the Lord to intervene. :)
by 1123marybeth on Sep 12, 2010 9:05 AM EDT reply actions
No Talent
The only fully sponsored team he beat (that didn’t crash) was Kevin Conway. My wife could beat Conway in her Prius.
It’s time to understand that Junior cannot drive the COT.
by Digetydog on Sep 12, 2010 9:22 AM EDT reply actions
COT
Everyone needs to leave these guys alone & let them figure it out. Today’s COT is much different than the original, and more major changes are coming. Dale has never got comfortable with it on a weekly basis no matter who built it or works on it. He isn’t the only one of the “older” drivers who hasn’t adjusted to it, to perform at pre-COT levels. But I admire Dale’s ability to hang in there. I think Pops should bring over the JRM notes from the new NNS COT which Dale can drive just fine, it is very similar to the next Cup incarnation that’s coming.
by DRLDeBoer on Sep 12, 2010 11:35 AM EDT reply actions
Sonoma
What happened to Dale Jr. after his accident at Sonoma in 2005? He has never been the same driver since.
I don't want him to die or get crippled, but I root every race to see the 48 on a wrecker. I have had enough of the damned Stepford Driver.
by WestCoastKenny on Sep 12, 2010 9:31 PM EDT reply actions
jr deal
i think jr needs to partner up with stewart to form “E S N” earnhardt,stewart,newman racing!!! JR. needs to be more independent!!!
by sunvgg on Sep 13, 2010 10:44 AM EDT reply actions
How does Junior have do many defenders and fans?
1. He’s a noted dick. And so was his daddy (great racer… but not the nicest person; while Petty was and is a complete class act, folks who knew Earnhardt say Kyle Busch is Earnhardt 2.0).
2. He hasn’t earned any of his rides. This bugs me a great deal. I know guys who’ve earned their rides, and guys who deserve them and don’t have them, and Earnhardt represents the “rich kids division” of racing at its worst, keeping good drivers out of good rides.
3. He hasn’t won a race in any series in a long time with a series of different teams. His record is worse than Scott Speed, for crying out loud.
Despite this, he remains NASCAR’s biggest draw and revenue generator. Can’t argue with the money, but it really makes you wonder some times.
"Voetbal is pas totaal als je wint"- Coach Adun
"The greatest sin is to spurn the gift"- Coach Alistair
by Londonjoe on Sep 13, 2010 2:49 PM EDT reply actions
London Joe
You sir are a complete idiot. 1. Jr is not a dick, he is the complete opposite of his father, he races clean, respects his elders and does as much for his fans as he can, autographs, etc with a busy schedule. 2. He earned his ride with back to back Bush series championships and is one of the few drivers to win as a rookie in under 10 starts. 3. He won the Nationwide race in Daytona back in July, you must have been too drunk to remember. He has only driven for 2 teams in his entire career DEI and Hendrick/JRM and he doesn’t win often in other “series” because he hardly races in the Nationwide series since going to Cup and has never run in a truck series race !!! Yes he’s not doing so hot in Cup but he’s got a loser for a crew chief and a owner who only cares about the $$ he brings in not to mention he’s not a young gun anymore…
by Jr_Fan on Sep 13, 2010 9:21 PM EDT reply actions
Jr and the COT
People forget that up until Aug. of 2008, Jr was in the top 5 in points with a win and several top 5/10 finishes and 600+ laps led in the COT. So there goes the argument that “he can’t drive the COT”….It’s pretty obvious to me at least that someone over at HMS was building good cars for him up until that point. I’ve heard rumors that it was Darien Grubb. Of course we all know him as being Stewart’s CC today on the HMS satellite team. Get Jr a quality setup engineer building him cars again and I’m sure you’ll see him return to pre August 2008 status again.
by N.C.Falconfan on Sep 14, 2010 8:46 AM EDT reply actions
I was there to watch the race in person. I had to fight enternally with myself from getting up and leaving at numerous points in the race. I stuck it out, but once the checkered flag flew, I jumped up and left not even bothering to stick around for the chase celebration.
Reading some of the comments posted on here make me even want to post any of my thoughts. It’s kind of ’what’s the point?’ Non Jr fans will just bash you because heaven forbid Jr have any fans and followers.
I stand behind Jr and will stand behind Jr. I do not stand behind Lance McGrew. And even when Jr announced he was going to HMS in 2008, I was never a Hendrick fan. I was solely there to cheer on Jr, nothing else in that organization.
And in two years when Kasey comes over, I will just stand back and watch (and listen) as the Kahne fans come to realize that HMS really isn’t the place to be.
by jr88freak on Sep 14, 2010 11:14 AM EDT reply actions
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