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Quote of the Year
"To be a real, true NASCAR driver, you have to know where the sport came from and you have to respect that history and tradition. The guys that don't respect that history and tradition, I don't think they're going to be around all that long. And those guys who don't know the history and tradition, I think it's upon them to learn about it pretty quick if they want to be a success."
– Richard Petty
Quote of the Day
"When you got something good, I guess you should leave it alone."
—DEI Director of Motorsports Tony Eury Sr.
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Comments from the Peanut Gallery
from Bob S
Why isn't NASCAR Nation on MTV or VH!?
Obviously someone is trying to broaden the fan base to younger folks.
Why not go where those kids are . . . as it is they are just ticking off the existing fans.
from Shareen
Momma,
It made me smile to know that Ricky Hendrick left a little "Ricki" on this earth. Sometimes something good comes from tragedy. I hope the baby brings joy to Rick and his family. Shareen in California.
from NascarDucky8
TIDE GIVES ME THE HIVES ANYWAY!!!
from Pops
Momma
Along with the Tide, stop using the Brawny paper towels too!! LOL But on the other hand if you think about it neither Tide nor Georgia Pacific have ever picked a Cup winner to sponsor so what the hell let Ford have 'em!!
And for my two cents on NASCARs drug testing, it sucks! Big name companies such as UPS, Volvo and hundreds of others have their own tests and even tiny Sheriffs Depts require deputies involved in minor fender benders to go be drug tested.. Personally I think NASCAR should start by sending the top 20 in Points in for mandatory tests before the Daytona race..and the next 15 before the next race etc until all 50 potential drivers are tested. Like a $27 test is going to hurt their bankroll, in fact it might if one
of their stars happened to flunk the test.. I can see Jr staying up all nite studying for his now!!
Pops
from RD
I have to agree with Al, I didn't like the old format of NN either, but it was way better then this Entertainment Tonight wanna be. Incidentally, I don't like ET either.
rd
from Bob S
Why isn't NASCAR Nation on MTV or VH!?
Obviously someone is trying to broaden the fan base to younger folks.
Why not go where those kids are . . . as it is they are just ticking off the existing fans.
from Shareen
Momma,
It made me smile to know that Ricky Hendrick left a little "Ricki" on this earth. Sometimes something good comes from tragedy. I hope the baby brings joy to Rick and his family. Shareen in California.
from NascarDucky8
TIDE GIVES ME THE HIVES ANYWAY!!!
from Pops
Momma
Along with the Tide, stop using the Brawny paper towels too!! LOL But on the other hand if you think about it neither Tide nor Georgia Pacific have ever picked a Cup winner to sponsor so what the hell let Ford have 'em!!
And for my two cents on NASCARs drug testing, it sucks! Big name companies such as UPS, Volvo and hundreds of others have their own tests and even tiny Sheriffs Depts require deputies involved in minor fender benders to go be drug tested.. Personally I think NASCAR should start by sending the top 20 in Points in for mandatory tests before the Daytona race..and the next 15 before the next race etc until all 50 potential drivers are tested. Like a $27 test is going to hurt their bankroll, in fact it might if one
of their stars happened to flunk the test.. I can see Jr staying up all nite studying for his now!!
Pops
from RD
I have to agree with Al, I didn't like the old format of NN either, but it was way better then this Entertainment Tonight wanna be. Incidentally, I don't like ET either.
rd
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Bits and Pieces
Truex will be in No 1 DEI car in '06
Martin Truex Jr. will be in a DEI Cup car next year DEI Director Tony Eury Sr. confirmed yesterday.
Truex Jr, the Defending Busch Series champ also indicated Thursday he wants to remain with Dale Earnhardt Inc.
The current Busch Series points leader said the fact that he hasn't signed a new contract with DEI shouldn't be construed as an indication he's looking to jump ship and head to a rival organization. "We're trying to get [the contract] done," Truex said.
Truex will be in No 1 DEI car in '06
Martin Truex Jr. will be in a DEI Cup car next year DEI Director Tony Eury Sr. confirmed yesterday.
Truex Jr, the Defending Busch Series champ also indicated Thursday he wants to remain with Dale Earnhardt Inc.
The current Busch Series points leader said the fact that he hasn't signed a new contract with DEI shouldn't be construed as an indication he's looking to jump ship and head to a rival organization. "We're trying to get [the contract] done," Truex said.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Foyt tests for Evernham
Indy Racing League regular A.J. Foyt IV, grandson of A.J. Foyt, recently tested an ARCA car for Evernham Motorsports and might be in the team's plans for the future.
"A.J. was very fast in the car, and we were very impressed with him,'' team owner Ray Evernham said. ``He's probably going to run some Busch races for us later this year, and we'll do some further testing.''
The 21-year-old Foyt is in his third IRL season, but hasn't finished higher than ninth.
"The kid's been struggling a little bit in the IRL,'' Evernham said. ``He has a lot of people who believe in him.
"Who knows what's going to happen in the IRL shuffle? But he could be a guy who ends up in my driver-development program.''ue to hash over a number of different possibilities."
Indy Racing League regular A.J. Foyt IV, grandson of A.J. Foyt, recently tested an ARCA car for Evernham Motorsports and might be in the team's plans for the future.
"A.J. was very fast in the car, and we were very impressed with him,'' team owner Ray Evernham said. ``He's probably going to run some Busch races for us later this year, and we'll do some further testing.''
The 21-year-old Foyt is in his third IRL season, but hasn't finished higher than ninth.
"The kid's been struggling a little bit in the IRL,'' Evernham said. ``He has a lot of people who believe in him.
"Who knows what's going to happen in the IRL shuffle? But he could be a guy who ends up in my driver-development program.''ue to hash over a number of different possibilities."
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Stremme to Make Cup Debut at Chicago; United States Navy to Serve as Primary Sponsor: Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates in an alliance with FitzBradshaw Racing announced today that David Stremme will make his NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series debut in the Tropicana 400 at Chicagoland Speedway on July 10th, 2005, with the United States Navy serving as primary sponsor on the No. 39 Dodge Charger. The United States Navy will also serve as the primary sponsor for Stremme in the NEXTEL Cup Series race at Richmond International Raceway on September 10th. This announcement comes on the heels of the announcement that Stremme will compete for the 2006 Rookie of the Year honors in the NEXTEL Cup Series behind the wheel of the No. 40 Coors Light and No. 40 Lone Star Steakhouse & Saloon Dodges.
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HOME123® Corporation And NASCAR Driver Jamie McMurray Team Up To Deliver The Green For A Borrower's Home Loan - Lucky Fan to Have $250,000 of Existing Mortgage Paid Off by NASCAR’s Official Mortgage Provider: New Century Financial Corporation (NYSE: NEW), a real estate investment trust and parent company of one of the nation’s largest non-prime mortgage finance companies, today announced that its retail subsidiary, Home123 Corporation, has launched the “Pay Off Your Mortgage” sweepstakes. With more than 38.6 million homeowners in the U.S., Home123® and NASCAR® driver Jamie McMurray are prepared to drive down one family’s mortgage by $250,000 as part of Home123’s “Pay Off Your Mortgage” sweepstakes, which begins today and runs through September 30, 2005. “I’ve driven for a lot of causes in my lifetime, but never to deliver a family a home,” said McMurray, driver of the No. 42 Home123 Dodge. “The easiest way for fans to enter is online at Home123.com.” McMurray will be on hand to award the winner the grand prize of $250,000, along with two tickets to the final race in the chase for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup. The second and third place winners will receive $5,000 and $2,500, respectively, to be used towards a mortgage payoff. “As a relatively new sponsor of NASCAR, as well as on the No. 42 Home123 Dodge, we wanted to find a way to help those in the NASCAR family. We determined that the best way was to remove one of the biggest expenses a family incurs – their home mortgage,” said Patrick J. Flanagan, chief executive officer of Home123 Corporation. - Edelman Group
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Leitzinger, EFR Capture Brumos Porsche 250; Labonte Brothers Highest Finishing NASCAR Drivers: Three-time Rolex 24 At Daytona champion Butch Leitzinger passed Michael McDowell on Lap 47 of 70 and led the rest of the way en route to a 5.539-second victory over Rolex 24 At Daytona winner Max Angelelli in Thursday's Brumos Porsche 250 at historic Daytona International Speedway. ...The race on the newly repaved infield sports car road course at DIS featured four NASCAR Nextel Cup Series stars. With a 15th-place finish in their No. 44 DAYTONA USA-sponsored Pontiac Doran, NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series champions Bobby and Terry Labonte were the highest-finishing Nextel Cup drivers in the race. After running as high as second at one point in the race, Kyle Petty finished 17th in the No. 7 Pontiac Riley he co-drove with Tony Ave and car owner Brian Tuttle. Tony Stewart, who ran as high as third place, wound up 22nd due to a mechanical problem in the No. 20 Pontiac Crawford he co-drove with sports car star Andy Wallace. - Daytona Int'l Speedway PR
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By the Numbers: Pepsi 400
By Dave Rodman, NASCAR.COM
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Daytona International Speedway was formerly the traditional midpoint of the NASCAR Cup season, though in 2005 Saturday night's Pepsi 400 serves as the 17th of 36 races.
The event provides the flip side to the season-opening Daytona 500, which is held in mid-afternoon, as the Pepsi 400 is held in the evening to avoid the stifling mid-day heat and unavoidable afternoon thunderstorms.
Defending Pepsi 400 winner Jeff Gordon -- who also won the 2005 Daytona 500 -- is also the defending Bud Pole winner and is in the best position to expand the track's statistical legacy.
The following numbers refer to Daytona International Speedway and the Pepsi 400, unless otherwise noted.
By Dave Rodman, NASCAR.COM
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Daytona International Speedway was formerly the traditional midpoint of the NASCAR Cup season, though in 2005 Saturday night's Pepsi 400 serves as the 17th of 36 races.
The event provides the flip side to the season-opening Daytona 500, which is held in mid-afternoon, as the Pepsi 400 is held in the evening to avoid the stifling mid-day heat and unavoidable afternoon thunderstorms.
Defending Pepsi 400 winner Jeff Gordon -- who also won the 2005 Daytona 500 -- is also the defending Bud Pole winner and is in the best position to expand the track's statistical legacy.
The following numbers refer to Daytona International Speedway and the Pepsi 400, unless otherwise noted.
- 1 -- Greg Biffle's number of top-10 finishes in five career starts: His victory in the 2003 Pepsi 400.
- 1 -- The fewest laps led by a race winner, Jimmy Spencer in 1994.
- 1 -- The number of drivers who have won three consecutive races: Cale Yarborough (1967-68).
- 1 -- The number of Pepsi 400s shortened by rain.
- 2 -- Jeff Gordon's consecutive race victories.
- 2 -- Kurt Busch's number of consecutive top-five finishes.
- 3 -- Tony Stewart's number of consecutive top-10 finishes.
- 4 -- Dale Jarrett and Sterling Marlin's leading number of pole positions by active drivers.
- 4 -- The number of times a season sweep has occurred: Fireball Roberts (1962), Cale Yarborough (1968), Lee Roy Yarbrough (1969) and Bobby Allison (1982).
- 5 -- The number of races since Sterling Marlin has led a lap, in the 2002 Pepsi 400.
- 5 -- The number of active drivers who won their last pole: Dale Jarrett (2005), Greg Biffle (2004), Jeff Green (2003), Sterling Marlin (2001) and Kyle Petty (1993).
- 6 -- Jeff Gordon's leading number of victories by an active driver.
- 6 -- The number of active drivers with no Daytona DNFs: Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kurt Busch, Jimmie Johnson, Casey Mears, Greg Biffle and Mike Bliss.
- 6 -- The number of different winners in consecutive races, since 1998: Dale Jarrett, Jeff Burton, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Michael Waltrip, Greg Biffle and Jeff Gordon.
- 7 -- Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s worst finish in his last four starts.
- 8 -- Jimmie Johnson's average finishing position, best among all drivers with more than one start.
- 8.363 -- Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s average starting position, best among all active drivers.
- 9 -- The number of consecutive races in which there's been a different pole winner, since Dale Jarrett swept both poles in 2000.
- 11 -- Rusty Wallace's worst finish in his last five races.
- 12 -- The most caution periods, in 1989.
- 12 -- Wood Brothers Racing's leading number of victories by a car owner, excluding two qualifying race wins.
- 12 -- Sterling Marlin's leading number of top-five finishes by an active driver entered in the Pepsi 400.
- 14 -- The number of the 93 races won from the pole position.
- 15 -- Kyle Petty's leading number of DNFs by an active driver, in 47 starts.
- 17.3 -- Mark Martin's average finish in 40 starts, including zero victories.
- 18.4 -- Rusty Wallace's average finish in 44 starts, including zero victories.
- 21 -- Sterling Marlin's leading number of top-10 finishes by an active driver entered in the Pepsi 400.
- 23 -- Jeff Gordon's age when he became the youngest 400-mile winner.
- 23 -- The number of years since Bobby Allison swept both Daytona races, in 1982.
- 38 -- Bill Elliott's starting position for the 1988 Pepsi Firecracker 400, the farthest back a 400-mile race winner has started.
- 40 -- The most cars running at the finish, in 2003.
- 49 -- Bobby Allison's age when he became the oldest 400-mile winner.
- 57 -- Ricky Rudd's leading number of starts by an active driver.
- 71 -- The number of the 93 races won from starting positions inside the top 10.
- 142 -- The most laps led by a 400-mile race winner, by Cale Yarborough in 1968.
- 173.473 -- Bobby Allison's 400-mile race record average speed in miles per hour, set in 1980.
- 188.659 -- Jeff Gordon's Bud Pole Award winning speed, in miles per hour, set in 2004.
- 198.823 -- The restrictor plate Bud Pole Qualifying record lap, in miles per hour, set by Ken Schrader in 1988.
- 599 -- Bill Elliott's laps led.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
DEI Director says off season crew swap was a mistake
By Greg Engle
Cup Scene Daily,June 30
Dale Earnhardt Incorporated Director of Motorsports and Dale Earnhardt Junior’s former crew chief, Tony Eury Senior said that the off-season crew swap might have been a mistake.
Tony Eury Senior, Director of Motorsports at Dale Earnhardt Inc. meets with the media at Daytona this afternoon
And Eury says identifying the root of the problem may be the first step in turning the number 8 team around.
“We got a lot of bad press at the beginning at the first of the year on why (the 8) was running bad. “ Eury told me.
“I guess we made a bad move over the winter and our cars down there in the 8 shop weren’t as good as we thought they were. When you get behind like that, it takes time to catch up. (But) we’re getting him a fleet of cars now and getting them better.
When you got something good, I guess you should leave it alone. You know we won six races with (Earnhardt Junior) last year maybe it should have been left alone.
But that’s past and we got to get him in that Chase now, so everything’s behind us and we’re going forward from here and building (him) good cars and trying to get in that chase.
He’s got a good race team, I guess they we’re just led wrong for a little while and the cars weren’t as good as we thought they were. We thought there was a lot better equipment in that shop than was there.”
He’s just going to have to run good he’s got to go win some races if we’re going to get in it (The Chase).”
But does DEI feel that they’re catching up to the Hendrick motorsports teams when it comes to restrictor plate tracks? Jeff Gordon currently holds the lead at these tracks having won four of the last six outings at both Daytona and Talladega.
“I hope we are, “Eury said, “We worked hard after we left Daytona, and Hendricks got it going on right now. We had it going on for a little while and then they got a little better, we went home and went to work and hopefully we gained on it a little bit.”
Eury admits that he’s a little less than thrilled with the No. 8 car.
“You know we just had a little problem with the 8 last week, and we’ve (been) disappointed over the last couple of weeks because we lost a lot of points on that car.”
Eury seemed to hint that the No. 15 car driven by Michael Waltrip might be the flagship, at least for 2005 when it comes to getting into the 400 point range to qualify for the Chase for the Championship, for DEI.
“Michael’s hanging tough and he had a lot of bad luck at the beginning of the year, (and) we’ve got him close to getting in that 400 point (range), we might need a little help from Jimmie (Johnson) and Greg (Biffle) to get in that 400 range and hopefully we can get him up there.”
During the Coca-Cola 600 a few weeks ago at Lowes Motor Speedway, Dale Earnhardt Junior made a mistake that took both DEI cars out of the race, at the time, Eury Sr. didn’t seem to be too pleased with Dale Junior and let the media know it. Now a few weeks hence his criticism seems to have cooled somewhat and was to quick to point out there was no infighting among the teams after the race.
“We were just disappointed.” Eury said, “Dale Junior took two cars out that we were trying to get in to the Chase.
We had one of them within 310 points and the other one was 350 and his mistake put them over 400.
It wasn’t that we were mad at him for wrecking Michael, we were mad that two cars got (taken) out of the Chase. That was just something that didn’t need to happen.
He apologized for it; guys make mistakes, drivers make mistakes every race. But you know it’s harder when it happens in-house. And as hard we had worked to get them back into that 400-point range and then take ourselves out of it.”
Eury said that the now seem to know what the problem with the 8 team stems from and most importantly, how to correct it.
“We let the crew chiefs build their cars, they’re responsible for them and so when Slugger {Labbe) left in the middle of the year last year it just kind of went downhill from there and (the team) just never recovered from it.” Eury said.
“We put Steve Hmiel in there and he's seen how bad it is and he’s there every day,” Eury pointed out, “He decided that they need new equipment so that’s what they’re doing, working as hard they can to get new cars out there.”
Were last years No. 8 cars so much better that the team swap hurt Junior that much?
“I don’t think that they were that much better, they were just different.” Eury said.
The cars that Michael is driving this year are the ones that Tony Junior and myself built.” He said,” And that was the reason that the drivers got swapped and the cars didn’t because we wanted the cars that the crew chiefs built to stay with the crew chiefs.
It’s their cars, they know them and that’s why we did that. So we just swapped the seats.
They’re the same brand of cars,” Eury said “ We run Ronnie Hopkins cars at our shop and they’re all the same so they really shouldn’t be any different, it’s just the way the guys put the bodies on them. Slugger had his was way of putting bodies on and Tony Junior (did) most of the “aero” that was done on the 8 last year, and he put bodies on them a certain way.
Now this year we’ve changed and they’re even different than last year. Every car we have has had the body cut off of it so you can’t just say, that car ran good there, because everything’s different.”
As for the number 8 team, Tony Eury Senior is quick to point out,
“I think it’s turned around; they’ve got a bunch of new cars that they’re bringing out now, so they should be turned around.”
By Greg Engle
Cup Scene Daily,June 30
Dale Earnhardt Incorporated Director of Motorsports and Dale Earnhardt Junior’s former crew chief, Tony Eury Senior said that the off-season crew swap might have been a mistake.
Tony Eury Senior, Director of Motorsports at Dale Earnhardt Inc. meets with the media at Daytona this afternoon
And Eury says identifying the root of the problem may be the first step in turning the number 8 team around.
“We got a lot of bad press at the beginning at the first of the year on why (the 8) was running bad. “ Eury told me.
“I guess we made a bad move over the winter and our cars down there in the 8 shop weren’t as good as we thought they were. When you get behind like that, it takes time to catch up. (But) we’re getting him a fleet of cars now and getting them better.
When you got something good, I guess you should leave it alone. You know we won six races with (Earnhardt Junior) last year maybe it should have been left alone.
But that’s past and we got to get him in that Chase now, so everything’s behind us and we’re going forward from here and building (him) good cars and trying to get in that chase.
He’s got a good race team, I guess they we’re just led wrong for a little while and the cars weren’t as good as we thought they were. We thought there was a lot better equipment in that shop than was there.”
He’s just going to have to run good he’s got to go win some races if we’re going to get in it (The Chase).”
But does DEI feel that they’re catching up to the Hendrick motorsports teams when it comes to restrictor plate tracks? Jeff Gordon currently holds the lead at these tracks having won four of the last six outings at both Daytona and Talladega.
“I hope we are, “Eury said, “We worked hard after we left Daytona, and Hendricks got it going on right now. We had it going on for a little while and then they got a little better, we went home and went to work and hopefully we gained on it a little bit.”
Eury admits that he’s a little less than thrilled with the No. 8 car.
“You know we just had a little problem with the 8 last week, and we’ve (been) disappointed over the last couple of weeks because we lost a lot of points on that car.”
Eury seemed to hint that the No. 15 car driven by Michael Waltrip might be the flagship, at least for 2005 when it comes to getting into the 400 point range to qualify for the Chase for the Championship, for DEI.
“Michael’s hanging tough and he had a lot of bad luck at the beginning of the year, (and) we’ve got him close to getting in that 400 point (range), we might need a little help from Jimmie (Johnson) and Greg (Biffle) to get in that 400 range and hopefully we can get him up there.”
During the Coca-Cola 600 a few weeks ago at Lowes Motor Speedway, Dale Earnhardt Junior made a mistake that took both DEI cars out of the race, at the time, Eury Sr. didn’t seem to be too pleased with Dale Junior and let the media know it. Now a few weeks hence his criticism seems to have cooled somewhat and was to quick to point out there was no infighting among the teams after the race.
“We were just disappointed.” Eury said, “Dale Junior took two cars out that we were trying to get in to the Chase.
We had one of them within 310 points and the other one was 350 and his mistake put them over 400.
It wasn’t that we were mad at him for wrecking Michael, we were mad that two cars got (taken) out of the Chase. That was just something that didn’t need to happen.
He apologized for it; guys make mistakes, drivers make mistakes every race. But you know it’s harder when it happens in-house. And as hard we had worked to get them back into that 400-point range and then take ourselves out of it.”
Eury said that the now seem to know what the problem with the 8 team stems from and most importantly, how to correct it.
“We let the crew chiefs build their cars, they’re responsible for them and so when Slugger {Labbe) left in the middle of the year last year it just kind of went downhill from there and (the team) just never recovered from it.” Eury said.
“We put Steve Hmiel in there and he's seen how bad it is and he’s there every day,” Eury pointed out, “He decided that they need new equipment so that’s what they’re doing, working as hard they can to get new cars out there.”
Were last years No. 8 cars so much better that the team swap hurt Junior that much?
“I don’t think that they were that much better, they were just different.” Eury said.
The cars that Michael is driving this year are the ones that Tony Junior and myself built.” He said,” And that was the reason that the drivers got swapped and the cars didn’t because we wanted the cars that the crew chiefs built to stay with the crew chiefs.
It’s their cars, they know them and that’s why we did that. So we just swapped the seats.
They’re the same brand of cars,” Eury said “ We run Ronnie Hopkins cars at our shop and they’re all the same so they really shouldn’t be any different, it’s just the way the guys put the bodies on them. Slugger had his was way of putting bodies on and Tony Junior (did) most of the “aero” that was done on the 8 last year, and he put bodies on them a certain way.
Now this year we’ve changed and they’re even different than last year. Every car we have has had the body cut off of it so you can’t just say, that car ran good there, because everything’s different.”
As for the number 8 team, Tony Eury Senior is quick to point out,
“I think it’s turned around; they’ve got a bunch of new cars that they’re bringing out now, so they should be turned around.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Team swap a bad move, Eury Sr. says
NASCAR veteran says change was Teresa Earnhardt's call
By JIM UTTER
ThatsRacin.com Writer
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Tony Eury Sr., director of competition for Dale Earnhardt Inc., on Thursday criticized owner Teresa Earnhardt's decision to swap Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Michael Waltrip's equipment and crews, calling it "a bad move."
"I guess we made a bad move over the winter and our cars down there in the No. 8 shop weren't as good as we thought they were," said Eury Sr., who was Earnhardt Jr.'s crew chief last season.
In the move, Pete Rondeau was named crew chief for Earnhardt Jr., while Tony Eury Jr. was named crew chief for Waltrip. Eury Sr. moved from crew chief into his current role.
Rondeau has since been released as Earnhardt Jr.'s team has struggled this season. He is 18th in points entering Saturday night's Pepsi 400 at Daytona International Speedway.
"When you got something good I guess you should leave it alone. We won six races with him last year, Maybe we should have been left alone," Eury Sr. said.
"I don't know. That's past. We got to get (Earnhardt Jr.) in that Chase now. Everything is behind us and we're going forward from here."
Asked whose decision it was to make the swap, Eury Sr. said: "All I know is I was called in the office the Monday after Homestead and told Teresa wanted me to be the director of motorsports and that was the job she wanted me to do. I've been there 20 years. What she wants me to do, that's what I do."
DEI officials, away from the track because of foul weather in central Florida on Thursday, were not available for comment.
Eury Sr. also said he did not believe Steve Hmiel, currently interim crew chief for Earnhardt Jr., will remain in the same position beyond this season.
"The problem we have with Steve running that program right now is that Steve's (former) job is not getting done. We've taken a person here and a person there and spread his job over a number of people, but I don't think his job is getting down at the capacity it needs to get done," Eury Sr. said.
"We took a lot away from the company by moving him over there, but at the time we really didn't have much of a choice. I don't think Steve will be there next year."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~NASCAR veteran says change was Teresa Earnhardt's call
By JIM UTTER
ThatsRacin.com Writer
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Tony Eury Sr., director of competition for Dale Earnhardt Inc., on Thursday criticized owner Teresa Earnhardt's decision to swap Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Michael Waltrip's equipment and crews, calling it "a bad move."
"I guess we made a bad move over the winter and our cars down there in the No. 8 shop weren't as good as we thought they were," said Eury Sr., who was Earnhardt Jr.'s crew chief last season.
In the move, Pete Rondeau was named crew chief for Earnhardt Jr., while Tony Eury Jr. was named crew chief for Waltrip. Eury Sr. moved from crew chief into his current role.
Rondeau has since been released as Earnhardt Jr.'s team has struggled this season. He is 18th in points entering Saturday night's Pepsi 400 at Daytona International Speedway.
"When you got something good I guess you should leave it alone. We won six races with him last year, Maybe we should have been left alone," Eury Sr. said.
"I don't know. That's past. We got to get (Earnhardt Jr.) in that Chase now. Everything is behind us and we're going forward from here."
Asked whose decision it was to make the swap, Eury Sr. said: "All I know is I was called in the office the Monday after Homestead and told Teresa wanted me to be the director of motorsports and that was the job she wanted me to do. I've been there 20 years. What she wants me to do, that's what I do."
DEI officials, away from the track because of foul weather in central Florida on Thursday, were not available for comment.
Eury Sr. also said he did not believe Steve Hmiel, currently interim crew chief for Earnhardt Jr., will remain in the same position beyond this season.
"The problem we have with Steve running that program right now is that Steve's (former) job is not getting done. We've taken a person here and a person there and spread his job over a number of people, but I don't think his job is getting down at the capacity it needs to get done," Eury Sr. said.
"We took a lot away from the company by moving him over there, but at the time we really didn't have much of a choice. I don't think Steve will be there next year."
Earnhardt will try to end drought tonight at Daytona
BY MARK DeCOTIS
FLORIDA TODAY
DAYTONA BEACH - Dale Earnhardt Jr., who has more Busch Series wins at Daytona (four) than any other active driver, will try to increase that total and capture his first NASCAR victory of any measure this season in tonight's Winn-Dixie 250.
With the weather forecast for this afternoon foreboding at best with a 70 percent chance of rain, chances are good qualifying will be rained out and the Busch field will be set on the top 35 owners' points and other criteria including past victories.
Although Earnhardt is listed among those who have to make their way into the field based on qualifying time, NASCAR's rules give him an out and he is expected to be in the field tonight.
Should rain be an issue tonight, the speedway has lights and can wait as long as needed.
Earnhardt, winless in 16 Nextel Cup races this season, was third in February's Busch race at Daytona. He's confident about his chances tonight, rain or not.
"The last time I drove the Menard's (sponsored) car was at Bristol last summer and we won both races that weekend," Earnhardt said in a news release. "Hopefully, we can have the same kind of weekend here in Daytona. Our record at this track is pretty good."
Earnhardt is one of 11 full-time Cup drivers entered, along with Brian Vickers, Kyle Busch, Carl Edwards, Sterling Marlin, 2004 winner Mike Wallace, Kevin Harvick, Joe Nemechek, Jeremy Mayfield, Kasey Kahne and Greg Biffle.
But don't expect a full preview of Saturday's Pepsi 400.
"The Busch cars are so different in restrictor-plate trim because we have the roof rail on the Busch car," Biffle, the 2002 series champion, said Thursday.
"They suck up a lot faster, (and) they drive side-by-side a lot easier than the Cup cars because that lip puts more downforce in the car. The car's really dug into the racetrack a lot better. They're way easier to drive."
That's good and bad.
"With the roof rail it allows everybody, no matter how fast their car is, to participate in that drafting," Biffle said. "A lot of times it becomes a little more hairy because you've got guys in there that maybe don't have that fast of a race car or that much experience right up in the top four or five or in the middle of the pack."
Biffle said he doesn't like Busch's restrictor-plate races as much as Nextel Cup because of the roof rail.
"A lot of people get in the draft and try to make a hole where isn't one," he said. "It's almost like it's backwards. We need that system on the Cup car where you have better experienced drivers."
With the cars running as close as they will be, chances always exist for a big wreck that could collect a large part of the field.
Drivers with the most to lose are points leader and 2004 champion Martin Truex Jr., Reed Sorenson (who trails by seven points), Clint Bowyer in third, Edwards fourth and Kenny Wallace fifth.
BY MARK DeCOTIS
FLORIDA TODAY
DAYTONA BEACH - Dale Earnhardt Jr., who has more Busch Series wins at Daytona (four) than any other active driver, will try to increase that total and capture his first NASCAR victory of any measure this season in tonight's Winn-Dixie 250.
With the weather forecast for this afternoon foreboding at best with a 70 percent chance of rain, chances are good qualifying will be rained out and the Busch field will be set on the top 35 owners' points and other criteria including past victories.
Although Earnhardt is listed among those who have to make their way into the field based on qualifying time, NASCAR's rules give him an out and he is expected to be in the field tonight.
Should rain be an issue tonight, the speedway has lights and can wait as long as needed.
Earnhardt, winless in 16 Nextel Cup races this season, was third in February's Busch race at Daytona. He's confident about his chances tonight, rain or not.
"The last time I drove the Menard's (sponsored) car was at Bristol last summer and we won both races that weekend," Earnhardt said in a news release. "Hopefully, we can have the same kind of weekend here in Daytona. Our record at this track is pretty good."
Earnhardt is one of 11 full-time Cup drivers entered, along with Brian Vickers, Kyle Busch, Carl Edwards, Sterling Marlin, 2004 winner Mike Wallace, Kevin Harvick, Joe Nemechek, Jeremy Mayfield, Kasey Kahne and Greg Biffle.
But don't expect a full preview of Saturday's Pepsi 400.
"The Busch cars are so different in restrictor-plate trim because we have the roof rail on the Busch car," Biffle, the 2002 series champion, said Thursday.
"They suck up a lot faster, (and) they drive side-by-side a lot easier than the Cup cars because that lip puts more downforce in the car. The car's really dug into the racetrack a lot better. They're way easier to drive."
That's good and bad.
"With the roof rail it allows everybody, no matter how fast their car is, to participate in that drafting," Biffle said. "A lot of times it becomes a little more hairy because you've got guys in there that maybe don't have that fast of a race car or that much experience right up in the top four or five or in the middle of the pack."
Biffle said he doesn't like Busch's restrictor-plate races as much as Nextel Cup because of the roof rail.
"A lot of people get in the draft and try to make a hole where isn't one," he said. "It's almost like it's backwards. We need that system on the Cup car where you have better experienced drivers."
With the cars running as close as they will be, chances always exist for a big wreck that could collect a large part of the field.
Drivers with the most to lose are points leader and 2004 champion Martin Truex Jr., Reed Sorenson (who trails by seven points), Clint Bowyer in third, Edwards fourth and Kenny Wallace fifth.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dale Jr. with Childress in the No. 3?
By KEN WILLIS
MY TWO CENTS
DAYTONA BEACH -- If looking for answers, you can usually get a truckload if you hang around the vicinity of Tony Eury Sr.
When considering the current plight of Dale Earnhardt Inc., for whom Eury works as "director of motorsports," Eury is a perfect place to turn. But being one of those old-school types who never quite mastered the art of not saying certain things, you're bound to get more than you bargained for.
Such was the case when talk turned to Junior Earnhardt and the rumor that he'll someday (and maybe soon) bolt DEI for his daddy's old ride at Childress Racing.
"I don't see that happening," said Eury. "I don't see Richard staying there that much longer. I think Richard's about had enough, he's about ready to get out. I don't know what his thoughts are, those are just my thoughts."
Folks in the NASCAR media game spend a large part of their time chasing down rumors, and it's usually due to some off-hand comment like that tossed out by Eury.
"Did you hear?" Childress was asked later. "Tony Eury announced your retirement today."
"He's full of (bleep)," said Childress, whose tight smile did little to hide his irritation. "I have no intentions of going nowhere, except someday to the stage in New York -- that's the only place I have to go.
"I just built a brand new engine facility, just built a lot of stuff on our place. I wouldn't be doing that if I had any intention of retiring or quitting. It's just (b.s.). I ain't going nowhere. Tony probably didn't mean it the way he said it."
OK, on to rumor two. If Junior is gonna drive the No. 3 car someday, could it happen under the DEI roof? If so, Childress would have to give up ownership of the number -- and all the potential business opportunities that accompany it.
"He's always said, ever since his daddy got killed, one of these days he's gonna drive a 3 car," Eury said of Junior. "Just a remark he made a long time ago. Someday Richard might give us the number and we'll run it out of DEI. Depends on how long Richard wants to keep doing it, you know."
Richard? Any chance of giving up the No. 3?
"No."
"As far as the 3, it's registered," Childress elaborated. "It's one of those deals . . . we're gonna keep doing what we've been doing, what Dale and I talked about years ago. We knew it was our number, and we had plans of doing things with it after he retired. We're gonna put those plans in effect soon."
MORE QUESTIONS
If only it could be that easy to get answers about Junior's current ride and situation. This much we know: It's not good.
It wasn't that long ago, Junior and teammate Michael Waltrip would unload at Daytona, look around and say, "Who's gonna run third?" That's not the case this week.
"I kinda like that," says Eury, who was Junior's crew chief during DEI's run of plate-race dominance from 2001-2004. "You know, that's what we want to do, we want to come here and be the team to beat. We dominated here for a long time, and we want it back. We haven't won a race all year, so why not come here and win this one?"
But, given Junior's current spiral, it seems a long shot. Confidence is a weird element in racing. You're dealing with hundreds of moving parts inside a car, and presumably those parts have no idea whether the wrenches are being turned by guys with positive or negative vibes. But still, momentum -- positive and negative -- is a tough tide to turn.
"We know we've got problems we gotta fix there," Eury says of Junior's No. 8. "But we don't want to make problems somewhere else trying to fix one problem. So, we don't need to make quick decisions."
The original problem, according to Eury, anyway, can be traced back to last November, when the higher-ups at DEI (Teresa Earnhardt and Richie Gilmore) decided to flip-flop Junior and Waltrip -- Junior moved to Waltrip's No. 15 team and put new paint and a new number on all the cars, while Waltrip moved to Junior's No. 8 team and did the same thing.
Eury was given a new overseeing role, while his son Tony Jr. became Waltrip's crew chief. Pete Rondeau became Junior's new crew chief, but has since become an unemployed victim of the slump, which may or may not have been partly his fault.
"I guess we made a bad move over the winter, and our cars down there in the 8 shop weren't as good as we thought they were," says Eury. "When you got something good, I guess you should leave it alone. We won six races with him last year, maybe it should've been left alone, I don't know. But that's past."
As for the future -- specifically the near future, as in Saturday night -- all the DEI squad can do is turn the wrenches and hope the nuts and bolts don't get a sense of the bad vibes, but instead realize they're at Daytona, where things are supposed to be very different.
"You know, the Hendricks have got it going on now," says Eury. "We had it going on for a little while, and they got a little better. We went home and went to work, for sure, and hopefully we gained on it a little bit."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~By KEN WILLIS
MY TWO CENTS
DAYTONA BEACH -- If looking for answers, you can usually get a truckload if you hang around the vicinity of Tony Eury Sr.
When considering the current plight of Dale Earnhardt Inc., for whom Eury works as "director of motorsports," Eury is a perfect place to turn. But being one of those old-school types who never quite mastered the art of not saying certain things, you're bound to get more than you bargained for.
Such was the case when talk turned to Junior Earnhardt and the rumor that he'll someday (and maybe soon) bolt DEI for his daddy's old ride at Childress Racing.
"I don't see that happening," said Eury. "I don't see Richard staying there that much longer. I think Richard's about had enough, he's about ready to get out. I don't know what his thoughts are, those are just my thoughts."
Folks in the NASCAR media game spend a large part of their time chasing down rumors, and it's usually due to some off-hand comment like that tossed out by Eury.
"Did you hear?" Childress was asked later. "Tony Eury announced your retirement today."
"He's full of (bleep)," said Childress, whose tight smile did little to hide his irritation. "I have no intentions of going nowhere, except someday to the stage in New York -- that's the only place I have to go.
"I just built a brand new engine facility, just built a lot of stuff on our place. I wouldn't be doing that if I had any intention of retiring or quitting. It's just (b.s.). I ain't going nowhere. Tony probably didn't mean it the way he said it."
OK, on to rumor two. If Junior is gonna drive the No. 3 car someday, could it happen under the DEI roof? If so, Childress would have to give up ownership of the number -- and all the potential business opportunities that accompany it.
"He's always said, ever since his daddy got killed, one of these days he's gonna drive a 3 car," Eury said of Junior. "Just a remark he made a long time ago. Someday Richard might give us the number and we'll run it out of DEI. Depends on how long Richard wants to keep doing it, you know."
Richard? Any chance of giving up the No. 3?
"No."
"As far as the 3, it's registered," Childress elaborated. "It's one of those deals . . . we're gonna keep doing what we've been doing, what Dale and I talked about years ago. We knew it was our number, and we had plans of doing things with it after he retired. We're gonna put those plans in effect soon."
MORE QUESTIONS
If only it could be that easy to get answers about Junior's current ride and situation. This much we know: It's not good.
It wasn't that long ago, Junior and teammate Michael Waltrip would unload at Daytona, look around and say, "Who's gonna run third?" That's not the case this week.
"I kinda like that," says Eury, who was Junior's crew chief during DEI's run of plate-race dominance from 2001-2004. "You know, that's what we want to do, we want to come here and be the team to beat. We dominated here for a long time, and we want it back. We haven't won a race all year, so why not come here and win this one?"
But, given Junior's current spiral, it seems a long shot. Confidence is a weird element in racing. You're dealing with hundreds of moving parts inside a car, and presumably those parts have no idea whether the wrenches are being turned by guys with positive or negative vibes. But still, momentum -- positive and negative -- is a tough tide to turn.
"We know we've got problems we gotta fix there," Eury says of Junior's No. 8. "But we don't want to make problems somewhere else trying to fix one problem. So, we don't need to make quick decisions."
The original problem, according to Eury, anyway, can be traced back to last November, when the higher-ups at DEI (Teresa Earnhardt and Richie Gilmore) decided to flip-flop Junior and Waltrip -- Junior moved to Waltrip's No. 15 team and put new paint and a new number on all the cars, while Waltrip moved to Junior's No. 8 team and did the same thing.
Eury was given a new overseeing role, while his son Tony Jr. became Waltrip's crew chief. Pete Rondeau became Junior's new crew chief, but has since become an unemployed victim of the slump, which may or may not have been partly his fault.
"I guess we made a bad move over the winter, and our cars down there in the 8 shop weren't as good as we thought they were," says Eury. "When you got something good, I guess you should leave it alone. We won six races with him last year, maybe it should've been left alone, I don't know. But that's past."
As for the future -- specifically the near future, as in Saturday night -- all the DEI squad can do is turn the wrenches and hope the nuts and bolts don't get a sense of the bad vibes, but instead realize they're at Daytona, where things are supposed to be very different.
"You know, the Hendricks have got it going on now," says Eury. "We had it going on for a little while, and they got a little better. We went home and went to work, for sure, and hopefully we gained on it a little bit."
that's racin' (phrase): Expresses frustration or emotion. 1. When a small part costing just a few dollars fails and stops a $150,000 race car, that's racin'. 2. When you race a competitor for 500 miles and lose to him by just a few feet, that's racin'. 3. When a hot dog wrapper blows out of the stands, gets caught across the air vent on the front of your car and causes your engine to overheat, that's racin'.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
NASCAR ON TV THIS WEEK
| BUSCH SERIES QUALIFYING | 1:30 p.m. Friday | Speed Channel |
| NEXTEL CUP QUALIFYING | 4:30 p.m. Friday | TNT |
| BUSCH SERIES WINN-DIXIE 250 | 7:30 p.m. Friday | TNT |
| CRAFTSMAN TRUCK SERIES O'REILLY Auto Parts 250 | 3 p.m. Saturday | Speed Channel |
| NEXTEL CUP PEPSI 400 | 7 p.m. Saturday | NBC |
| All times Eastern. Times and stations subject to change. | ||
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Well, that's all for today. Until the next time, I remain,
Your
Momma
"Don't come here and grumble about going too fast. Get the hell out of the race car if you've got feathers on your legs or butt. Put a kerosene rag around your ankles so the ants won't climb up there and eat that candy ass." - Dale Earnhardt – 1998
Your
"Don't come here and grumble about going too fast. Get the hell out of the race car if you've got feathers on your legs or butt. Put a kerosene rag around your ankles so the ants won't climb up there and eat that candy ass." - Dale Earnhardt – 1998
"It's nothin' personal, it's just racin'
-Dale Earnhardt Sr.
This list is authored by:
Sandra Monacelli
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