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MOBILEMERCMAN
Founding Member / Competitor
Still beats Indy. That was a parade.
New crew chief for Dale Jr.: Hendrick Motorsports today named Lance McGrew as interim crew chief of the #88 Sprint Cup Series team of driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. beginning with the June 7 event at Pocono Raceway. Team manager Brian Whitesell will lead the team this weekend at Dover. "Our performance hasn't been where it should be," said Rick Hendrick, owner of Hendrick Motorsports. "It's impossible to pin that on any one factor, but a change is the right decision at this point. We have a plan in place, and we're going to move forward with it." Whitesell and Rex Stump, Hendrick Motorsports' lead chassis engineer, have been assigned to support McGrew on a full-time basis. Whitesell, who won two of seven races as Jeff Gordon's interim crew chief in 1999, will join McGrew and team engineer Tom Stewart on the #88 pit box to assist with race strategy. "We're going to put our full resources toward improving the situation and winning races," Hendrick said. "It's going to be a collective effort that includes all of our drivers, all of our crew chiefs and all of our engineers. Everyone in our company will be involved on some level." Tony Eury Jr. will move from the crew chief position into a key role with Hendrick Motorsports' research and development group. Eury posted one victory, one pole position, 19 top-10 finishes and 11 top-fives in 48 races with the #88 team. "I have mixed feelings, and that's just natural," Eury said. "But I enjoy working at Hendrick Motorsports, and this is where I want to be. I'll do whatever I can to help all of our teams and try to be a part of another championship. I think a new challenge will be good." McGrew, 41, earned the 2003 Nationwide Series championship with driver Brian Vickers. He won the October 2006 Sprint Cup race with Vickers at Talladega, and most recently led Cup rookie #25-Brad Keselowski to a seventh-place finish May 9 at Darlington. As a crew chief, McGrew has posted victories in all three of NASCAR's major touring series: Sprint Cup, Nationwide and Camping World Truck. He has won races with drivers Vickers, Jeff Gordon, Ricky Hendrick, Kyle Busch, Mark Martin and most recently Tony Stewart Feb. 14 at Daytona Beach.(HMS)(5-28-2009) Comment here
Davidmnc
Contributor
slowride33
Contributor
finally!!!
Davidmnc
Contributor
I would not expect anything more than moderate success. He is a top 10 driver at best. Ewwwwwwwwwww.........I said it. He's pretty good, but he's not that good. He's no Jeff Gordon, Jimmy Jonson, Tony Stewart, Mark Martin, or Kyle Busch. IMHO
slowride33
Contributor
I,m not gonna expect much either, all I know is they were not working well together and a change was in order. Im a jr fan and I won't say the whole problem was with tony jr but you know someone had to go and it sure as hell wasn't gonna be dale. Lets hope he can break into the top 15!!!LOL
pullmytrigger
Charter Member
well, there you have it........!!!!
Im surprised but not surprised.....
As far as Jrs ability.....he reminds me alot of Mark Martin actually.....is good when his car is good and he feels good about it, doesnt bash his way to the front just like Mark and unlike his Dad......until lately rarely ever crashes......you never see doughnuts on the side of his car and you never see him doing the bump and run, again, just like Mark......he needs the car to run well for a few races in a row to be confident in the car then you see a little more aggressive side of him come out.......
IMO he could be a little more aggresive.....maybe not as much as his dad though, he was a little over the top.....a comparison to Mark M is nice but then again Mark has never won a championship.
Im surprised but not surprised.....
As far as Jrs ability.....he reminds me alot of Mark Martin actually.....is good when his car is good and he feels good about it, doesnt bash his way to the front just like Mark and unlike his Dad......until lately rarely ever crashes......you never see doughnuts on the side of his car and you never see him doing the bump and run, again, just like Mark......he needs the car to run well for a few races in a row to be confident in the car then you see a little more aggressive side of him come out.......
IMO he could be a little more aggresive.....maybe not as much as his dad though, he was a little over the top.....a comparison to Mark M is nice but then again Mark has never won a championship.
MacGyver
Charter Member
Edward R. Cozzi
Founding Member
Whether you like Jr. or not he's still the most popular driver out there and good for the sport. When he leads you can actually hear the crowd over the roar of the engines. Now THAT'S a following.
Ratickle
Founding Member / Super Moderator
Don't you think it's because of his Dad though? That's the main reason I like him. And he does seem to be a decent, down-home, kind of guy....
Davidmnc
Contributor
I have nothing against Jr. He is good for NASCAR. He is a good driver. But to compare him to Mark Martin is nuts! Jr. could not hold Mark's Jock. Jr. is what he is, but he is NOTHING like Mark Martin. And just so there are no "Your just a Mark Martin fan" comments. I am a Jeff Gordon fan. But there is no driver in Sprint Cup who is more deserving of respect than Mark Martin. IMHO
MOBILEMERCMAN
Founding Member / Competitor
I agree with that, but I think Jr needs a great crew chief. Good is limiting.
Edward R. Cozzi
Founding Member
KB leads most laps in Nationwise race today, gets taken out by Logano and finishes 18th.
Keslowski wins in Chevrolet. Does it get any better than that? I love when one Toyota takes out another one and when one of them is KB...
Keslowski wins in Chevrolet. Does it get any better than that? I love when one Toyota takes out another one and when one of them is KB...
Ratickle
Founding Member / Super Moderator
Now if all the Toyota's on the highways would just take each other out, things would be really lookin up......
MacGyver
Charter Member
arty:
pullmytrigger
Charter Member
did I say MM doesnt deserve respect.......????
I like the guy but remember there were YEARS when MM didnt do squat.....
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