| Apparently finishing 40th in the Coca Cola 600 was | | | | demanded his firing for more than a year and now |
| the last straw for Rick Hendrick. He simply could not | | | | they have his scalp. This may, however, be a case of |
| take it any more. Tony Eury, Jr., has been replaced as | | | | being careful about what you wish for. With Eury out |
| crew chief of the car of Dale Earnhardt, Jr. In making | | | | of the way, Junior has no more excuses. |
| this move, Hendrick also removed Earnhardt's last | | | | Rick Hendrick is serious about getting the Earnhardt |
| excuse. | | | | team fixed. This is particularly apparent in who he is |
| It was only two years ago that a match made in | | | | bringing in to crew the team. Brian Whitesell will run the |
| heaven appeared to have been made. Junior was | | | | team this week before Lance McGrew takes over |
| leaving DEI and its lesser equipment for Hendrick | | | | after that through the season. Both are experienced |
| Motorsports and the best equipment in the field. Could | | | | crew chiefs and both have been with Hendrick for a |
| championships be far off? Well, yes they could. The | | | | long time. More importantly, they both are experienced |
| marriage has been a disaster. Earnhardt has been | | | | chassis men and intimately familiar with the Hendrick |
| marginally competitive at best. The situation is all the | | | | equipment. They should be able to nail setups and |
| worse considering Hendrick booted Kyle Busch to | | | | make the equipment the equal of the cars of Gordon, |
| make space for Junior. Busch has merely become the | | | | Johnson and Martin. |
| most dominant driver on the circuit, a driver that looks | | | | The spotlight has always been on Dale Earnhardt, Jr. |
| a lot like a certain father of Junior in his driving style. | | | | Now it is truly blazing. DEI was supposed to be the |
| Junior is the most popular driver in NASCAR. As a | | | | problem, but it turned out the equipment didn't seem to |
| result, his fans have had a hard time blaming him for | | | | matter much. Tony Eury, Jr., was the other problem, |
| the problems despite the fact he has found it | | | | but now he is gone. Guess what? The only thing that |
| surprisingly hard to find his pit box on numerous | | | | hasn't changed is the driver and he no longer has any |
| occasions. Regardless, the target of their anger has | | | | excuses. It is now or never for Junior, which makes |
| been the crew chief, Tony Eury, Jr. They've | | | | the rest of the season very compelling. |