Drama King
May 21, 2007
Debbi Willis - SCR
Dale Earnhardt. Sr. or
Dale Earnhardt Jr., the name Earnhardt evokes a multitude of emotions and loyalties unseen or heard of in most sports.
New generation fans might think Jr., of course; while old fans will quiet down with that look, all too common amongst the
Sr. fans since his death in 2001. Either way, the name in and of itself is valuable, marketable and highly desirable.
Dale Sr. came to the sport
brash, bull-headed and determined to succeed in a sport that didn’t take kindly to his style. By the time he departed,
the sport would have a love/hate relationship with him, but always knew his name was good for them. Whatever he did was like
the Midas touch, much to their chagrin, and NASCAR had to admit when Earnhardt spoke, everyone wanted to hear what he had
to say!
Then along came the son,
Dale Earnhardt Jr., in a deal built by dale Sr. with Budweiser for a huge sponsorship program and the number that his Jr.
grandfather sported. Heralded by an instant legacy, Dale Jr. took to the Busch series and dominantly won two Busch Grand National
Championships successively. Young, loving the success and all that attention, Dale Jr. lapped it up like a kitten on cream.
What young man wouldn’t? But the jump to the Cup level proved more difficult requiring more discipline, more focus
and more determination than Jr. was prepared for. Rookie of the Year (ROTY) honors slipped past him as did subsequent championship
opportunities year after year. In the meantime, his worst nightmare hit him and his father was gone. The rest is an all too
well-recorded history that the “Jr. Nation” just can’t get enough of.
Meanwhile, Dale Jr. has learned
from his fans, too. “Jr. Nation” has taught him how marketable he is, how important he is to their daily lives,
and how much drama he can create with a well–planned statement to the media. The media thinks they are in control yet
they’re really nothing more than well-played pawns in the hands of a savvy drama king.
|
Advertise on StockCar Review, SCR
has advertising rates starting as low as $12.00 per month. Email us at scr@stockcarreview.com for more
information.
|
Now Jr. stands on the
cusp of his future. Like standing on a balcony surveying the countryside of potential owners interested in him, Jr. has much
to consider. Wisely he wants to be smart about it, so he’s chosen to take his time, and “get quiet with a couple
beers” to think over his options. Hopefully, Jr. remembers above all that he’s a product and products get spent.
Once spent, products are discarded or sadly relegated to “R&D” cars and being the experienced name in a stable. Whoever
Jr. chooses, he needs to need them more than they need him. In all his negotiations, Jr. needs to ask the eternal question
of “who benefits the most from this possible arrangement.” This would be done so Jr. would not to be like
a kid in the candy store drooling over the goodies only to find he himself as part of those goodies to be used up. Dale Jr.
needs a mutually beneficial relationship in which he can grow with strong direction towards helping him meet his goals. Likewise,
he’s got to decide is the benefit long-term or short-lived?
In this manner, he’ll
have an owner who cares about him as a person as well as a driver with a job to do. He won’t be the product just bringing
in the fame, glory and big bucks of the Earnhardt name. I hope he sees this first and foremost for his own sake and with that
he’ll be making his own way finally in his own way!
Questions, Comments;
Email Debbi
The views and opinions
in this article are that of the writer(s) and not necessarily that of SCR
|
|
|
2006 StockCar Review.
