Dale Jarrett is one of
those truly good guys. He is also a championship driver. I will never forget his dad, Ned, calling the Daytona 500 in
1993 when D.J. beat Dale Earnhardt Sr.… one of the best moments in racing, ever.
D.J. has worked tirelessly
for Breast Cancer Research for many years. Every driver in the garage has tremendous respect for him. Every owner
that he drove for loved him as a driver and as a friend. He has raced hard, raced clean and raced with passion. He
is a champion both on and off the track. He will surely be missed. I hope ESPN has already signed him up as a broadcaster. They
could certainly use his expertise.
Moving along, we have
Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR). Where do you start? First, they switched from Chevrolet to Toyota. This will most
likely be what will allow Toyota to break through and get their first win in NASCAR’s
top series. If a team like Gibbs had not made the switch, it may take Toyota
a few more years. I think everyone now expects JGR and Toyota to get multiple
wins this season.
Then JGR hired Kyle Busch. I
am still waiting to see how that turns out. I think that some of the most entertaining moments this season may come from
the blending of all the personalities that drive for Gibbs. Of course, the fact that Joe Gibbs himself will be spending
more time at the track since resigning as coach of the Washington Redskins will certainly have a positive effect on getting
his drivers to work together.
The next thing that comes to
my mind is DEI. What is going to happen there? I do not want to wish bad on any of the teams. I hope for the
sake of Mark Martin, Martin Truex Jr. and the others that they can find a way to regain their strength. I am not seeing
or hearing anything so far that should give anyone much hope. There is a real need for someone to take charge and take
the company forward. They need a strong presence at the track and in the media. The drivers alone cannot carry the
company on their backs. Even Dale Jr. couldn’t stand that pressure any longer.
2006 StockCar Review.
