In case you didn't know,
Dale Earnhardt Jr. joined a new team. He also has new sponsors, and a new car owner. If you didn't know that, and are finding
this out for the first time, where have you been???
For the first time in
his Cup career, the third generation driver finds himself at new surroundings, at a place many of his fans think of as the
enemy -- Hendrick Motorsports (HMS).
For the final years of
his late father's life, Dale Earnhardt and HMS driver Jeff Gordon had quite a rivalry that lasted until Earnhardt's death
in the 2001 Daytona 500. Earnhardt scored seven championships in his 25-year career, but none after Gordon won his first
title in 1995. Earnhardt finished second that year.
When Earnhardt announced
that his son will be driving for his own team, Dale Earnhardt Inc. (DEI), many saw this as a chance for a different Earnhardt
to derail Gordon's success. That was in 1999, a year after Gordon set a modern-era (since 1972) record with 13 victories
en route to his third Cup championship. When the announcement about Junior was made he would drive for DEI, Earnhardt said
he was able to lure a sponsor from a different team to his stable. That sponsor was Budweiser, and he lured them from Hendrick
Motorsports' No. 25 team.
Ironically, Junior's
No. 88 car number for 2008 is a replacement for Hendrick's No. 25.
Nine years later, neither
driver went title-happy with winning championships. Gordon has won only one since '99, and Earnhardt Jr. is still waiting
for his first championship. Many think that since Earnhardt's death in 2001 that DEI has gone downhill, and that has had an
effect on the lack of success many thought Earnhardt Jr. would have at his father's team.
However, with Junior
going to Hendrick, the pressure may only get worse.
It has not been Jeff
Gordon, but his teammate and protégé, Jimmie Johnson that has won the last two consecutive Cup titles. Johnson has made quite
a name for himself at HMS since his rookie of year (2002), where he won Rookie of the Year.
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Last season, the pressure
was on Hendrick newcomer Casey Mears to perform. While he didn't have the season his teammates Johnson or Gordon had, he still
scored his first career Cup win at Lowe's Motor Speedway in the Coca-Cola 600 -- the season's longest race. Many will still
put pressure on Mears this season, but no one will put it on anyone as much as they will for Dale Jr.
One can only hope that
Junior knew what he was going into at Hendrick, a team that won half the races last season with drivers that have won six
championships (Gordon - 4, Johnson - 2). If Junior doesn't perform up to snuff for his fans and critics, all will
be calling for his head. However, if he does perform as well as his teammates on NASCAR's version of the "Dream Team", he
will be known as a genius, even if he left the team his father started.
2006 StockCar Review.
