Communication breakdown: junior has championship bloodlines, but major pit crew overhaul has put his title hopes in limbo

Sporting News, The, Dec 13, 2004 by Lee Spencer

Two months ago an editor asked me to select the top 10 drivers for our 2005 NASCAR season preview yearbook.

"Not to worry," he said, "The SPORTING NEWS is choosing Dale Earnhardt Jr. to win the title; just list two through 10."

Fair enough. Earnhardt was popular and second in points at the time. I could live with that pick.

Then came the multiple mistakes at Martinsville and the crippling paint swap with Carl Edwards at Atlanta. As Earnhardt fell in two weeks from second to fifth, Jimmie Johnson's locomotive charged down the track. Besides, until Atlanta, leader Kurt Busch looked unstoppable.

One week later, I still wasn't ready to give up on the No. 8 crew. True to form, Earnhardt came back and won at Phoenix, moving to third in the Chase with two races to go.

But after finishing 11th at Darlington, the second-to-last race, Earnhardt stuck a fork in his season. He predicted he would lose in the championship battle before the tour ever went to Homestead, so, of course, Earnhardt was never a factor there.

For a guy who was on top of the leaderboard after 10 races, a fifth-place finish calls for an autopsy.

Earnhardt never felt comfortable with the quality of communication between himself and those atop his pit box. He won championships with chiefs Tony Eury Sr. and Tony Eury Jr. in the Busch Series, but after the team moved to Cup there never was a clearcut distinction between what constituted too loose or too tight or just plain undrivable--except in the crescendo in Earnhardt's voice. When the final practice rolled around at Homestead, Earnhardt and Eury Jr., a cousin and the car chief, barely were speaking.

"We didn't say five words to each other during Happy Hour at Homestead," Earnhardt says. "We had a real bad day. It can't be like that."

After weeks of consternation, Dale Earnhardt Inc. concluded changes were necessary. As early as July, plans for restructuring the No. 8 crew were discussed. DEI insiders didn't expect the team to stay intact as long as it did. So last week's announcement--crew chief Eury Sr. was promoted to director of competition for DEI; Eury Jr. became crew chief for Michael Waltrip's No. 15 team and Pete Rondeau, Waltrip's crew chief, got that job with the No. 8--came as no surprise. The teams also swapped their primary crew members.

Eury Sr. says the operation--four full-time teams next year--was getting too big for Steve Hmiel and Richie Gilmore to run. Hmiel moves to technical director; Gilmore is now DEI's vice president of motorsports.

Earnhardt is looking forward to working with Rondeau. The two worked together in the Busch Series and won a race this year. Although Rondeau has spent time with his crew since becoming Waltrip's chief in October, the driver-crew chief relationship will take time to come together.

Even though Earnhardt had a career-high six victories in 2004, expecting him to win the title in 2005 is asking too much.

speed read

NASCAR needs to reward Nextel Cup drivers with more points for victories. It tightened the points race in 2004 by awarding drivers an additional five points for a victory. Giving winners 25 points--they get 10 now--would increase the intensity of races more. With so much on the line, drivers would take more risks, and the big points payoff could shuffle the top of the points standings after every race.

INSIDE DISH

Ryan Newman isn't as concerned about Dodge's body switch from the Intrepid to the Charger as he is with other changes mandated by NASCAR for 2005, specifically a half-inch reduction in the height of the rear spoiler and how it will affect the aero package. "There's definitely going to be a learning curve," Newman says. > Evernham Motorsports came on strong in 2004 with Jeremy Mayfield qualifying for the Chase and Kasey Kahne blowing the doors off the rookie competition, but just wait until next year. Evernham has acquired former Dale Earnhardt Inc. crew chief Slugger Labbe, who will be director of speedway development, and it also picked up engineer Chris Andrews, who was previously Robby Gordon's crew chief at Richard Childress Racing. Andrews will work with Bill Elliott on the No. 91 research and development Cup team and with Mayfield and Kahne on Evernham's Busch operation. > Bobby Labonte's new crew chief, Steve Addington, is a longtime Busch crew chief who oversaw Mike Bliss at Joe Gibbs Racing this past season. The spoiler and tire changes coming in 2005 will put Addington under pressure to work his magic with Labonte. Expect further changes at JGR before testing starts at Daytona. > Tony Gibson will be the new car chief for the No. 15 and driver Michael Waltrip. Gibson, who will work alongside new crew chief Tony Eury Jr., was previously Steve Park's chief on the No. 1 Chevrolet for DEI. > Kerry Earnhardt's hard work in the West Series has paid off in a full-time deal in the Craftsman Truck Series. Earnhardt, 35, will drive the No. 15 Chevrolet for Billy Ballew Motorsports in 2005. He replaces Shane Hmiel, who has moved back to the Busch Series.

LEE SPENCER

lspenser@sportingnews.com