Jr. going to Hendrick

[DeadPrez]

Not exactly the way I thought it would shake out but he sure gives himself a great atmosphere for winning...Sr. fans are probably spinning in their graves

June 12, 2007
Dale Earnhardt Jr. Heading To Hendrick Motorsports?

Is Budweiser going back to Hendrick Motorsports after all?

The Associated Press and the Charlotte Observer are both reporting through anonymous sources that Dale Earnhardt Jr. will likely be announcing Wednesday that he will drive for Hendrick Motorsports next season.

In the days following Earnhardt?s May 10 announcement that he would no longer drive for Dale Earnhardt Inc. Hendrick Motorsports owner Rick Hendrick told reporters that there was no room on his team for Earnhardt.

Hendrick, who fields cars for Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Kyle Busch and Casey Mears, is already at the 4-team limit being instituted by NASCAR.

But both the AP and Observer say that Busch will likely be the odd man out in the Earnhardt to Hendrick scenario.

According to the Observer story: ?Busch, currently the driver of the No. 5 Chevrolets for the team owned by Rick Hendrick, will be released from his contract and free to sign with another team.?

Hendrick Motorsports had run a Budweiser sponsored car before Earnhardt began driving in the Nextel Cup Series for DEI. It is not clear if Earnhardt's Budweiser sponsorship will be going with him to his new team.

 

[kegray1]

I can say that I saw Jr. drive the #5 car first.
Back in April at TMS.
Didnt think his future would wind up being in that car.

 

[Morris]

I can say that I saw Jr. drive the #5 car first.
Back in April at TMS.
Didnt think his future would wind up being in that car.

Always wondered what had happened that day after Kyle crashed and went home then jr came out with his car. Would have liked to be in the meeting the next morning.

 

[Another Steve]

When Dale Earnhardt Jr. announced he would leave Dale Earnhardt, Inc. (DEI) barely more than a month ago, his intentions were to run for a team that could win races and championships, and he more than achieved that goal. With four titles to his credit, Jeff Gordon is currently the front runner to earn this year's top prize and Earnhardt's new teammate Jimmie Johnson is the defending champ. Moreover, Hendrick Motorsports has won 10 of the first 14 races and place all four of their teams in victory lane.

Earnhardt's reputation as a driver who likes to have fun off the track has never carried over onto the course, and behind the wheel, he is much more like Gordon and Johnson than his father. Junior is a patient driver who takes care of his equipment and will not overdrive his car.

For all their success, Hendrick's overall organization has not been without problems. Fans have a perception that the No. 5 and 25 teams have suffered like a red-headed step child with a lack of focus and equipment, and Brian Vickers leaving Hendrick at the end of 2006 to race the unproven Red Bull Racing Toyota only underscored that belief. Kyle Busch's exploration of the free market with his contract coming to an end after 2008 opened the door to allow Hendrick to discuss the possibility of having Jr. join the team.

Because Busch commands a high dollar on the open market at the moment, he and Hendrick have mutually agreed to terminate the final year of their contract, which opens up his ride for next season. The signing of Earnhardt is a major coup for both driver and team. Instead of Hendrick having two separate two-car teams, the former driver of the No. 8 will elevate the No. 5 to the same status as the No. 24 and 48 and these are three of the most talented drivers in the field.

A rising tide brings up all the ships in the harbor, and fantasy owners can expect Mears' performance to improve as well, both in the short and long term.

For all their dominance this season, Hendrick has still been less successful overall than Roush Racing was for the past couple of seasons when it was commonplace to see all five of his teams in the top 10. That is going to change and now fantasy owners can expect to see the same kind of dominance from Hendrick in 2008.

For the remainder of 2007, there will be two different stories of how the imminent move will effect DEI and Hendrick.

Overall DEI does not have the depth to sustain the strong runs that have been turned in by Martin Truex Jr. during the last couple of weeks, and while his first-place finish at Dover International Speedway and his third at Pocono Raceway last week show just how much he has improved as a driver, owners should not expect a miraculously turn around.

Earnhardt is now officially a lame duck in the No. 8, and while pride will ensure they try hard to finish up front, the already thing resources will inevitably be channeled toward the other teams.

On the other hand, Hendrick Motorsports has a history of winning with their lame duck teams. Joe Nemechek and Vickers both won toward the end of their contracted service with this organization and Jerry Nadeau was at the top of his game immediately before getting injured in a race at Richmond International Raceway. Additionally, Busch has not yet announced where he will race next year, and running strong only improves his ability to negotiate for a position of strength, so fantasy owners can expect him to continue to be one of the best values in the game for the remainder of the season.

Coincidentally, this is exactly the same time of the season as last year's announcement that Mears would replace Vickers. In 2007, that news came just before the spring Michigan International Speedway and both drivers had strong runs with Mears finishing seventh and Vickers in 17th