NASCAR Cup Series

Earnhardt and Hendrick had to re-up

Published Sep. 1, 2011 1:00 a.m. ET

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Larry McReynolds

By now everyone has heard the announcement that Dale Earnhardt Jr. has signed a five-year extension with Hendrick Motorsports.

I have said this many times, and really believe it: This is good for both sides.

In Dale Jr.’s case it actually boils down to a simple question: Where would he go? Where can he go that would be better across the board in people, technology and resources year in and year out than Hendrick Motorsports?

Sure, Richard Childress Racing is a great place, but they have their ups and downs. What about Roush Fenway Racing or Joe Gibbs Racing? I honestly couldn’t ever see the day that Dale Earnhardt Jr. would be behind the wheel of a Ford or a Toyota.

We all know that car owner Rick Hendrick gives each of his drivers whatever they need to be successful. Those teams want for nothing. If you don’t believe me, go look up how many championships and races they have won. Look at which car owner has won the championship for the past five years. So that had to be a pretty easy decision for Earnhardt.

Now on the other side of the coin is Hendrick Motorsports, and let’s face it: From a business perspective, you can’t get any better than Dale Earnhardt Jr. He generates a lot of exposure and revenue for that company. He is far and away NASCAR’s most popular driver year after year.

I still believe he can get the job done behind the wheel. Does he need to change his viewpoint and outlook on things? He absolutely does, and I have said that all summer long. You can’t control the two-car tandem-style racing at Daytona. You can’t control the tire combination that Goodyear brings to Loudon. You can’t control that while you hate road course racing, there are two road courses on the Sprint Cup schedule.

All the above issues are the same issues the other 42 competitors have to deal with just like Dale Jr. Guess what? Someone always goes to Victory Lane at the end of the race. So I say focus on what you can control. I am a firm believer that Hendrick Motorsports needs to stick with Steve Letarte on this deal and I really see no reason why they won’t.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. has had five crew chiefs in the past seven years. Let me tell you, that is absurd. Somewhere you have to say OK, let’s make this deal work.

So again, this is definitely a win-win for both parties. Dale Jr. has been very vocal that he has no desire to drive for anyone else. He also said he would like to end his career driving for Hendrick Motorsports. I mean, that’s right in synch with the other two long-term drivers who are there, Jeff Gordon and Jimmy Johnson.

All of us felt that when he went to Hendrick Motorsports it wouldn’t be a question of when he would win a race or whether he would ever win a championship. The question was how many races and how many championships he would win.

Unfortunately for everyone involved and for Jr. Nation, it hasn’t happened. I’d love to tell you he absolutely will win again, and win a championship. However, none of us has that crystal ball available.

I am excited for him these next two races. He runs really well at Atlanta, where we are now, and also runs extremely well at Richmond, which is the following Saturday night.

Wins are just so hard to get these days. Look at Kasey Kahne, who will be driving the No. 5 car next year at Hendrick Motorsports, replacing Mark Martin. Kasey should be one of those guys who are an annual threat to win the championship. Unfortunately he is battling a two-year winless streak. In fact, if you look at the cars and drivers who have won this year, they really weren’t cars that dominated each race. That’s how competitive our sport has become and how hard it is to get to Victory Lane these days.

You know, the No. 88 bunch was so strong the first part of this year. Everyone felt that maybe collectively that group finally had turned a corner. Unfortunately they stumbled in May and never really seemed to regain their strength.

I really believe that when Dale Jr. wins again, more will follow quickly. I don’t think he will win one race and then have another span of two or three years being winless. When they win together, it will give Dale Jr. and the entire team the confidence of knowing they can get the job done. It will quiet the critics to a certain point, and Dale Jr. can feel some relief from the overwhelming pressure put on him by the fans who expect him to win every race, every week, simply because of his last name.

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