AUTO RACING
Pressure solely on Earnhardt
Dover race is first without Eury
DOVER, Del. — All Martin Truex Jr. needs to do to gauge the enormous impact Dale Earnhardt Jr. has on NASCAR is take a peek at the packed stands every race day.
The fans dress in Junior’s colors, bring their No. 88 signs and roar when his name is mentioned in race introductions. Earnhardt’s firm grip as NASCAR’s most popular driver hasn’t waned even as the wins have dried up. Somehow, the lack of trips to victory lane hasn’t affected how “Junior Nation” feels about the son of the legendary former Cup champion.
That’s what makes Earnhardt’s career vastly unique from any other driver in the Cup garage.
“There are more people involved in this sport because of Dale Jr. than because of me or anybody else out there,” Truex said. “I think that’s what makes it different, you know?”
Earnhardt knows. He’s also well aware his devoted fan base was quick to blame crew chief Tony Eury Jr. for any of the No. 88’s troubles, and wanted Earnhardt’s cousin booted from the Hendrick Motorsports team.
Well, they got their scapegoat, and now there’s only one person to take the heat for Earnhardt’s slumping season.
Earnhardt. “I feel like they’ll always be pressure on me I guess,” Earnhardt said. “I’m all right with that. I’ve always had pressure on me and I don’t mind.”
Earnhardt has always had pressure, and maybe unrealistic expectations, simply because his dad was “The Intimidator.” Signing with the powerhouse Hendrick team for the start of last season only heightened the scrutiny Earnhardt came under.
It continues today when Earnhardt starts 22nd at the Autism Speaks 400 (1: 30 p. m., Ch. 29).
He made the Chase for the championship last season, only to finish a disappointing 12th in the standings after a late fade. This season, Earnhardt is 19th in points and coming off a season-worst 40th-place finish at Lowe’s Motor Speedway.
It’s become natural to wonder if Earnhardt can ever reach the lofty expectations set at Hendrick, and what it will take to rebuild his sagging confidence.
“I would be lying if I said I didn’t lose confidence at times,” Earnhardt said. “You definitely lose confidence when you don’t run good.”
With Eury booted from his crew chief job, team manager Brian Whitesell will call the shots this weekend at Dover. Next week, Lance McGrew will take over on an interim basis at Pocono Raceway.
On Saturday at Dover, Brad Keselowski raced to his first NASCAR Nationwide Series victory of the season, taking the lead during a restart with two laps remaining in the Heluva Good! 200.
Kyle Busch led most of the second half of race and appeared on the way to his third win of the season. But he seemed to have tire trouble off the restart that came after the caution with seven laps left.
Busch also was nudged from behind by Joey Logano and both cars went up the track, giving Keselowski space to pass.
“I was trying to stay right up on him,” said Logano, who finished second. “I was going to stay with him through the first corner. I got right up on his bumper. I got in the back of him. Completely my fault.”
Busch ended up 17th after leading the most laps for the fifth straight race. He has only one win over that span.
•••
Castroneves starts 20th
WEST ALLIS, Wis. — Helio Castroneves crashed during qualifying for the IRL’s A. J. Foyt 225, meaning the Indianapolis 500 winner will start last in the 20-car field today (3:30
p. m., Ch. 7).
“We tried something different out there in qualifying from what we ran in practice,” Castroneves said. “I just went for it and the car wiggled a little bit. I thought I saved it but, unfortunately, I ended up brushing the wall and couldn’t qualify.”
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