What should happen to Junior?

[just a fan]

First of all I am not a Junior hater (Hendricks is another story). I think he has a great personality and would love to have a beer with him. But I do not think he is even an average driver compaired to other cup drivers.
He will not make the chase again this year (currently 17th), has no wins and 6 top 10's (worse stats in the top 20). There is no doubt he has better equipment than most of the drivers out there and all of the resources to resolve any engineering/mechanical issues that may arise. His crew chief has been changed a number of times to no avail.
Is this the year "Mr H" finally has enough and finds him another team? Or is the fact that he can bring sponsor dollars enough?

[south jersey girl]

most popular driver = most money spent by his fans

He's not going anywhere

[20forLogano]

most popular driver = most money spent by his fans

He's not going anywhere

I second that notion

[Chris]

yeah... Just A Fan...
you been around a while... you know the ropes..
"It's all about the money"
Everything you say is correct.. but looks like to me Jr will be around at HMS a while.
NOW<... if HMS was only a 2 car team, and both had the stats that Jr has.. I'd say it possible his job could be in jeopardy.  (I mean somewhere "pride" has to come into play and you have to "want" to put a quality product on the track.)
SO as long as HMS has Gordon, and Johnson winning / running up front.  Rick can put up with the below average performances Jr puts up year after year

HEY.. one good note for Jr fans..
Previous they only had the top 10 make the chase.. Jr still missed the top 10, so they expanded it to 12..
Now he can't make the top 12... so they are talking about expanding it to 15...
Maybe if they keep raising the number he'll make the chase some day.
Of course he won't actually be in "contention" to win... but he could be in it..??   

[scott b]

**cough** "fan vote" **cough** 

Serioulsy, I think he'll be with Hendrick for a few more seasons.  Jr seems to have cooled on the idea of driving for Childress, so if he intends to finish out his career anywhere except where he is it would be for his own team.  He won't be ready to make that leap for a while, if at all.

[Okie]

HEY.. one good note for Jr fans..
Previous they only had the top 10 make the chase.. Jr still missed the top 10, so they expanded it to 12..
Now he can't make the top 12... so they are talking about expanding it to 15...
Maybe if they keep raising the number he'll make the chase some day.
Of course he won't actually be in "contention" to win... but he could be in it..??   

Chris, I thought Jr finished in the top ten the year prior to NASCAR implementing the top twelve rule.  I think it was Smoke that didn't make the top ten prior??

I think Jr will remain with Hendrick also.

[just a fan]

I know money makes the world go around and NASCAR is no different. And I am sure he will stay with Hendrick as long as the sponsors keep lining up. I wonder how long the fans will keep spending money on his stuff if he does not produce? Most younger fans may have heard his Dad's name but never saw him race and his fan base is the old guys that were "3" fans.
I just think at some point people will realize his production on the track is not worth the attention he gets. At the last Tdega race I saw many Jr fans celebrating the fact he led a few laps and had a decent run for most of the day. Kind of like celbrating a "moral" victory in football.
As far as him owning his own team, I don't know how ready he is. He has good NNS stuff but making that jump is huge. I think Harvick will do it before Jr. I could see HArvick making that move in a couple of years if he wins the championship this year.

[FS_Amy]

Ironically enough, this thread illustrates exactly why HMS signed Junior and why they'll likely keep him-you don't see threads and articles posted all over the Internet entitled "What should happen to David Reutimann?"  or "What should happen to Juan Pablo Montoya?" and yet those are drivers with similar numbers-heck, both of them have wins this year! 

Which is precisely why, if given the choice, a team would be a fool not to take Junior over any other driver in his class,

[Chris]

Chris, I thought Jr finished in the top ten the year prior to NASCAR implementing the top twelve rule.  I think it was Smoke that didn't make the top ten prior??

You could very well be right.. I "think" since they went to the chase Jr has only made it once..??  And it seems like when Jr and J Gordon BOTH missed the chase one season,.. that was when it got jumped up to 12 teams.

[Chris]

As far as him (Jr) owning his own team, I don't know how ready he is. He has good NNS stuff but making that jump is huge. I think Harvick will do it before Jr. I could see Harvick making that move in a couple of years if he wins the championship this year.

I'm not so sure Jr wouldn't do OK as a team owner.  You know if he and Teresa could of gotten along, he would already BE a team owner.
Of course he has had a NNS  series team for a couple years,.. and always has competative cars.
(Didn't he just sign a driver full time for 2011 in the #88 car)

I think Jr could do OK as a team owner... Heck, look at Richard Childress.  He was always a mid-pack racer at best when he ran full time in the CUP series... but no one will argue he makes one HECK of a car owner.
(hhuummm.. wonder if I am showing my age,... I bet MANY of these new fans never even knew Childress ever drove a race car..??)

[Blu]

I DID Chris!!

Justa fan, im inclined to agree with your 1st post . Ive resigned myself to the fact thqat Jr will NEVER be anywhere clsoe to Sr in talent ina race car and is simply mediocre at best. Change cars, change teams, chnage whatever and eventually it HAS to point to the driver as the problem.

I simply cannot wish HMS anything good but Id love to see Jr prove me wrong.

[DotheDew88]

I DID Chris!!

Justa fan, im inclined to agree with your 1st post . Ive resigned myself to the fact thqat Jr will NEVER be anywhere clsoe to Sr in talent ina race car and is simply mediocre at best. Change cars, change teams, chnage whatever and eventually it HAS to point to the driver as the problem.

I simply cannot wish HMS anything good but Id love to see Jr prove me wrong.

You and me both lol! In the menatime it's all about Kevin Harvick and his firesuit!

[scott b]

I'm not so sure Jr wouldn't do OK as a team owner.  You know if he and Teresa could of gotten along, he would already BE a team owner.
Of course he has had a NNS  series team for a couple years,.. and always has competative cars.
(Didn't he just sign a driver full time for 2011 in the #88 car)

They have Aric Almirola signed for the 88, along with sponsorship for about half the season and good prospects for the remainder of the races.  The other car will be a money maker with the Danica sideshow, Jr probably doing a some races himself, and maybe Josh Wise filling out the rest of the schedule.

I give a lot of credit for the success of the JR Motorsports Nationwide program to Kelley Earnhardt, I think she has a lot of her Dad's leadership qualities and business sense.  She's also one of the few people who's loyalty to Dale Jr. is beyond question.

[Chris]

I give a lot of credit for the success of the JR Motorsports Nationwide program to Kelley Earnhardt, I think she has a lot of her Dad's leadership qualities and business sense.  She's also one of the few people who's loyalty to Dale Jr. is beyond question.

Yeah.. Scott I think you are probably right..
Kelley is the real leader in the Earnhardt family.
If any of you ever saw her drive a race car... you'd probably have to agree,.. of all of Dale Sr's kids;.. she had the MOST talent.  She could run rings around Dale Jr.
Too bad SHE wasn't the one who got a shot at CUP racing.... even I could of probably got on her bandwagon and rooted for her...  lol 
It would of been a major BOOM to NASCAR.  Just look at all the hub-bub that Danica has created. 
Just think if it was a female Earnhardt that came up through the ranks.

[Blu]

Personally Id have LOVED to see that Chris!

From what Sr said, she, ".... is the real deal"

Poor ol Jr woulda never got NASCAR's most popular if she had Ill betcha.

I really like Kelly, she even looks and acts like the ol man from what Ive seen  and has a great head on her shoulders as well.