I am sooooo excited that Jr is going to Hendrick!!!! I mean it makes since, if one wants to win a championship go with the team that wins constantly!!! Of course I am just semi-biased I am a HUGE Hendrick fan!!! lol...

I hate the team, but its not because of Rick.

I think it'll be interesting at the very least. I don't like the idea of rooting for Johnson or Gordon (and I mostly still wont), but I'm also tired of hearing people bitch about how Jr. is a driver just existing on his father's coattails (despite that he's like top 5 in wins or something since 2000). It could get old, but for now I think its pretty interesting

It was posted last night at 11 PB, I think, since its summer my days have been running together and I cant remember. Anyway Dale Jr has decided to race for Hendrick Motorsports and team up with Gordon (eww) and Johnson (not so bad) and all I can say is that his father probably rolled over in his grave last night.

Like someone mentioned previously I am partially biased to Hendrick Motorsports considering I work at Lowes and have invested a few dollars in that place. So all in all I am glad to see Jr on the side of the winning team (I still strongly dislike Jeff though) this will give him a chance to prove himself on his own.

Another thing I have been hearing today is that Jr should be back in the BUD car around 2009. His mother signed a contract with them and since she has it, Jr cant really use it right now. So expect him to be cruising around in the number 8 Kellogs Car

I don't think Sr. rolled in his grave. Hendrick and Sr. go back a ways. While I am not a fan of Gordon or Johnson, I am willing to give this a try. I thought Budweiser was in negations with Jr. since their contract expired at the end of this season..I could be wrong.

Ehh....I heard his Mother had the contract with Bud (you know for the team), but again that is only hearsay, I have no clue on any factual stuff. I was talking more of Sr rolling over due to him racing with Gordon not so much about Hendrick.

Ah...got ya. Sr. and Gordon had business deals and were not that unfriendly to each other. But as a Jr. fan..I totally see where you are coming from. It is just hard to accept the truth....he and Gordon are going to be *gasp* team-mates...:eek:

Anyone have any opinons on Jeff's and Jimmie's penalty? I thought it was a little excessive.

Also I think it was a mistake letting Kyle go. Jr. is a good driver, I just think Kyle has a lot of untapped raw talent. Right now he's very immature and reckless, but I can see the talent and I just think once he matures he will be awesome. Better than Jr. Well, I think he's better than Jr. right now, he's just young that's all. Jr. is way overrated.

I think it was fine. Same as Jr.'s.

Can't agree at all. Jr. will be phenomenal with top equipment, Kyle will do little with mediocre equipment.

If Kyle matures..he seems like a whiny baby to me.

A) he's never had top equipment

B) I think he's (Jr) only behind Stewart, Johnson and Gordon for wins since 2000

C) Hasn't he finished in the top 5 in points a couple times...its not like he hasn't been in contention.

D) Kyle has never done anything outside of Hendrick. Also, recent history has shown there is a big drop off from Hendrick===everyone else.

E) Even people who show open disdain for Jr. (DW) say that on a better team he'd have won a championship, likely multiple championships.

The idea that Kyle is better than Dale Jr. is simply laughable. Kyle is a hothead with serious driving deficiencies who will struggle when given less than top equipment. I think you're way, way off on this.

I didn't say he was better than Jr. right now. Jr. has more experience therefore he's able to make better track decisions. Yes, Jr. is behind Gordon, Johnson, and Stewart for wins, but way behind without a championship. He finished in the top 5 in 2003 and 2004. I know it's early in KB's career but he made the chase last year and I really think he'll do it this year too. He's the youngest driver in NASCAR history to win a race. Fireball Roberts held that record until KB beat it at age 20. He's also the 1st driver to win in the COT. He's not better than Jr. as a driver right now, it's still early in his career. Give it a couple more years and watch him shine. I watched JG's 1st race at Atlanta in 1992. He qualified 21st and finished 31st after he crashed. He completed I think 164 laps and I knew at that point he was my driver. I had Big E fans saying that I was nuts and that Gordon sucks because he kept crashing. I told them he would be better than Big E and I got lauhged at. Well, 4 championships later he's the most dominant driver today and he will finish 3rd in the most wins only to Richard Petty with 200 and David Pearson with 105. KB's driving style reminds me of a young Gordon. The only difference, is Gordon had Big E as a mentor, KB has Gordon, so Gordon matured a little faster. KB is always running up front. His problem is he likes to race the 1st 10 laps like they're the last 10 laps. If he can get pass that, he'll be awsome.

Jr. never had top equipment?:confused: Dude what planet are you on? He's only been with DEI. DEI is like the Taj Mahal of NASCAR. The floors in that place are so clean you can eat off of them. DEI is top equipment shiner. Seriously. Jr.'s problem is he has an idiot as a team owner. I agree, like I said in an earlier discussion of ours, Jr. would have won a couple of championships if Big E was still runnin' the show. It's too hard to compare the two, because it's so early in KB's career. I just think it's a mistake to let young talent like that go.

Jr. is way overrated. He's really more like a Rex White. Rex White wasn't that popular even though he won the Grand National championship in 1960 (it wasn't Winston Cup back then) if Jr. had a different last name, there's no way in hell he would be as popular as he is. There are/were so many drivers that blow him away, yet they don't get the publicity they deserve. I can name a few. David Pearson is one. He won the championship in 1966, 68, and 69 with 105 wins. DW won in 81' 82' and 85'. He has 84 wins, 3 championships with 59 poles, something Jr. will never accomplish. Cale Yarborough won 3 championships, and he's the only driver who won it 3 consecutive years. Those are just a few drivers, and I know of many more. Hell, Mark Martin has accomplished more than Jr. Jr. gets more recognition than him too, and he hasn't accomplished any records except for his lap record at Charlotte and his win at Texas making him the only Rookie to win at Texas. I'm not saying he sucks or anyhting, but he doens't deserve no where near as much attention as he's getting. Hell, Gordon gets beer cans thrown at him from Jr. fans when he wins races. What kind of respect is that to a 4 time champion. I've been watching/reading about this sport since I was 6 and I know a good Rookie driver when I see one, and I knew since KB's rookie year in 05' that's he's going to be really good.

He started racing Craftsman trucks when he was 16 and he was running up front too, until NASCAR changed the age rules. He almost won the Busch championship. Jr. won it twice but winning a Busch championship really doesn't mean a driver will be successful in cup cars. Jeff Green won a Busch championship too and he sucks, so it doesn't mean much because cup cars are totally different. But anyway I'm not knocking your point, I just think KB is going to be the one. If I'm wrong you can put it in my face, but until next year, we'll just have to wait and see how well Jr. does. If he performs like he's performing now, then there's no excuses. You're right, KB wouldn't perform well in bad equipment, but neither would Jr. or any other driver so that just doesn't make any sense. Actually I don't even think Jr. does that well in good equipment, but again that's Teresa causing that problem. Again, Kyle won't be stupid enough to sign on to a piss poor team. If he signs on to Joe Gibbs which has been the rumor, he'll be awesome. He'll have Tony as mentor and he's the best driver in the sport. Better than Jeff.

I'm not sure about driver drop offs from team owners. You probably know more about that than I do.

Well anyway, I'll check back in a few days. Have a nice holiday.

I know nothing about racing but I have to say my piece here. On Father's Day weekend, I camped at Michigan International Speedway with my son's Boy Scout troop. We were being paid to clean the stands after the races and got to keep the cans and bottles (10 cent returnables in Michigan) to turn in for cash. We were earning money toward my son's Scout account to pay for his future camping trips and other stuff that comes up.

It was 90 degrees + that weekend, and humid. I never saw so much concrete with so little shade in my life. When we went to clean the stands, it was totally disgusting. I never saw so many Budweiser cans in my life. And, people used them as ashtrays. People also left peanut shells all over the ground. Try sweeping up peanut shells soaked in spilled beer. Ick. It stunk so bad. So, my plea to you race fans is this: Drink the whole beer and leave us the can without the peanut shells. Throw away your other trash. Oh yeah, and it's almost impossible to sweep up beer soaked earplugs too, so take your earplugs with you, please!

Thanks :)

DEI is in no way near the Taj Mahal of equipment. Period. David Pearson, DW and,Yarborough are not racers of this day and age. Comparing them to Jr. is comparing apples to oranges. When great drivers of NASCAR are talked about these drivers are always mentioned and when appropriate their names are mentioned. They had their time for attention and news coverage. I'm sure Mark Martin got his attention in his day. It is a new era in NASCAR. The reason those drivers don't get attention much anymore is well..they aren't racing anymore. Martin is running this season but in limited races. Respect to a guy just because he is a 4 time champion? Just because someone has won 4 championships does not mean that people automatically respect him or like him. Plus tons of people have awesome rookie seasons then have horrid seasons to follow. A good rookie season means just that; a good rookie season. Jr. is getting the attention because for the past 4 years he has been voted by the fans as the most popular driver in NASCAR. You give the people what they want and the majority seem to want Jr. I'm sure if Gordon or Tony were voted most popular the coverage might change, slightly.;)

Shinerbock..you have anything else to add?

Not really, you said most of what I wanted to. I would add that comparing Kyle to drivers-past is unrealistic, considering we're far more advanced in the modern area and are putting drivers in top equipment at very young ages.

DEI was really only dialed in at restrictor plate tracks, and Hendrick eventually caught them. They were good at Atlanta, RIR and Bristol, but it varied widely.

I'd hate to see Kyle go to Gibbs, but I know its possible. I'm not sure Tony would eagerly take the kid on, but he'd be a good teacher. I think Kyle will probably be an adequate driver, but I think Jr. is about to peak, and I don't think Kyle will match that. Also, there is a fairly strong chance that Kyle will end up killing himself because he's stupidly reckless, so I'm not sure this battle will come to fruition.

Yeah, I talked to someone who had a troop there a couple of years ago. He said they had done it for a few years and make a boatload of money doing so.

You have to take the good with the bad!

I never said DEI was the Taj Majal of equipment. I said it was the Taj Majal of NASCAR, meaning the size, money, cleanliness ect. The Taj Majal of NASCAR are not my words. Those words came from DW during a tour/interview with Big E and I have to agree. As far as what the cars are set up for in concerned, yes I gotta agree with shiner on that, but DEI is top equipment so Jr. has been in top equipment throughout his career. We'll have to agree to disagree on that topic.

Past NASCAR drivers are still mentioned in trivia questions during races, so they don't have to not be racing to be mentioned. The only reason Jr. is voted the most popular driver is because he has Earnhardt as his last name. I think Jr. is a good driver, I just don't think he ever earned being voted most popular driver. What makes him so popular? I know it's not his driving. So what is it? Bill Elliot was named most popular driver more than any driver in NASCAR history. He earned it though. Why? Because the most wins he ever got in one season was 11(a lot) and he won the Winston Cup in 88', and still holds the speed record at Daytona and Dega. (because of the restrictor plates) basically he was just damn good. When Jr. fans throw beer cans at Gordon, not only are they disrespecting him, his team and his fans, they're disrespecting the sport. Period. I'd love to see them get arrested. Comparing Jr. to past drivers is not like comparing apples and oranges. New and old drivers get compared all the time. Yes, the sport is totally different now and so is the skill level, because the cars are so different, but they still get compared, I read and watch it all the time, in fact, Gordon was voted 3rd greatest driver of all time. He was the only current driver compared with past drivers like Buddy Baker, David Pearson (Silver Fox) Richard Petty, Bobby Isaac ect. ect.. I've been watching Martin race since his rookie year in 82 and I watched him when he signed on to Roush in 88 and he's never gotten the attention he deserves. Martin is a much better more focused driver than Jr. I know Jr. has more on his plate than Martin and that may be one reason why.

Stewart and Gordon have never been voted most popular driver, but yet between the two of them they have 6 championships and well over 100 wins. Something Jr. will never see. He may get one or two... if that.

LOL at shiner's comment on Kyle killing himself.:D Well, I would hope that wouldn't happen to him or anyone else. Kyle is wild, I'm not saying that he isn't. He just needs to mature thats all. The kid almost won the Daytona 500 this year, geez give the kid a break. That is so awesome. That kid is going to be something else you watch. Right now Gordon is still my driver and has been since 93' actually 92' and he will be until he retires. When he does, Kyle is taking his place. Laugh now. I got laughed at when I said Gordon was going to be good, and after 94' he ran rings around Big E.
I remember a comment Rick said to DW back in 92/93. He asked him what do you think about my new rookie? DW laughed and said, "good luck", because Gordon kept crashing. Look at him now.:)

I don't doubt Kyle.

I just don't agree on Kyle. He's an immature driver who has yet to show his talent on a lesser team. I suppose this dispute can't be settled for while, though.

I think Junior has easily earned his "most popular driver" title, unless you think it should only go to the best driver. He's come pretty close to winning the championship and was been consistently great/dominating on the sport's most popular tracks (Dega and Daytona, to a lesser degree ATL and Bristol). He's one of if not the most humble driver on the circuit, and he's shown himself to be continually devoted to his fans. He's a good driver who if he retired now, would have had a far above average career. With his transition to Hendrick, he could really solidify his place among the top drivers in NASCAR history. I see no reason why he hasn't earned his most popular title.

What makes him the most popular would probably be yes his last name, but he's pretty good looking to. That helps.;) Yes those who do throw beer cans do get arrested and banned from tracks. Jr. himself has said that he does not like it when fans do that, but he can't control what people do in the stands. While I agree with your comment on drivers being compared, my words were directed to why aren't those drivers getting recognition/coverage/attention you were talking about. I have to disagree with you on Kyle, I just don't see it.

BTW, did you think Newman was going to be awesome after his rookie season? Honest question...

I just want to thank you for having this thread. When my husband asks me what I'm reading, I'm usually crippled with embarrassment having to admit to GreekChat. But when I can throw out your NASCAR related theories to him for consideration, I think I'm partially redeemed.

You're welcome! :D

Drafting
 

Well since we couldn't agree on Kyle and Jr. Lets start something new.

If you were a Cup driver what team would you want to drive for?

2nd question. If you were racing at Dega, and you were running up front, who would you want to be your drafting partner?

I would race for Hendrick of course and I would want Tony Stewart or Jr. to be my drafting partner.

I just got a PM from shiner. He said he would want Kyle Busch to be his drafting partner. LOL. Just joking man.:D

I would race for Joe Gibbs (or Jr. Motorsports if they ever field a Cup car ) and I would want Stewart or Jr. to be my drafting partner.

Hey guys read below. This is so wrong.

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Kyle Busch won't be leaving Hendrick Motorsports until the end of the season, but if the closing laps of Saturday night's Pepsi 400 are any indication, he's already the "outsider looking in."
"The bliss is over at Hendrick Motorsports for Kyle Busch," he said, his voice hardly revealing emotion minutes after losing the race to Jamie McMurray by the width of a fender.


On the inside of the track and needing a push to get past McMurray for the lead with one lap to go, Busch looked to his right and saw Hendrick teammate Jeff Gordon. Unfortunately for Busch, Gordon was busy working with the No. 26 Ford in the outside lane.
Thankfully, older brother Kurt came to the rescue as Kyle Busch grabbed a slight advantage, only to have McMurray pull ahead by .005 seconds at the line.
Climbing from the car, Busch hinted that he expected more assistance from his own team.
"We just didn't quite have the teammate situation worked out [Saturday night]," Busch said.
When pressed on the issue later, Busch didn't back down from his comments. In fact, he added fuel to the fire, leaving one wondering if we could be seeing the beginnings of a messy divorce.
"Walking down pit road, [when] saying congratulations to Jeff Gordon, I got blown off," Busch said. "I guess I'm the outsider looking in now and I'll probably not be invited to the team meetings next week."
Interestingly enough -- and perhaps most telling -- Gordon had glowing words for McMurray in his post-race interview but failed to mention his teammate's second-place effort.
Busch was particularly miffed that with Gordon, Jimmie Johnson and Casey Mears all running in the lead group, he found no comfort in familiarity.
"There were a few opportunities for them to get behind me at the end," Busch said. "[Gordon] especially, we were running there behind him and he got passed by [McMurray].
"I was on the inside lane and Jeff was clear a lap later and could have helped us and gotten three Hendrick cars in a row but chose not to do so. He chose to stay up high and help a Roush car."
In a bit of irony, Kurt -- who finished third -- went through a similar situation at Roush before he landed the ride at Penske. Kurt had a bit of advice for his sibling.
"For Kyle, the advice I would give is to understand that you're out there working as an individual," he said. "Hendrick is fielding your cars. There's not much you can do to help the other guys so therefore there's not much you should do to expect help from the other guys."
Maybe it's being blown out of proportion, but Kyle Busch sounded like a man already resigned to having to deal with a difficult situation for the near term.
"I guess it's a situation you really don't want to have to go through, but you do," he said. "We'll get through it. We'll be fine."
For Saturday night's snub -- perceived or otherwise -- Kyle said he believes he still has the support of his team. But he issued what appeared to be a veiled warning that things best not change with 18 races to go.
"All I need are my team guys, the crew chief and the team, the guys in the engine shop, the chassis shop and the body shop, everybody gives me the same equipment they've given me the whole time," Busch said. "If that keeps coming my way, we'll be fine. I'll be just fine, the team will be just fine.
"But as soon as something changes and somebody gets an order to make the thing blow up on Lap 50, then we're going downhill. Hopefully that won't happen."
Sitting there, calmly answering questions about a situation that clearly troubled him more than he let on, Busch appeared almost defiant.
"We'll make the most of this situation, make it into the Chase and hopefully be able to challenge for the championship at the end of the year and beat them all out and say, 'I told you so,' " he said.

Kyle ran one hell of a race last night. I hope he ends up with a good team.

Kyle certainly had the best car last night. Too bad he couldn't bring it home (not that I was complaining).

I'd want to be w/ Hendrick, and I'd want Jr. as my drafting partner, no doubt.

Divers you think suck past or present
 

He didn't get much help, but he was also erratic and couldn't do anything with a far superior car. I think him taking shots at his teammates was pretty sad.

I'm not a NASCAR fan, but I have tried watching some races and I fall asleep everytime. I even tried to TiVo a race and I still fell asleep. I found more interest in the Kasey Kahne commercials than the actual races themselves.:p Kasey Kahne is SO hot!:)

I didn't say he's a bad driver, though I think he may be. He had by far the best car, and I really can't blame anyone for not helping him. When you act so carelessly on the track I think its ridiculous to expect others to come to your aid.

I dunno, perhaps. If Jimmy or Jeff were truly worried about their fate if they tried to help Kyle (which I would understand), then I can understand not giving him much help. If it wasn't that, then maybe it is pretty sketchy between teammates.

I think Gibbs would be the smart move for him, and I think Joe would be stupid to go to Toyota. Actually, I can't fathom why he would.

acting on a whim, the guy above wrote ask the person below a question. ok why do you like nascar?