Thursday, January 13, 2005

Earnhardt Jr. testing with new crew at Daytona
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Dale Earnhardt Jr. didn't really want to do it. It wasn't really his idea. And there are even times when he sees Tony Eury Jr. and wonders if it was the right thing to do.

But then it hits him. Working with crew chief Pete Rondeau and the former No. 15 crew was the right thing to do.



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PHOTO GALLERY
Wednesday's test session


"Working with Pete is what I need," Earnhardt Jr. said Wednesday during a break in NASCAR Preseason Thunder testing at Daytona International Speedway. "It's what I need to do. Working in that environment with those guys is what I need to be to turn that corner. I don't think anything I was doing in the past kept me from the championship but that's the kind of corner I need to turn to get there.

"Hopefully I'm right. I ain't always been right, but hopefully this time I am."

Earnhardt Jr., far and away NASCAR's most popular driver, has been on the verge of becoming a championship driver since he joined its top series in 2000. Earnhardt has won 15 times over that span, including last year's Daytona 500.

He's won over a legion of fans as large as any in NASCAR's storied history and many point to Earnhardt Jr. as the driver to lead the sport well into the 21st century.

But there's one thing missing: a championship. Despite a solid season in 2004 that got him in the Chase for the Nextel Cup, Earnhardt Jr. slipped in the final 10 races to finish fifth in points. That was a two-position drop over 2003, perhaps causing the powers that be at Dale Earnhardt Inc. to look at its two Nextel Cup teams.


Credit: Lynne Lampinski/Turner Sports Interactive

Inside the Numbers
Wednesday afternoon
test speeds
No. Driver MPH
1. D. Jarrett 186.453
2. J. Gordon 185.736
3. G. Biffle 185.094
4. J. Mayfield 184.972
5. E. Sadler 184.926
6. M. Bliss 184.839
7. R. LaJoie 184.831
8. B. Said 184.824
9. Ku. Busch 184.528
10. M. McLaughlin 184.475
11. R. Rudd 184.358
12. M. Waltrip 184.181
13. K. Wallace 184.087
14. K. Petty 183.835
15. J. Leffler 183.797
16. R. Newman 183.643
17. T. Kvapil 183.397
18. C. Edwards 183.348
19. Ky. Busch 183.299
20. D. Earnhardt Jr. 183.206
21. J. McMurray 183.091
22. M. Shepherd 182.205
23. C. Mears 182.190
24. M. Skinner 182.101
25. K. Earnhardt 181.108
26. J. Fuller 180.658

Inside the Numbers
Cumulative test speeds
(through Wednesday)
No. Driver MPH
1. D. Jarrett 186.455
2. J. Gordon 185.736
3. R. LaJoie 185.231
4. B. Said 185.181
5. G. Biffle 185.094
6. J. Mayfield 184.972
7. E. Sadler 184.926
8. M. Bliss 184.839
9. Ku. Busch 184.528
10. M. McLaughlin 184.475
11. R. Rudd 184.358
12. M. Waltrip 184.181
13. K. Wallace 184.087
14. K. Petty 183.835
15. J. Leffler 183.797
16. R. Newman 183.643
17. M. Shepherd 183.527
18. T. Kvapil 183.397
19. C. Edwards 183.348
20. D. Earnhardt Jr. 183.329
21. Ky. Busch 183.299
22. J. McMurray 183.091
23. K. Earnhardt 182.626
24. C. Mears 182.190
25. M. Skinner 182.101
26. J. Fuller 180.658


So Earnhardt Jr. and Michael Waltrip essentially swapped teams, with Rondeau coming from the No. 15 team and Tony Eury Jr. going to Waltrip's bunch.

There has been much speculation over why the switch was made, especially when Earnhardt Jr. said last year he'd rather lose with the Eurys than win with someone else.

Earnhardt Jr. said Tuesday the alleged friction between he and the Eurys wasn't as bad as many thought.

"Tony Jr. and I have always been really competitive," Earnhardt Jr. said. "The things that we enjoy and the things we do and how we treat each other away from the racetrack is totally different than what you may have seen during the year. I could easily go back.

"The situation wasn't that bad where I said, 'Man, I've got to get out of here.' I wasn't necessarily the guy who spoke first. I came into the office at the shop (after the season), and they presented me with a couple with a few scenarios. We got a few people from each team and discussed it for about two or three weeks. I walked in one day, and they had it all figured out. I said 'All right, I'm fine with that. Sounds OK. We'll do this.'"

The move hasn't paid instant dividends during testing, but Earnhardt Jr. isn't too worried about his slow speed thus far.

His top speed so far was 183.329 mph set Wednesday morning. After the afternoon session, that slots Earnhardt Jr. in 20th of the 26 drivers taking laps at Daytona this week.

Earnhardt Jr.'s afternoon speed was 183.206, 20th during the session.

"We're not really that fast right now," Earnhardt Jr. said. "We're kind of struggling real bad. We were pretty decent (Tuesday). We've got a brand-new car that they built, and one of the cars that they ran in the past with Mike. The new car was pretty decent. I was pretty happy with it.

"We got done practicing, shut the doors, came back this morning and jumped right in there again, and we've lost about four-tenths somewhere."

Big deal, Earnhardt Jr. said.

"I ain't really too worried about it," Earnhardt Jr. said. "I think the car will draft, good. If we have to start in the back, we'll just cut right up through there, I think."

Dale Jarrett was quickest of everyone Wednesday afternoon, going 186.455 mph in his Robert Yates Racing Ford. That's the top time of 2005 testing. Jarrett, a three-time Daytona 500 winner, edged Jeff Gordon's 185.736 mph lap Wednesday.

Greg Biffle was third Wednesday afternoon at 185.094, with Jeremy Mayfield fourth at 184.972 and Jarrett teammate Elliott Sadler fifth at 184.926.

Should Earnhardt Jr. struggle once the 2005 season opens, he knows the fingers will be pointed at Rondeau.

"It's going to be tough," Earnhardt Jr. "People are going to talk one way or another. If we had stayed together, people would say we should have changed. There's always talk about that. When we'd get inconsistent (last year) or have a bad day -- who was at fault?

"I never really came out and said anything to these guys I'm working with now, but it's tough when you're walking around in that red uniform. It was hard on Tony Jr. and Tony Sr. and that team because they just wanted to work and be in their little world. But when you're not in your own world, you can't be. It's going to be a different experience for them. Hopefully they'll handle it pretty good.

"There is a lot of pressure but I can totally see where this thing will go either way. Eventually we'll do what it takes to do to get it right. If it starts out stumbling we'll just have to work hard to get it right. I'm prepared for any of that."


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