Kyle Busch led 378 laps en route to winning the March 22 Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway. Yet for many fans and media types, his dominant performance was not the most compelling story of the weekend.
As usual, the spotlight was tilted toward the resident rock star of the sport.
Two days before the race at BMS, Dale Earnhardt Jr. created headlines in newspapers and shock waves across cyberspace when he defended his embattled crew chief and cousin Tony Eury Jr. in a candid news conference.
“I like working with the guy,” said Earnhardt, who had clearly grown weary with the line of questioning. “It is up to the professionals and experts to figure out what we need to be a winning race team.”
Earnhardt, who finished 14th in the Food City 500, has been examined from many angles since joining the powerful Hendrick Motorsports organization last season. To the dismay of his fans, Earnhardt has made mistakes on the track and on pit road.
Responding to heavy pressure, car owner Rick Hendrick finally reassigned Eury Jr. on May 29 as crew chief after Earnhardt limped home to a 40th place finish in the May 24 Coca-Cola 600 at Lowe’s Motor Speedway.
Lance McGrew, known more for his tireless work habits than commanding personality, became the cheerleader for Earnhardt. After some initial success with McGrew, Earnhardt resumed his lackluster ways.
It’s easy to link lackluster television ratings for NASCAR races this season to the struggles of the iconic Earnhardt. Just consider the TV ratings for professional golf events when Tiger Woods is not around to serve as the headliner.
Though some fans have long grown weary of the Earnhardt story, there’s no mistaking the magnetic pull of the fun-loving son of seven-time NASCAR Cup champion Dale Earnhardt.
At some tracks, it appears as if three-fourths of the fans are decked out in Earnhardt colors. Members of the far-flung “Junior Nation” stand by their blue-collar man no matter the circumstances. And much like a massive group therapy session, Earnhardt fans spend hours each night lamenting the sad plight of their hero on various NASCAR-themed Web sites.
The 2009 Sprint Cup season has featured a variety of interesting topics. There’s been the renaissance of 50-year-old Mark Martin, the theatrics of Kyle Busch, and the chemically fueled soap opera involving Jeremy Mayfield.
Yet no topic generates more interest than Earnhardt Jr. From talk radio to message boards, self-styled experts have offered a wide range of theories as to why Earnhardt struggles despite driving for the most powerful team in the sport. Some believe Earnhardt is too distracted by his outside business interests. Others contend that he has lost his competitive fire and needs to work himself into better physical condition.
For those rare folks who take an objective view of this hot topic, it’s clear that Earnhardt has failed to adjust to NASCAR’s new model ride.
Aggressive drivers such as Tony Stewart, Jimmie Johnson and Kyle Busch are well-suited to the loose-handling characteristics of the Car of Tomorrow. Yet, Earnhardt never seems to be able to find a comfort zone.
Minor handling issues with the No. 88 National Guard Chevrolet often become major.
With each race, it’s becoming increasingly clear that the problem goes far deeper than the volatile working relationship between Earnhardt and Eury.
Much like the twisted saga of Michael Jackson, the Dale Earnhardt Jr. chronicles seemingly have no end.
Dale Jr. might not win the Sharpie 500 next weekend at Bristol Motor Speedway, but he will command attention.
Such is the life of a rock star.
agregory@bristolnews.com|(276) 645-2544
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