'Steve Letarte Is Now Dale Jr's Crew Chief'

[Panther_99FS]

http://nascar.speedtv.com/article/cup-hendrick-motorsports-makes-crew-changes

[PRB]

And they also swapped buildings. Where the 24 and 48 were in one, and "The B Team" (5 and 88) were in the other, now 48 and 88 will be in one and the other guys in the other. I find that as interesting as the crew chief swaps...

[Panther_99FS]

Yep PRB - Hendrick Motorsports with all their swapping is looking somewhat like the NFL as of late...:bump:

[redriver6]

is Martin racing the 5 next year?

Kahne doesn't get there till 2012 right?

[EasyEd]

Hey All,

Why is anybody surprised!!!!!!

I have been pointing out for weeks that Hendrick Motorsports has been slipping this year - big time!

Facts - Jimmie 6 wins. Gordon - 0 wins, Martin - 0 wins, Jr - 0 wins - look at the other Hendrick teams - Tony Stewart - 2 wins, Ryan Newman - 1 win Regan Smith - (the testing driver) - 0 wins.

Hendricks core teams only wins from Jimmie. You think Hendrick hasn't noticed plus Toyotas up front all year except when Earnhardt/Childress engines were and now the Ford FR9 engine coming to life.

Lets add a bit more fuel to the fire.


Source: http://www.sportingnews.com/nascar/feed/2010-11/chase-championship

...Nonetheless, Johnson, crew chief Chad Knaus and team owner Rick Hendrick found a way to win, and in the words of Mike Ford, Hamlin’s crew chief, they found a source of motivation to help them.
Ford called out the No. 48 team after Hamlin won at Texas to take a 33-point lead in the Chase. According to Evernham, that lit a fire in Rick Hendrick.
“Mike Ford did a great job motivating his own team, but he motivated Rick Hendrick just as bad—and that can be a bad thing,” Evernham said.
It’s no coincidence that Hendrick called a three-hour competition meeting after the Texas race.
“It made a difference, for sure,” Johnson told Sporting News after Sunday’s race. “I think it was more of an internal thing where, in any sport, you’re looking for some comment or something to rally the troops around, and we used that to rally our guys.
“It worked well for us. I’m not sure if it was the sole cause of the big three-hour meeting—we knew that we were a little off as a company this year and maybe not as sharp as we needed to be in all aspects.”
Hendrick isn't going to allow this kind of perfomance. I'm not in the slightest surprised at the changes.

I expect you'll see more on other teams.

-Ed-

[Terry]

Ray Evernham will have a part in this too, probably as a manager associated with the 24 & 5, or possibly all four teams.

[stansdds]

Congratulations to Mike Ford! Not only did some bad or missed pit calls cost your driver a lot of points and likely the championship, but your mouth motivated the championship winning organization to improve their efforts at winning more and maybe a six-in-a-row season for Jimmie. :icon_lol:

Hendrick is not going to sit on his laurels with only one out of four teams in the winner's circle. I'm surprised he has kept Dale Jr, I didn't see LeTarte being reassigned, but since he hasn't gotten Gordon many wins, maybe he'll do better with Junior.

[Cazzie]

See, the minute I start pulling for the 48, things start getting all antsy! :icon_lol:

Caz

[redriver6]

See, the minute I start pulling for the 48, things start getting all antsy! :icon_lol:

Caz

bring back the chicken!!!!!!!!!

[Terry]

I think that last chicken was too fresh. Lay it out in the sun for a week then shake it.

[Cazzie]

bring back the chicken!!!!!!!!!

I burned that damn chikin! Let me down the last two races of the season. Like I said, I have a new fool-proof method of eliminating Jimmie Johnson from any contention for Chump Chase #6, I'll get a #48 cap and jacket and pull for him next year. With a record of 64 years pulling for losers, he's doomed I tell you, doomed. :icon_lol:

Caz

[Terry]

I burned that damn chikin! Let me down the last two races of the season. Like I said, I have a new fool-proof method of eliminating Jimmie Johnson from any contention for Chump Chase #6, I'll get a #48 cap and jacket and pull for him next year. With a record of 64 years pulling for losers, he's doomed I tell you, doomed. :icon_lol:

Caz

I'm sure the King and Dale Sr would thank you for not pulling for them.

[redriver6]

I burned that damn chikin! Let me down the last two races of the season. Like I said, I have a new fool-proof method of eliminating Jimmie Johnson from any contention for Chump Chase #6, I'll get a #48 cap and jacket and pull for him next year. With a record of 64 years pulling for losers, he's doomed I tell you, doomed. :icon_lol:

Caz

i guess i'm gonna have to try that.....i've always been a Mark Martin fan and look at where thats got him:icon_eek:

he's like the most driver ever with 2nd place championship finishes:banghead:

[Terry]

i guess i'm gonna have to try that.....i've always been a Mark Martin fan and look at where thats got him:icon_eek:

he's like the most driver ever with 2nd place championship finishes:banghead:

Mark is just too nice a guy, he won't bump the leader out of the way like Sr. did. Both owners and drivers have told him this over the years but he says if he can't do it without hitting the guy then so be it.

[Cazzie]

I'm sure the King and Dale Sr would thank you for not pulling for them.

Olden days, I was a Fireball Roberts and Junior Johnson fan, then David Pearson. I always liked old Benny Parsons too, he was really a jovial fun person to be with in person. Loved good food and good art.

In the Dale Sr. day, I did have one champion, old Dookie, Darrell Waltrip, he was the first driver in NASCAR truly approachable by any fan that liked him. He was the first NASCAR driver suited for the media too. Another fun guy before the media job swept his head away.

I know and still stay in contact with many in NASCAR. I am a very close friend with Ricky Rudd and he will drop in on me when he comes to the Martinsville races, which are close to my home.

In my day, my poppa told me to never outlive my raisins, well, that's what happened to NASCAR after 1985, it slowly began to outlive its raisins. It's big now, but its support, particularly in the south, is eroding. This past year was the best racing in years, mainly due to ridding themselves of that damn wing and letting the drivers mix it up and race a little more aggressively. Now they've gone and ruined the Nationwide series by incorporating a COT in the series.

As far as drive on Sunday, buy on Monday, the only NASCAR series that is truly stock should say, "Drive on Friday, Buy on Saturday", because the trucks are the closest thing to old timey stock car racing than any of the two main auto series. I still despise their qualifying set up.

Caz

[Cazzie]

Mark is just too nice a guy, he won't bump the leader out of the way like Sr. did. Both owners and drivers have told him this over the years but he says if he can't do it without hitting the guy then so be it.

Same reason Jeff Burton will never win a Championship.

[Terry]

Same reason Jeff Burton will never win a Championship.

Yup!

Agree with you on all the guys you mentioned, especially Benny. Would have liked to have met him.

One thing that seems somewhat better is the look of the new Nationwide cars they will run next year. All three series need this, give them some personality so I can tell them apart.

[Panther_99FS]

Agree with you on all the guys you mentioned, especially Benny. Would have liked to have met him.



I had the honor to meet Benny Parsons in person & managed to get in 10 minutes of 1-on-1 conversation at a book store where he autographed my copy of "Inside Track" --> http://www.amazon.com/Inside-Track-Documentary-NASCAR-Racing/dp/1885183593 (http://www.amazon.com/Inside-Track-Documentary-NASCAR-Racing/dp/1885183593)

He was quite nice to me & I definitely respected that :ernae:

[Cazzie]

I first met Benny in 1980 at an art gallery in Raleigh, NC, where two of my works were displayed. My good friend, Garry Hill, now a renown NASCAR artist, ran the gallery. A friendship was struck up immediately. Of all the NASCAR drivers I have met and known partially, Benny Parsons was the most intelligent on worldly matters and affairs of all. No college degree, just a self-learned knowledge by an inquisitive mind.

Of all of the past in NASCAR that have moved on, his death took me the most. He was my good friend and a good friend to everyone he met. He was genuine, no act, even on TV, Benny was Benny, there was no pretense like with Dookie.

Another person in NASCAR, whose death hurt me was Flossie Johnson, Junior's first wife. I hated it when Junior left Flossie for a floosie, because Flossie's sausage biscuits were to kill for! At every Spring and Fall race at North Wilksboro, Flossie fixed up a mess of her sausage biscuits for a bunch of us "good ol' boys" and Junior scrambled eggs (everything was homegrown, pigs, chickens, and wheat; ground into flour at a local mill) and we'd have them Sunday morning early before anyone went to the track. But Flossie was love personified, she loved people so much, you couldn't help but love her. You could feel it in her hugs, nobody but my grandma could hug me like that. If Junior wasn't racin', the place he wanted to be most was on a tractor on his farm, EasyEd can appreciate that. :salute:

[EasyEd]

Hey All,

Some really good names brought up here. None of these NASCAR drivers ever came to Montana or Washington where I might have had an opportunity to meet them. Only famous driver I have ever known was the gasman Tom Sneva from Spokane Washington where I went to high school.

Getting back to NASCAR Caz and I surprisingly apparently agree on at least David Pearson who has been my all time favorite. I think Jimmie Johnson is today's Pearson since they both drove/drive so smart on the racetrack. Pearson only tried to win the Cup 4 times and was successful 3 of those tries. How many Championships could he have had if he had driven full time? Who knows. It was so good to see him go into the Hall of Fame this year. You can have all the talent in the world but if you don't have the brains and temperment to go with em - you will never be a multi-time champion - you might win one but not many more.

I always liked Junior Johnson - a tractor man - I shoulda figured! :ernae:

-Ed-

[redriver6]

all this talk about old favorites reminded me of 'High Groove' Harry Gant....what a guy.

[Cazzie]

I disagree Ed, with exception of being more mouthy, Kyle Busch drives more like David Pearson, Jimmie is too restrained. David was a pure "race" driver, he raced to win, forget any Championship, he didn't care, at every race he got into a car to win. Kyle is the same way and both are the only drivers in all of NASCAR who can pick a lane, any lane, and race in it.

Did you know that David Pearson had a cigarette lighter installed on all his race cars? During cautions, ol' David would light one up. My man.

Caz

[Terry]

I disagree Ed, with exception of being more mouthy, Kyle Busch drives more like David Pearson, Jimmie is too restrained. David was a pure "race" driver, he raced to win, forget any Championship, he didn't care, at every race he got into a car to win. Kyle is the same way and both are the only drivers in all of NASCAR who can pick a lane, any lane, and race in it.

Did you know that David Pearson had a cigarette lighter installed on all his race cars? During cautions, ol' David would light one up. My man.

Caz

Dick Trickle just had a Zippo, but he kept one burning.

As long as we are listing some favorites lets not forget Buddy Baker and Neil Bonnet, they were real characters and great drivers.

[Cazzie]

Dick Trickle just had a Zippo, but he kept one burning.

As long as we are listing some favorites lets not forget Buddy Baker and Neil Bonnet, they were real characters and great drivers.

Neil was a great guy, but Buddy Baker is a genuine idiot, not meant to be disrespectful, just telling you the truth. I have no idea who was behind getting Buddy Baker into the broadcast booth, the man has an IQ that is bordering on 100 at best! But now he's another one that raced to win, just that his bone head and lack of talent sometimes stood in the way.

Caz

[Panther_99FS]

http://nascar.speedtv.com/article/cup-steve-letarte-humbled-by-new-challenge-has-faith-in-dale-earnhardt-jr/

[Terry]

Neil was a great guy, but Buddy Baker is a genuine idiot, not meant to be disrespectful, just telling you the truth. I have no idea who was behind getting Buddy Baker into the broadcast booth, the man has an IQ that is bordering on 100 at best! But now he's another one that raced to win, just that his bone head and lack of talent sometimes stood in the way.

Caz

I wasn't speaking to his intelligence, I like his personality. His IQ may have been low from all the times Buck whacked him.

[Thoe6969]

is Martin racing the 5 next year?

Kahne doesn't get there till 2012 right? Yeh Mark is supposed to be in the five for next year,hope the crew chief change helps him .

[Cazzie]

I wasn't speaking to his intelligence, I like his personality. His IQ may have been low from all the times Buck whacked him.

Buck might have whacked him up to a certain age, but dumb or not, Buddy Baker was a BIG man, his hands the size of my head. His races cars had to have special seats installed for his big frame. Huge man, I sure wouldn't wanna mess with him.

Caz

[Terry]

Buck might have whacked him up to a certain age, but dumb or not, Buddy Baker was a BIG man, his hands the size of my head. His races cars had to have special seats installed for his big frame. Huge man, I sure wouldn't wanna mess with him.

Caz

Would have made a great fight between Baker and Gant. Gant still looks tough as nails with all that ranch work he still does.

So who's the tough guy these days, probably Edwards.

[Cazzie]

Would have made a great fight between Baker and Gant. Gant still looks tough as nails with all that ranch work he still does.

So who's the tough guy these days, probably Edwards.

I don't know too many of the new drivers like I did those guys from the 70s and 80s. All of the newer drivers would be midgets beside most of the old day drivers, today's drivers are banty roosters, short little dudes, most don't even weight 150-lbs. None could get themselves out of a bar fight alive. :>)

Cousin Carl is the most athletic, but he ain't big. Of all of them, I'd say Brad Keselowski would be the most likely to beat the hell out of any of the others. Harvick talks a big line and acts tough, but he'd be put to test on any "real" tough guy.

Caz

[EasyEd]

Hey All,

http://www.nascar.com/video/postrace/highlights/101123/cuphomknaus1on1/index.html

Knaus on the lack of respect for JJ at 3:45. Chad says he's too nice a guy. Says Jimmy has all 3 in him. The race savvy of Pearson, the aggressiveness of Dale Earnhardt and can throw out the media jabs as good as Darrel Waltrip (as Denny got learned last week!). All when he needs to.

Johnson is another Pearson. Pearson drove hard every race but he also drove smart. Remember what Pearson did to Petty at the 74 Firecracker 400? Petty gets mad to this day when he is reminded. Jimmy is just as smart he just does not need to drive as hard all the time. Pearson did because the point system was different and he needed the money. Today only a fool goes as hard as he can every lap every race. The point system won't reward that.

-Ed-