Naked NASCAR truth: Junior sells apparel but has no clothes
Nobody likes the brothers Busch. They’re mean and snarky and they’ll wreck you for no reason. (Kurt and Kyle are also really good drivers, which makes it even worse.) But in the new world of nicey-nice NASCAR it takes a mean and snarky guy to tell the truth, and Busch the Younger told it last week at Dover, Del.
“It’s never Junior,” Kyle Busch told the media. “It’s always the crew chief.”
His many fans have spent many years making excuses for Dale Earnhardt Jr., who’s the most overrated figure in American sports. (That’s unless/until Brett Favre unretires again, in which case he laps the field.) Earnhardt has won one Cup race in 1,100 days. When he was with DEI, it was said he was too good for his wicked stepmother’s shop. But now he has been part of Rick Hendrick’s imperial garage for 17 months, and nothing has changed.
Last week Hendick fired Tony Eury Jr., Earnhardt’s longtime crew chief and also his cousin. Junior ranks 18th in points, putting him a distant fourth on his four-man team. The journeyman David Reutimann, driving for Michael Waltrip’s modestly outfitted group, won the truncated Coca-Cola 600 a week ago. The sport’s most popular driver finished 40th.
Loading ...At Dover on Sunday, Earnhardt finished 12th and pronounced himself pleased with new crew chief Lance McGrew. That, too, will pass. Soon Earnhardt will again be finishing up the track, as we say in horse racing, and Junior Nation will scrounge for someone else to blame.
Kyle Busch again: “If Junior doesn’t run well again, then [the crew chief] is going to be ‘the problem’ again.”
Dale Earnhardt Jr. is 34, older than his far more accomplished teammate Jimmie Johnson. How long will it be until something actually becomes his fault? How long until Junior grows up?
Tell us what you think about the site
Customer Care »
Vacation stops, manage subscriptions and more
AJC Services
Sections
Other Editions
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
65 comments Add your comment
Oh Smoltzie where art thou??
June 2nd, 2009
2:54 pm
KG if NASCAR drivers suck so bad then why do all of these great drivers from other sports suck so bad when they come into NASCAR??? Don’t have an answer for that one do you!! Because NASCAR is not that easy and is more physically demanding than other forms of auto racing, thats all their is to it.
As far as Jr. goes…he has the talent to run up front and I do believe that Eury Jr. has been holding him back for the last few years. He just needs to put his heart and mind into it and get on the same page with a great crew chief (Lance McGrew) and get his career back on track! He was on the right track years ago but his dad’s death sort of derailed it in a way and I think he has been struggling to uphold his dad’s name rather than having fun racing which is what he should be doing!
Just my humble opinion!
knuckledragger18
June 2nd, 2009
3:05 pm
kurt busch 15 wins 23 million won
jr 18 wins 47 million won
wonder who better
HAHA
June 2nd, 2009
4:06 pm
I love all of the rednecks! seems only 1 out of every 6 or 7 posts are grammatically correct! Marshall… you need some help there! Long, drawn out, and some type of grammatical error every other word! But then again, we are dealing with back-wood hill-billies!
Gotta love NASCAR! Now go get em, Dale! Show the world what a true waste of non-talent you are! Maybe along the way, you can do a few more endorsements, and hang the racing thing that you call a “career” up, and just sit back and count the dollars in the bank! That’s about the only thing you have going for you!
HAHA
nascar now is "stroking"
June 2nd, 2009
4:07 pm
Millions for winning points race is an impediment to real “hard chargin” type racing. nascar would be better served by awarding super bonus just for winning the race and/ for leading most laps.
And, many races are won by a fast pit crew or the guy computing fuel mileage…real exciting.
NASCAR=not so entertaining any more.
88 sponsor is NG…wonder what they think about “stroking”?
marc
June 2nd, 2009
5:57 pm
KG you claim to be an “expert” on sports car racing and as such opine that NASCAR drivers don’t possess near the talent of the sporty car set.
But as a self described “expert” shouldn’t you know that NASCAR driver beat seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher head-to-head during the 2008 Race of Champions?
Shouldn’t you also know Jeff Gordon beat Christijan Albers and Sébastien Bourdais in the 2005 event?
Shouldn’t you also be aware Jimmie Johnson and co-drivers finish seventh, despite transmission problems throughout the event, in this years 24 hours of Daytona?
Are you not aware many NASCAR drivers have competed in the 24 hours of Daytona and have competed on even terms with the much more experienced sports car drivers?
KG, it all begs a question: If you know so little about your self-professed expertise of sports car racing shouldn’t you refrain from any comments on NASCAR drivers and their talent and for that matter sports car racing as well?
In short KG, your clueless.
marc
June 2nd, 2009
6:07 pm
And BTW Mr. Bradley.
That you call David Reutimann a journeyman (76 career starts) tells us all we need to know about your so-called expertise on the sport of NASCAR.
Atlanta Journal Constitution » Blog Archive » Naked NASCAR truth: Junior sells apparel but has no clothes
June 3rd, 2009
2:26 am
[...] Mark Bradley | ajc.com – [...]
KG
June 3rd, 2009
6:57 am
Mark, Wally, Winder Redneck, clearly you guys are out of your element.
#1. Nascar is more demanding on drivers- WRONG put a little thought into that moron. Nascars don’t brake and turn right and can’t hold 3 and 4 gs through corners. Your truly stupid. Clearly no thought was put into that!
#2 Claiming that Nascar drivers won out over “real” drivers in staged race-REALLY? you tard, Really redneck? Are you that stupid? Really? Your gonna make that hold water?
#3 Drivers from other series can’t compete in Nascar? WRONG Montoya’s had more polls and victories than Little E in the last two years. Suck it rednecks
#4 You really don’t feel that GM and Chrysler sold themselves short buy building junk cars while stupid necks like yourself continue to buy them all while spending billions(over decades) to support this stupid form of motor sport so redneck like you will keep the junk cars? Its a vicious cycle that has managed to brainwash morons like you into thinking that your Impala is as of the same quality as a BMW. Stupid neck! Put a little more thought into that!
#5 Name one driver from Nascar that has been invited to drive in F1? That hasn’t been laughed at. Remember Kyle Busch, months ago he was basically humiliated when “everyone” found out it was a joke when Toyota wanted him to test for them.
#6 7th place in the Rolex 24? AND? In real race cars, you change the gearbox! Douche!
CLEARLY WHAT I HAVE SAID ON THIS BLOG IS CLEARLY OVER THE HEADS OF MOST!
MY BAD, YOU REDNECKS CAN HAVE YOUR BLOG BACK! NOW GO OUT A PICK UP THEM TRASH CANS!
BubbaDaBaller
June 3rd, 2009
9:27 am
The Crown Prince of NASCAR doesn’t have the drive or desire like his father…I’ve been watching NASCAR for 30 years and noticed that when the “Big Money” came into NASCAR a number of drivers (Rusty, Schrader, Cope, Bodine(s) etc) were content to start, drive around the track without the intention of winning and pick up a check at the end of the day. Jr’s got so much $$$ coming in from everything but the “Pay Window” at the Track, “he don’t need to win”. Its very much like the PGA Tour 110 Card Holders and maybe only 15-20 of those have shot at winning an event. The other 90 circle the “Track” collect all their “freebies” and move to the next event…PS I don’t blame him…if people want to “throw” money at me for being me…I’d do it all day long…On top of a Camel, on top of a house & even with a mouse…
Tom
June 4th, 2009
2:49 am
If you can name one time that Dale Jr has blamed anyone but himself then I wont call you an idiot for writing this unbalanced article Mr Bradley. On the other hand, Kyle Busch blames everyone and everything but himself for a poor showing. Lets not forget Kyle’s customary stomping off the track while pouting like a sixteen year old girl because she’s not the prettiest girl in class.
Big AL
June 4th, 2009
7:02 am
Finally the TRUTH ! Has anyone in Sports every gone farther on Daddy’s rep ? (also an overrated bully)
GOOD ARTICLE
GO BUSCH !
Kevin
June 5th, 2009
8:03 am
Danica Patrick U kiddin she can’t win a race only thing she good at is gettin naked on Go daddy dot.com…If she spend time racin not posein she win….she the dale Jr of racin they both blame the crew chief….lets face it dale sr when was alive made his son race ever since his father died his son did to….I feel he just lost his will to win is all afraid of gettin killed also…as for K.bush he brash bold n speaks his mind n gives 100% all the time.
DW
June 5th, 2009
10:23 am
Dale Jr. is partially popular because his dad died. If his dad were still alive, does anyone really think “Little E” would be as popular or as well-known as he is now?
joe
December 9th, 2009
1:54 pm
Obviously you have no clue about Bret Favre. Where do you come up with your comparison obviously it isn’t from facts. Look at Jr.s records and see how many he has broken and look at Bret’s and see how many he has broken you will see the scale is tipped in Favre’s favor big time . What planet are you from
Naked NASCAR truth: Junior sells apparel but has no clothes | Nascar News Update
April 4th, 2010
6:30 am
[...] Naked NASCAR truth: Junior sells apparel but has no clothes [...]