Will Dale Earnhardt Jr. Make The Chase?
Thursday August 30, 2007
This Sunday's Sharp AQUOS 500 marks the next-to-last race before the top twelve drivers are locked into the 2007 Chase for the Cup. Dale Earnhardt Jr. currently stands thirteenth, 158 points behind twelfth place Kurt Busch. If Junior is going to have a chance at closing the gap he needs to cut into the gap significantly during this Sunday's race.
Do you think that Dale Earnhardt Jr. and fourteenth place Ryan Newman still have a shot at the 2007 Chase? Here are my preview and predictions for the 2007 Sharp AQUOS 500.
Comments
Unless Kurt or Truex Jr. slip up really bad there is no chance.
That comment should make me popular……NOT
I know there are a lot of #9 fans on this blog. Please give me a reason to pick him for my Fantasy squad. I just cant bring myself to do it. Take away last week at Bristol and he is a fantasy pick nightmare. I wanna pick him, but I dont think I can….
Maybe its me, but Jr seems to be lack luster now day’s .Its like he’s at work and he’s not enjoying it .The Chase pressure ,number change,next year,media and some bad luck maybe are to much to handle at this point.I bet you once all this stuff settles down Jr will kick some major tail !! GO JR
Newman passes JR, but does not make the chase!!!!!!!!!! GO NEWMAN
newman cant drive without his traction control he proved that well. # 9 was a fluke
Junior will not make the chase, but next year I predict a major change. You can not tell me, no matter how many denials Jr. is making, that the lack of support from DEI is not effecting him this season. How many more engine failures are going to occur and how often is Teresa going to blame Dale, Jr.’s driving as the source of DEI’s lack luster performance without some effect on Number Eight? The break from DEI to Henrick with a new number will release Junior from the monkey on his back. I even believe Teaming with Gordon and Johnson will be beneficial as their is a definate team spirit in Henricks and there is a sign of welcome in the way Jeff and Junior having been doing things this season in little things I have observed.
Jr’s Out as well as Newman.
Why would Jr take The Wicked Step Mom of the North to a Chase?
Lets See:
No Bud
No #8
=’s No Chase.
When U addmit to over Reving motors and have almost a hand full of engine failures it should be clear.
Your making a point!!
If you all can’t see it then take off your blinders, Its Jr’s last Stand.
Sad he was forced to play these tatics.
I have a hard time believing JR would intentionally snowball and not make the chase, but without the two DNF’s for blown engines and 100 point penalty for the spoiler brackets he would be 300+ points up the line. Just have to hope for a much better 2008!
This is like saying who is going to win the super bowl before the post season. And why would JR. sandbag?????????
HotRod it’s not Junior’s last stand and he’s not “forced to play these tactics.” I guess I have become a Teresa basher, but it is her lack of support through DEI that has created Junior’s situation. Unless you believe that Junior damaged his own engines and is addressing the media in drag giving them negative comments about himself. I am a Jeff Gordon fan, but want to see the Earnheart name restored. Right now Queen Teresa’s actions are destroying DEI. Junior will have a new sponser next year. How about Samuel Adams and a new number. How about 332 which sure adds up. Believe me Henrick, Gordon and Johnson appreciate the team member they are getting.
I am a huge Jr. fan, but I think he has taken his eye off the ball this year. With all the things that have gone on in his career this year, on the surface he may be saying he is giving 110% for DEI, but in his heart, he is already a Hendricks driver.
I predict he will have an average year next year, make the chase but not the championship. In two years, he will be a strong contender for the Cup.
TLabontefan — go ahead, pick #9 KK as your fantasy driver. He’s not a Chaser this year, but he’s got the talent, he just needs the right setup. He got it at Bristol. It was no fluke that he won, what, 6 times last year?
Re Junior, no, he won’t make the Chase. Seems like he gets within striking distance of winning, but falls back. I dunno, but it’s like he’s often missing that one extra spark that’ll put him in Victory Lane.
Hopefully, he’ll be hungry for victories in 2008.
#9 is a fluke, I watch him when he was driving the sprints here in WA. state. The best thing he did for the sport of sprints here was to leave. As I said in another comment on this site, he’s so well like (NOT) he could not sell out all of the tickets for his charity race, even with Tony helping him.
You like him thats ok, he is a average driver, Remember my words He will never when a championship.
stick a fork in him hes been done for years Any other driver would have been punted to the field-filler pile for his less than consistant performance.One win and one pole since 04 JUUUNYER
Caseys Yak is weak because his boss is going thru a mid-life crisis and lost major sponser dollars as well as respect due to his romance with the boyish looking Crocker……Maybe Casey and Elliot have to put out to keep their rides and thats why they suck this year.
# 14 WALTRIP 55- I know you are not talking about Jr. # 55 can’t make a race let along the pole. His last win was in 2003 (nascar.com)
did you see the Bristol race? The Napa Camry looked really nice going faster than the fastest car,and finished in the top 25.No duh that Waltrip hasnt won in years,but he at least does his own thing,and doesnt blame others for his inadequecies.He at least is popular in his own right,not gleaning most of his fan base from his dead father
WALTRIP 55 So that is your problem, he has fan base? So you blaming him because in your own words from his late dad? I don’t know but every time I heard him he took responsbility, when things went wrong. Yes I did see the race between snoozes, Yes I noticed jr was in the top 5 at bristol. So Waltrip has a nice looking rice burner.
No wonder Jr. looks embarrased when he speaks about his fans. Toyota has been building vehicles starting in the state of Kentucky for over thirty years,last time I looked,thats the USA,WHATS UP CHEVY LOVERS? feeling threatened ?
Dang Bob,lighten up….I feel that Mr E. knows that on the grand stage of Cashcar,that by their standards,he doesnt measure up,he seems to have the integrity to fess up about it,but it seems to make him squirm
Junior has not convinced me that he’s a real contender for ANYTHING yet! I like him. I WANT him to do well, but week after week, it’s the same unfocussed, in a fog kind of post-race interview that continues to show me he is floundering. All he has is his Dads name so far and a lot of potential. What if he stinks up Hendricks? How long before we call him another Michael Waltrip. Just cuz he’s popular doesn’t mean he’s any good!
NO!!!!!
yea toyota builds cars and pickups well what we should say puts cars and pickups “TOGETHER” in the states with JAPAN made parts. Nothing is made here. That way toyota can save taxes on a non finished product to the government. Everybody gets that confused. Look it up sometime.
Waltrip 55 Lighten up? I’m already lighten up nothing for me to get heated over. These are just opinions. It’s fun every time I call you on something you back off and try to find something new to find wrong with him.
Threaten over Toyota? Nope, no need. I owned Toyotas, Honda’s Yes rice burners, and other Foreign makes as well of many of AMERICAN made products, Except mopar products. What I found not one of them was better than the other over all. Some years a few problems with a make but over all no difference with relibility. I do know one thing when something did go wrong with my toyota, honda it cost alot more to get it fix. Threaten? Sure alot of those cars at the repair shops, and alot of private repair shops for them also. Does that say something? Nope, I don’t work for the auto industry thats hurting because people buying the over rated autos from other countries. Yes gm, ford mopar messed up but which copany hasn’t one time or another? American cars are high priced? not any more than the others. Remember some of them are put together here but not made here, difference.
I luv how we morphed from junior getting in the chase to Toyota’s VS American Cars. I started driving Toyota’s in 1970 in Texas. First car seated four and cost $1300, but I don’t see Henricks Motorsports switching at this time so the issue is a mute point. Except to those who believe Ford, Chevy, GMC, etc are all American made products. They need a visit to the Twilight Zone. My daughter’s Chevy Metro blew the transmission and she had to wait two weeks for it to arrive, dare I say, from Honda. Meanwhile I still say Junior will be great next year driving his YUGO.
Very true not all chevy, fords etc made here, no doubt. Chevy colbot, metro etc made in Korea. Some cars in Mexico, some in Canada and few other places. But the profits comes HERE and not Japan, etc.
Cant say that you have called me on anything Bob…you get your ruffle in an uproar when anyone dares to put mr E. in a ungodlike light,he really is mortal,and when he announced where he would drive next year, the sun did continue to rise over NC. LLOYD is absolutely correct,probably the only thing American made and manufactured is a Harley. Hey,if not a Yugo,how bout a Bricklin? Or an Eagle Medallion? He will be better satisfied in his life by being a great owner/mentor to others [JUUUNYER] except of course Shane Hmiel
On this issue of American vs Japan cars. Remember a few years back When Chevy had the Nova in the late 1990’s? Chevy could hardly sell them because it was a chevy. Toyata was selling one of there’s like crazy. Toyota was higher priced than the chevy model. How blindly people are those two models came off the same assymbly line same parts same everything except one said toyota and the other chevy.
For your info it’s not uncommon to manufactures use other parts. Kia when they first came out around 1994 used Mazda power train. Gm owns iszue (mispelled), saab and others. fords owns mazda, landrover, jag, volvo and few others. All have stakes in others too.
Waltrip 55 sorry to bust your bubble I just thinks it’s stupid when a person down and/or say things like you did to a person for no reason at all. Jr god like nope I like him just as much I like Mikey. I would say the same to you if you was talking about Mikey. Harley, the over rated high priced bikes? The ones are are so unreliable bikes? The ones for some odd reason when people buy them they have to wear (I think) dumb looking helments, black leathers and bandanas have them so loud, to make them to feel like they are real bikers, harleys?
Now try again.
fallen off your bi-polar meds Bob?
WALTRIP 55, Funny thing I was just going to ask the same to you. When the only thing you say comes from your imagination and can’t back it up, when called upon.
Enough of this, done talking to a kid.
Other than personal opinions that come from your id,just what are you referring to? I can back up anything I say,and thanks for the compliment Bob,at least I can spell
Most likely not.Next year we will see if its the car or driver.I think DEI has given him crap since they found out he is “moving on”
To my fellow forum friends,I apologize for my bad behavior.This is a forum for all things racing,not half-witted personal comments,and I am sorry for that. Anybody like Fontana Raceway? I find it boring,but I AM A RACING JUNKIE, and right now am absorbing Busch practice GO REUTIMMAN
Regarding the Toyota verses Chevy deal (sorry Steve, we are so far of your topic) everyone look around your house and stop being so hypocritical.
look at your drivers apparel…made in Bangladesh or Honduras. Look at your Nascar hat, made in China. Look at your drivers die cast, made in China. Look at the TV you watch the race on, made in China. Look at the computer you are reading this on, made in China. Look at the XBox or Wi you play your Nascar games on, made in China. Look at the camera you take pictures with at the track, made in China.
I have been thru American auto assembly plants. If you get the oppertunity, you should. It is amazing the ineffecencies there is everywhere and the little work they do for such high pay. No wonder customers buy Toyotas. I will be trading my wifes Chrysler 300 in on a Toyota very soon. Why? POOR QUALITY! Count up the number of auto recalls and compare American brands to overseas brands. Guess who the looser is?
It is embarrassing how the quality of workmanship has declined in American cars and how overseas cars have surpassed us in quality and sales.
Waltrip 55 When all else fails play schoolteacher.
1969rs My friend, you better look up the recalls Toyota has it may surprise you. Yes, the domestics has them but Toyotas is right with them for the past a year or two. The thing about it, the media don’t play up the recalls on Toyotas, Hondas, etc like they do with the domestics guess it makes better news.
As far as Junior making the chase I don’t think he will because I am watching final practice right now and they are talking about how the engine shop at DEI is telling their drivers not to put more than 60 practice laps on the motors because they have a 500 mile race tomorrow Which tells ME The motors not drivers are in Question. Come on guys don’t they(at the engine shop) know how many practice laps they usually run? Can’t they make an engine that will last more than 620 miles they do for the coca-cola 600 don’t they?
IS A PIG PORK, IS THE POPE CATHOLIC, H— YES!!
Jr. will miss the chase because he has yet to prove he is one of the elite drivers of Nascar. If he misses the chase next year, Jr’s fans will blame Rick Hendrick just like they blamed Teresa this year. Bottom line is this: Jr. doesn’t have the talent his father had.
Dale Jr. should take number 83 – his fathers number and his old number combined.
3 hrs to race time jr won’t be any closer to the chase after the race than he is now.
I think Dale Jr. still has a bit of chance left. The way he has been running tha past couple of races should prove it. I hope he does make it, since all tha stuff he been threw with his step-mother.