2008 Preseason No. 6: Dale Earnhardt Jr.

No. 88 AMP Energy Drink/National Guard Chevy

2008 Spin
With the shock of Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s defection to perennial powerhouse Hendrick Motorsports long gone, the 33-year old is now ready to saddle up in the best equipment he has ever driven. And after a 2007 season littered with engine failures and disappointment — it was the first full season in his career that Earnhardt Jr. did not post a victory — the five-time Most Popular Driver Award winner is chomping at the bit for a fresh start.

Come February, he’ll get it, in what’s part of the most anticipated owner/driver pairings in recent history. In landing with Hendrick, Earnhardt Jr. joins three teammates who all enjoyed the spoils of victory in 2007. Driving for the former No. 25 team, Earnhardt will see his number change to ‘88’ as he shares a shop with the ride’s former occupant, Coca-Cola 600 winner Casey Mears. Next door reside Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson (perhaps you’ve heard of them), the duo that only combined to win 16 times in ’07, not to mention the six Cup championships they’ve piled up over the years. 

Besides winning teammates, Junior will also have plenty of information, via Hendrick’s open book policy. Having three other teams to bounce ideas off of is something new to Earnhardt, who reportedly suffered from a lack of teamwork at DEI. And the equipment? Make no mistake about it — the cars he’ll drive are the best in the business. Consider this: Earnhardt in 2007 had five more engine failures than the four-car Hendrick organization combined.

Longtime sponsor Budweiser moved on to Gillett Evernham Motorsports, but replacing it was no problem. Earnhardt found plenty of love from Mountain Dew’s Amp Energy Drink and the National Guard, who combine to share sponsorship in ’08.

The final piece to the puzzle comes in longtime crew chief and cousin Tony Eury Jr. When the two put aside the family differences, they communicate well, but Eury has never worked the Hendrick system. It might take him a while to adjust to the harder-working style. Still, a familiar face on the pit box should quicken the transition, and given Earnhardt’s prowess on superspeedways, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him find Victory Lane as early as Daytona — as a matter of fact, one can almost bet on a victory in one of the Speedweek events. Beyond that? Well, it may take this team a couple months to jell at the downforce-dependent venues, but the pressure will be on to step up quickly, which is exactly what Earnhardt wanted.

Opposing Crew Chiefs’ Take
“How is Junior going to do? That’s hard to say. I don’t think DEI was that bad, for one thing. Can Dale Jr. run week in and week out with (Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon)? It’s all up to him. Does he have the same talent? It’d be hard for me to take (former driver) Kyle Busch out and put anyone else in it. … It’s going to be such a different world for Junior. He’ll have great cars and get some wins, but he’s pretty far off the mark as far as winning the championship. … Junior should’ve been assigned to Alan Gustafson. Some of Alan’s polish might’ve been good for Junior, and Junior’s natural personality would’ve been good for Alan.”

Fantasy Stall
Looking at Checkers:  The apple didn’t far fall from the tree when it comes to plate racing.
Pretty Solid Pick:  His best average finishes are at the short tracks.
Good Sleeper Pick:  His already respectable intermediate track performance should improve at Hendrick.
Runs on Seven Cylinders: Junior isn’t among those who can be counted on at road courses.
Insider Tip: Junior’s plate racing skills plus Hendrick power could prove to be a potent combo.

For more in-depth driver news and hard-hitting features, order your 2008 Athlon Sports Racing Annual here.