(Photo by Jerry Markland/Getty Images for NASCAR)
Six races into a young 2009 season, it’s more apparent than ever that Joe Gibbs came out on top of Rick Hendrick when dealing between Kyle Busch and Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Negotiations between Earnhardt and cousin-crew-chief Tony Eury Jr. rose to the top of the media heap last week. The blame has to go somewhere, and most has flown Eury’s direction.
Once again, Earnhardt looked to have a top-five car at Martinsville last Sunday only to fall back and settle for eighth. It was the latest in a series of late-race follies by the No. 88 team that has them sitting 16th in points, four spots outside the Chase cutoff.
Most of the blame for the finish will unavoidably fall upon Eury, but what’s a crew chief to do?
Mid-way through the race, Earnhardt asked Eury to increase the car’s roll through the center of the corner without sacrificing forward bite.
That’s like walking a tight rope without a net to fall on. It’s like having the option to push two buttons with both being red.
It's like another impossible request from Earnhardt to the scapegoat Eury.
After that respective pit stop, the No. 88 car was never the same. Instead of continuing to progress deeper into the top 10, Earnhardt was the worst finisher out of the Hendrick Motorsports camp—behind even garage buddy Mark Martin in the No. 5 car.
Much has been made about the hierarchy of Hendrick’s organization in relation to Earnhardt’s performance. Winner Jimmie Johnson and points leader Jeff Gordon work out of one shop, while Martin and Earnhardt’s cars are built in another.
Hendrick claims the resources are the same, and based on Martin’s “best car he’s ever driven” interviews week after week, it’s easy to believe the veteran owner over enraged fans.
Kyle Busch, meanwhile, continues to win in only decently handling cars. It doesn’t have to be perfect for the winner of two points-paying races and a Budweiser Duel in 2009.
Although Hendrick would like to think it was his doing that made Busch what he is, credit a non-suppressive environment at Joe Gibbs Racing for allowing the hottest driver in NASCAR to flourish.
That’s not to say Earnhardt doesn’t bring in more money than Busch, solidifying his spot once again in the Forbes list of top-earning athletes last season.
For Rick Hendrick, though, performance is what matters. It’s what he’s built his organization around, celebrating the 25th anniversary of the team’s first win yesterday at a track where he’s found so much success.
It’s just not what Hendrick’s current lineup is built around after throwing Busch to the curb for exposure, money, and mediocrity.
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