No More Excuses: Dale Earnhardt, Jr. Needs To Win

Dale Earnhardt, Jr. needs to win. He doesn't just need to win one NASCAR race; he needs to win multiple races.
 
Earnhardt had a very public split from his father, the late Dale Earnhardt's company Dale Earnhardt Incorporated. Often public battles with his stepmother played out like a soap opera at times. All of this ended in a news conference announcing his addition to Hendrick Motorsports in 2008.

DEI (now Earnhardt Ganassi Racing) wasn't giving him the equipment to be competitive and Teresa Earnhardt didn't seem willing to split ownership with him.

So Earnhardt left.

When Earnhardt won at Michigan last year, most of his fans thought there would be more wins to come, more celebrations, and possibly a long-awaited title to claim.

However, Earnhardt’s team made mistakes both on pit road and on the track throughout the season. They had mechanical issues and communication issues and fell apart during the “chase” in which he finished a disappointing 12th.

Earnhardt’s fans make him the most popular driver in the garage and the most visible. His fans are loyal and they stand by him. They justify every bad season and every bad race. They are never willing to honestly answer the question: Will he ever win a championship?

The answer is no.

Yes, it’s a tough answer to take, but it's true. It's unfortunate for Earnhardt because his struggles come at a time in NASCAR when we are seeing the best this sport has seen in the last 20 years.

It's not that he will never win another race. He will win again, but he cannot afford to go another two seasons between winning a race. Not when drivers are winning seven, eight, or nine races a year.

So many other drivers carry such high expectations from the fans, the media and other drivers. I don't know how many articles I have read in the last year claiming Jeff Gordon is washed up, or too old, or doesn't have it anymore. The guy won four championships, has 81 wins and still he gets treated like a has-been by some.

But do we see articles claiming Earnhardt is overrated? Washed up?

It appears the media loves Earnhardt as much as his fans do, because the answer is “No.”

Earnhardt has the talent and he has the best equipment. Not winning consistently lies on him and his team. It lies primarily on the driver, because he is the one in the car each Sunday.

It's mental mistakes that have cost Earnhardt races in the past. He needs to learn to overcome the obstacles and issues that every race and every track throws at a driver.

Earnhardt is still proving himself. Until he wins a championship or wins consistently, Earnhardt might be the most popular driver right now, but he'll never have the legacy of a champion.

He has a lot to live up to in this sport. His father is by far the most loved and popular driver this sport has ever seen. Eight years after his death, you still see No. 3 T-shirts, hats, and other gear in the stands.

His father ruled this sport for over a decade. Junior was supposed to take over that role. He was supposed to win races like his father.

We have yet to see the best Earnhardt could be.

Earnhardt’s expectations are so big that quite frankly it is impossible for him to live up them. But why have Earnhardt fans given him a pass each season?  Why has the media never asked the tough questions and expected more out of this driver?

I don't question his dedication to this sport. He is one of this sport’s most vocal representatives. But fans and the media have put him on a pedestal and even when he has down years nobody questions him.

I don't expect Junior to be a mirror image of his father. It's an unfair expectation that nobody will ever live up to.

He is outspoken at the track, but his results on the track makes me question whether he has what it takes to win a championship.

Earnhardt is driving in the footsteps of a legend.  He is walking the fine line of rock star and God to his fans, and trying to make, create, and solidify his legacy.

Earnhardt, Jr. is trying to put his name in the record books as more than just Dale Earnhardt, Sr.’s son. This is something he might not ever be able to truly change.

Earnhardt should win in 2009, but will he win the championship?

No.

His teammate will.

But there are no more excuses for not winning races.