No Laughing Matter: Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Longtime Crew Chief Split

It's official. Tony Eury Jr. is out.

Eury, Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s cousin and longtime crew chief has been replace by team manager Brian Whitesell who will take over this weekend at Dover. Lance McGrew will take over next week on an interim basis.

"Our performance hasn't been where it should be," Hendrick Motorsports owner Rick Hendrick said in a prepared statement announcing the change. "It's impossible to pin that on any one factor, but a change is the right decision at this point. We have a plan in place, and we're going to move forward with it."

After the last two months of speculation after every poor finish for this team, the choice was made now instead of later to turn this season around.

Hendrick, who had consistently stood behind the duo in the past, this week indicated that a change could be coming when he was asked after NASCAR mandatory town hall meetings on Tuesday.

"Could it change?" Hendrick said following a meeting with NASCAR officials at the Research and Development Center. "We're talking about things. We're going to make decisions as the days go by, but we haven't made any decisions as it stands now."

Earnhardt, who is sitting 19th in points coming into to Dover, has consistently underperformed compared to his teammates Jeff Gordon, who leads the points standings, Jimmie Johnson in fourth, and Mark Martin, who currently holds the final place in the playoffs in 12th.

Apparently enough was enough as on Monday this team finished 40th in the rain shortened Coca-Cola 600.

A key factor in Earnhardt coming to Hendrick Motorsports was that Eury would come with him as his crew chief.

The two found early success last year as they were in the top five in points and won at Michigan on a fuel gamble.

Since that win the team has struggled with setups and bad luck that relegated them to a 12th place finish overall in 2008.

According to ESPN David Newton, "Hendrick said then Earnhardt and Eury each told him they would part if he didn't feel they were working well together. Eury told ESPN.com two weeks ago if Earnhardt didn't make the Chase, he wouldn't blame Hendrick for making a change."

Eury will move from crew chief to key role at HMS research and development group.

Source:ESPN.com