Jeff and Junior? Race fans optimistic
HIGH HOPES Lawrence County race fans are optimistic that Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s move to Hendrick Motorsports will be a good one, even though it pairs him with Jeff Gordon, the man Earnhardt fans love to hate.
NASCAR’s favorite son is joining one of his fans’ favorite targets. Dale Earnhardt Jr. ended five weeks of speculation yesterday by announcing that he would drive for Hendrick Motorsports in 2008. Hendrick is home to four-time series champ Jeff Gordon, whom many of Earnhardt’s fans love to hate. Indeed, at least three times they have pelted a triumphant Jeff Gordon with beer cans, including twice this year when Jeff Gordon tied, then passed, Earnhardt’s beloved late father on the list of career victories. Lawrence County race fans seemed to be optimistic about yesterday’s news, which came just over a month after Earnhardt announced that he would no longer drive for Dale Earnhardt Inc., the team founded by his later father and now run by his stepmother. “Hopefully, everyone will get along,” said Mike Stone, 36, of New Castle. “I’m the kind of person who gets along with everyone and I just hope sports can be the same way. There are two different sides, so it’s going to be interesting to see what happens.” Some fans, though, are curious about how Earnhardt and Jeff Gordon will work together as teammates. “I don’t know how it’s going to work but it sure will be interesting to watch,” Larry Downing, 50, of New Castle said. “Junior stole a lot of Jeff Gordon’s thunder when he came onto the scene. There’s always a lot of jealousy between drivers.” “This is all about position and how you position cars, so hopefully (Earnhardt and Jeff Gordon) play off one another,” Jim Lubinski, 45, of New Castle added. “Egos will get in the way, though. Once one starts winning, they’re not going to want to give up the limelight.” Still, while fans wondered how Earnhardt’s move to Hendrick will play out, they seemed to have no doubt that Junior’s decision to leave DEI when his contract expires at the end of the season was a sound one. “It’s the best decision he ever made,” said Chris Campbell, 29, a bartender at Parkstown Lanes in Union Township. “There was too much conflict with his stepmother.” Earnhardt and his stepmother have had a public feud for years. In December, Teresa Earnhardt told the Wall Street Journal, “Right now the ball’s in his court to decide whether he wants to be a NASCAR driver or whether he wants to be a public personality.” Ron Klamer, 49, of Edinburg believes that DEI made a mistake in not doing all it could to keep Earnhardt in the fold. “I don’t think DEI realizes what they’re losing,” he said. “They’re losing the most marketable product in Junior. “He’s had some differences with his stepmom, so this is the right move for him. He had to do what’s right for him.” At Hendrick, Earnhardt will replace Kyle Busch — who is rumored to be taking Earnhardt’s place at DEI — and will race along side Jeff Gordon, defending Nextel Cup champion Jimmie Johnson and rising star Casey Mears. “To me, I like the driver; it’s not the team,” Don Roberts, 46, of Shenango Township said. “I like him and others don’t. But this would have never happened if his dad were still alive. He made that business for Junior.” Lubinski believes the move finally will get Earnhardt out of the shadow of his father, a seven-time series champ. “It’s a good thing,” Lubinski said. “It’s time for Junior to get off his daddy’s coattails.” The move to Hendrick likely will mean a new number for Earnhardt, since his No. 8 is owned by DEI. He also could lose the backing of Budweiser, which has been his sponsor since 1999. Hendrick has four primary sponsors locked up through next season and isn’t planning to break any contracts. “There’s not enough money out there to get that number,” Klamer said. “It’s much easier to take a new number. At the same time, this is sports, and guys are superstitious about their numbers.” “That’s his number,” Roberts said. “Budweiser should go with him, too. It’s his sponsorship. He made the No. 8 and he made Budweiser.” Nevertheless, the transition to a new team could benefit the sport’s most noticeable name. “It might do him some good,” said Doris Reighert, who works in the kitchen at Parkstown Lanes. “He hasn’t won anything yet. This could be a good thing for him.”
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