After little or no consideration, I have come to the conclusion that expanding the Chase to 20 cars would be ridiculously preposterous. If the Chase didn’t work with then or twelve what in your right mind would make you think that the Chase would work with twenty? Why would NASCAR fans buy into this idea? There are some reasons and after I state them here later, you will not be surprised. The idea is a joke.

[media-credit name=”Brad Keppel” align=”alignleft” width=”300″][/media-credit]Lets break this down. Why would NASCAR fans buy into an idea like this? First, do some calculations and see who would actually make the cut for the twenty man Chase. What a shocker! Dale Earnhardt Jr. would actually be in the Chase and would have finished 18th if the system were run.(Sarcastic Applause) Sorry guys, Jimmie Johnson would still be the champion. I have an idea! Lets just get rid of the Chase! We would not have this problem if it weren’t for the Chase itself. Why did NASCAR fans wait until 2003 to complain about the points system? Yes, Matt Kenseth won one race, but consistency wins championships, not ten race lotteries. You also have to ask the question, Where were Jimmie Johnson, Dale Earnhardt Jr, Kevin Harvick, or Jeff Gordon when Kenseth started to have some trouble? That’s right. They didn’t capitalize. That is their fault, not the points system. Kenseth did his job and built big enough points lead that he didn’t have to worry about one accident.

NASCAR is NOT the NFL. There is a reason why sports like baseball, hockey, football, and basketball have playoff systems! They work! They do not work in auto racing! A lot of fans have driven away from the sport because the most popular driver is not in it, I understand that, but having him a part of a twenty man Chase would still not bring them back. Do you want to know why? Jr. would have no chance! Harvick outnumbered Jr. in top tens by eighteen. That is incredible. NASCAR fans feel that Brian France has taken a step in the wrong direction and the real champion is being cheated. And I agree. I cannot believe what I’am seeing today is really happening and this new idea that was just brought up is a tale of the times.

Finally, I urge Mr. France to stop with the Chase changes talk. The changes would only further lower the attendance ratings and I know this for a fact. Despite the close Chase this year less fans still came to the races. I will never leave NASCAR, but France is starting to lose me. The way to handle it is to not abide by the Chase. I believe Jimmie Johnson is one of the best drivers in the sport today, but he is not a 5x champion guys! Lets go back to the old system and go back to the way of having drivers earn their championship! And please…no more talk about adding more drivers to the Chase.

Last Tuesday’s announcement from Hendrick Motorsports, (HMS), regarding crew chief changes and team locations caught us all off guard. First off, kudos to team owner Rick Hendrick for finding a way to keep such a major move a secret. In this day and age of instant information, combined with side of mouth comments from anonymous sources, it’s not easy keeping anything connected to NASCAR a secret.

[media-credit name=”Joe Dunn” align=”alignleft” width=”300″][/media-credit]The HMS realignment involves the following changes to the organization’s four teams:

#5 team. Lance McGrew leaves the #88 team to become Mark Martin’s crew chief.

#24 team. Alan Gustafson moves from Martin’s team to become Jeff Gordon’s chief.

#88 team. Steve Letarte moves from Gordon’s team to become the new chief for Dale Earnhardt Jr.

#48 team. No changes for the five time champions.

Additionally Hendrick announced some changes to building locations for the teams. The shop occupied by the #5/88 teams will now become the home of the #5/24 teams. The #24/48 home will now be shared by the #48/88 teams.

During post announcement comments last Tuesday, Hendrick said “this will improve us as an organization, across the board. We had a championship season but we weren’t where we wanted and needed to be with all four teams. We’ve made the right adjustments, and I’m excited to go racing with this line up.” Hendrick also said that the plan to implement these changes dated back to November 7th, right after the Texas race, when he held a company wide meeting.

The Hendrick announcement was only moments old when the speculation began that said a major shift of personnel of this nature was directly aimed at shoring up the troubled #88 team of Dale Earnhardt Jr. Hendrick was very quick to point out that the #88 was not the only reason for these changes. Despite the fact that the #48 team won their fifth consecutive championship, and Hendrick’s tenth title, the team owner pointed out that he felt the entire organization has grown complacent because of the organization’s past success. He also noted that even the championship pairing of Jimmie Johnson and Chad Knaus were a little off this year.

Hendrick also noted that the new pairings of drivers and crew chiefs were based on the personalities of individuals and how they would mesh together. Hendrick also insisted that this was “not an Earnhardt move.”

However, one cannot help but wonder if a major change like this is indeed an “Earnhardt move.” We’ve all seen the 2010 season numbers from this team. They finished 21st in the final points standings based on no wins, three top five finishes and eight top tens. Earnhardt led a total of 185 laps in 36 races this year. He finished the season with an average start of 19, an average finish of 19 and an average lap completion of 99. Despite a dismal season those numbers are actually a slight improvement over the ones compiled in 2009. But the one number that cannot be ignored is the team’s win less streak. Earnhardt and company hasn’t seen a Sprint Cup victory lane since June of 2008.

A very famous movie line, delivered by Paul Newman in “Cool Hand Luke”, once said “what we have here is a failure to communicate.” One can’t help but wonder if the driver’s communication skills with his past two crew chiefs is a major part of the problem here. It’s understandable for a frustrated driver to come over the radio and yell “this car is not drivable.” But that driver has to back up the statement with pertinent facts regarding why the car is not handling correctly in order for the crew chief to make an informed decision on how to rectify the situation. In turn, the driver has to have confidence in his crew chief’s ability and trust his decisions.

Is there indeed a failure to communicate within this #88 team? We’ve heard enough evidence from in car radio transmissions, that says it may be true. We’ve heard enough reports alleging frequent arguments within the privacy of the car hauler between Earnhardt and McGrew. Is it fair to throw previous crew chiefs under the bus? No it’s not. Both Tony Eury Jr. and Lance McGrew tried their best to get the job done. Sometimes in racing communication, and general chemistry, just doesn’t develop between driver and crew chief.

Can the arrival of Steve Letarte to the #88 team improve team communications? It’s very possible. Letarte has the reputation of being a good leader along with the ability to display grace under fire. His presence with this team certainly can’t hurt anything.

Still another aspect to the Hendrick Motorsports personnel change may involve the #88 team’s long term, and very lucrative, relationship with its sponsors: Amp Energy Drink, Mountain Dew and the National Guard. Both the driver and the sponsors are on the same contract time frame and are locked in through the end of 2012. However, somewhere during the opening part of the 2012 season, Hendrick is going to want to start contract renewal talks with the sponsors. Some strong numbers, and performance improvements, from the 2011 season by Earnhardt and company will make those renewal talks easier.

There may be a variety of reasons for last Tuesday’s personnel announcements from Hendrick Motorsports. But please don’t try to tell me it’s “not a Dale Earnhardt Jr. move.”

After much consideration, I’ve come to the conclusion that in order to maintain the integrity of the sport and to try and keep the fly-by-night fans watching, the Sprint Cup Chase should be expanded to include 20 drivers. Really.

[media-credit name=”David Yeazell” align=”alignright” width=”300″][/media-credit]Let us put aside any crazy notion to determine a champion by elimination rounds, a separate points system for Chasers, or even a coin toss. It was tough enough to convince fans that the best over the season should not be the champion. I mean, if they still did Jeff Gordon would already be a six time champ. Want a playoff? Fine, but don’t make the championship something the fans won’t buy in to. If you want more contenders, then simply invite more to the party.

There once was a time when the winner in the regular season was the champion. Even after the World Series became part of baseball’s fabric in 1903, it still was a clash between two league champs as determined strictly by who finished first over the schedule. However, few fans in any sport object today to having the best team, or teams, during the regular season sitting on the sidelines as a couple of lesser lights survive the playoffs to battle it out in the final. I guess NASCAR is not any different.

So, why in heaven should we expand the Sprint Cup playoffs to include twenty teams? First, the more involved the better the chance of having more contenders as we get to the final race. It would not have happened this year, as regardless as to how many made the Chase, it would have come down to three in 2010. Still, as the likes of Jeff Burton and Clint Bowyer saw their hopes flushed down the commode, there was drivers like Mark Martin, Joey Logano and Jamie McMurray who raised their game a notch over the final ten race sprint. Had they made the Chase, got the Chase rate of 5000 points plus ten bonus points per win, those three would have finished fifth through seventh. Instead of 12th, Burton would have wound up a more deserving 19th.

For more than fifty years, the best over the course of the year became the champion. Still, others believe the guy who wins the most should be king. Some think wins should mean more while finishing outside the top twenty or ten should mean less. There is validity in each of those views but if the idea is, like a mysterious debris caution late in a race, to compact the field and leave the outcome in doubt, this appears a more palatable way of doing it.

By the way, if the Chase had included the top twenty drivers after 26 races, then below you will find how the final standings would have looked. Tell me what you think.

Pos-Driver-(2010 Finish) Points

1 Jimmie Johnson (1)———–6622

2 Denny Hamlin (2)————–6583

3 Kevin Harvick (3)—————6581

4 Carl Edwards (4)————–6393

5 Mark Martin (15) —————6342

6 Joey Logano (16)————–6307

7 Jamie McMurray (14)———6295

8 Matt Kenseth (5)—————6294

9 Ryan Newman (13)———-6273

10 Greg Biffle (6)——————6247

11 Tony Stewart (7)————–6221

12 Kyle Busch (8)—————-6182

13 Jeff Gordon (9)—————6176

14 Clint Bowyer (10)————6155

15 Kurt Busch (11)————–6142

16 Juan Pablo Montoya (17) 6111

17 David Reutimann (18) 6048

18 Dale Earnhardt, Jr. (21) 6045

19 Jeff Burton (12) 6033

20 Martin Truex, Jr. (22) 6032

Hendrick Motorsports made major changes to its organization today, switching things around for every team except Jimmie Johnson.

[media-credit name=”Mike Finnegan” align=”alignleft” width=”300″][/media-credit]Dale Earnhardt Jr. was expected to have a new crew chief in 2011 for quite some time after a mediocre 2010. For the third time in the past four seasons, Little E did not make the Chase and finished a dismal 21st place in the final standings with just eight top-10 finishes. After a second place run in the season-opening Daytona 500, some fans were shocked at the result. Jr. will now be working with Steve Letarte, who has been the crew chief for teammate Jeff Gordon since September of 2005 after Robbie Loomis resigned and returned to Richard Petty Motorsports. Will this help Jr?

Yes, I believe this will be a tremendous help to Jr. The 88 team will be moving in with the 48 team shop and the 24 team will be moving to the 5 team shop. Jr. had 5 top-tens in 2009. It is an improvement, but not significant to make a dent in the points race. Steve Letarte will help Dale find some consistent runs. Will those consistent runs turn into wins? We will have to wait and see. Gordon had eight less top-tens than he had from a year ago, but they were still consistent enough to have a good points run. This was a good move by Rick Hendrick. This will bring together the two teams and the 88 team will learn from what the 48 has done and Letarte will use the experience he had with Gordon to help Earnhardt, but the responsibility is also on Dale to bring the car home in one piece. You cannot blame Letarte if Earnhardt bump-drafts too rough and causes a 30 car accident.

The change will benefit Jeff Gordon. Alan Gustafson knows how to win races and Jeff Gordon is a man who is dying to win a race. Gordon has won only seven races in the past four seasons and that is a shock considering that this is the guy who won thirteen races back in 1998. Gustafson won five races with Martin in 2009 at the same time when Gordon had a good year, but with just one victory. This will help Gordon get back in the winner circle, but now they need to have consistency and winning race cars. This is something that Gordon has been missing since his championship run in 2007.

Unfortunately for Hendrick Motorsports not all of their teams run well at the same time and Mark Martin is the lone duck in 2011. Martin will be teamed up with Lance McGrew for the 2011 season. McGrew served this past season under the helm of the 88 and while Jr’s top-ten numbers improved from 5 to 8 it is just not the type of improvement that would make a serious dent in the points system. I believe they are putting McGrew with Martin because both of them will be leaving at the end of 2011. Who is coming in 2012? Kasey Kahne. And who is he bringing with him? Kenny Francis. Don’t be surprised if Lance McGrew is back at Research and Development in 2012.

Finally, back to my comment on Hendrick not all running well at the same time. This year it seemed like to me that only Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon really ran decent. Mark Martin and Dale Jr. were lackluster. In 2009, everyone at Hendrick did well, but Dale. 2008 was a much different story. Jr. was one of the best out of the Hendrick gate. Gordon and Mears struggled compared to the 88 and 48. Jr. had more points than Gordon for the entire 36 race schedule. So, expect a great year for everyone at Hendrick, but Mark Martin in 2011.

After three years in a downward spiral at Hendrick Motorsports, one might think Dale Earnhardt Jr. might want to flee the organization, but Rick Hendrick is apparently ready to do what he promised with major changes within the organization.

[media-credit name=”Barry Albert” align=”alignleft” width=”300″][/media-credit]Earnhardt Jr. will be moving into the Jimmie Johnson No. 48 shop with Steve Letarte becoming his crew chief.  Jeff Gordon and Mark Martin will be housed together with Alan Gustafson doing crew duties for Gordon and Lance McGrew heading Martin’s team.

The first season, 2008, held so much promise with Rick Hendrick saying he wanted to be the one to give Junior a championship.  Perhaps even the driver of the Amp Energy/National Guard No. 88 believed that to be possible.

From 2008 his stint at HMS has been on a slippery slope with McGrew coming on board as crew chief midway through the 2009 season.  The year turned out to be Earnhardt Jr‘s. worst ever.   He finished 25^th in points at the end of 2009.

Along comes the 2010 season and hopes of a turnaround surfacing during Speedweeks at Daytona.  For part of the season Earnhardt Jr. was a bottom feeder of the top-12 in points, but then the ball of hope began to unravel as the season’s second half unfolded.  

Earnhardt ended this season 21^st in points.  He had asked Rick Hendrick to not make any changes until the season came to an end.  It almost looked liked Junior was willing to keep McGrew and wasn’t going to request a change.  He said, “I’ve dove into those deals headfirst in the past.  I obviously haven’t had too good of an effect on the last couple changes I’ve made.”

Despite proclamations that Earnhardt Jr. and McGrew were friends, which they may be, it was obvious the communication between the two was very much lacking.

Now Junior will be living in the 48/88 garage, a place we never thought we would see him reside.  Hope will rise again, as at long last Hendrick has made the move that on the surface looks like he is serious about trying to give the driver of the No. 88 a chance at a championship.

Earnhardt has a chance to prove he can win and maybe even run for the title.  It won’t be because he doesn’t have the equipment or the right crew chief.  For Junior, the excuses will be over next season.  Junior Nation will collectively hold it’s breath until Speedweeks 2011 rolls around.

If there was ever any doubt as to the reason and the goal in the changes announced at Hendrick Motorsports yesterday afternoon, Rick Hendrick put them to bed today. His goal and the goal of everyone at HMS is to be the very best. Being the very best sometimes means that one must give up the comfort of the usual for the uncertainty of what is best. Mr. Hendrick stated that despite Jimmie Johnson winning the championship, the team as a whole was not where they wanted or needed to be during the 2011 season. He stated that they had gotten behind in their development of the car and then the wing to the spoiler change left them 6 to 8 weeks further behind. “It’s the nature of this business if you stub your toe or falter; the competition is all over you. The spoiler change benefited some of the teams. It really hurt us.”

[media-credit name=”CIA Stock Photo” align=”alignright” width=”300″][/media-credit]Hendrick was asked if the change was intended to help Dale Earnhardt Jr and in the process left Mark Martin holding the short end of the stick. He was emphatic in his answer that he had made a commitment to Mark Martin and he could, “have all the stick he wanted.” He explained that the changes were made to benefit everyone on the team and that the change had actually been in the works since Texas. He reaffirmed his belief in Dale Jr saying, “I still believe that if we give him what he needs he can win races and championships. Our goal is to make that happen.”

He explained that the changes were made based on personalities of the drivers and crew chiefs involved. Giving the example that Lance McGrew and Mark Martin were both very technically oriented so that they spoke the same language. With the help of Chris Heroy, who was the team engineer for Martin in 2009, he felt that this combination would benefit not only Mark but the entire organization.

Jeff and Alan Gustafson had the same laid back type of personality. Gustafson, he commented “doesn’t say much but he does what it takes to get the job done, much like Gordon.”

Letarte he said already had a relationship with Dale Jr. “Steve and Tony Jr are best friends and Steve actually brought Tony Jr in for the first tour.” He commented that several times Letarte had brought to his attention things with Dale that when corrected or implemented brought about a favorable change almost immediately. Letarte he noted had made the chase all but one year since becoming a crew chief and had been in the heat of competition every year. It was his opinion that being in the shop with Chad and Jimmie would help Dale Jr to regain his confidence which he felt had been damaged early on.

He did clarify the exchanges by saying that “only the drivers seats, numbers and sponsors changed” the teams would remain as they were. Including pit crews which in the case of the 24 and 48 had reverted back to their original crew chiefs. He did say however, that there would be “new faces in new places” in some cases. It is well known that HMS crew members are not guaranteed a pit crew spot from year to year and audition for those jobs, thus it will not be surprising to find new members on pit crews across the board at HMS.

When asked about the rumor that Ron Malec, car chief for the 48 was going to be moved into a crew chief position, Mr. Hendrick stated, that Ron was comfortable and content where he was, and that there was never any intention on the part of Hendrick Motorsports to move Malec into a crew chief position with anyone. If and when Ron was ready to move up the ladder certainly that opportunity would be made available to him within the organization.

He also addressed the Kasey Kahne/Kenny Francis situation stating that he felt that Jeff and Kasey would be great team mates and that Kenny Francis and Alan Gustafson would work well together.

Rick Hendrick stated that when this was announced yesterday at the shops it was intended to rekindle the competitive spark in the teams as well as in the drivers and crew chiefs. It was not announced previously to them although all involved had been asked what they felt would help the organization as a whole. He was pleased that for the first time, his announcement was not scooped by the press but was in fact a surprise to all. When asked what the drivers responses were he stated, “They are all team players and want to do what it takes to win and be competing for championships.”

A little background on the three crew chiefs involved in switch finds that Alan Gustafson has been involved in racing since age 8, turning wrenches on Casey Yunicks go karts. He is a mechanical engineer who has been with HMS for 11 years and has held positions all over the company including chassis engineer, shock specialist and lead engineer for the 5 car then driven by series champion Terry Labonte. Gustafson has worked with Kyle Busch, Terry Labonte, and Mark Martin. He is regarded highly with in the garage area as one of the most gifted crew chiefs in the business.

Steve Letarte has been with HMS for 16 years and is a Ray Evernham protégé. He has held the positions of Car Chief, tire specialist and mechanic within the organization. Since becoming a crew chief, Letarte has only missed the chase one year. His worse chase finish was 7th and his best was 2nd in 2007 with two years in the 3rd spot. Known for being a people person, Letarte’s communication and motivational skills make him a huge asset on any team.

Lance McGrew has been with HMS for 12 years. He has an extensive background in the NWS/BGN levels of competition. He also served as Ricky Hendrick’s crew chief in the then Craftsmen Truck Series. He has won in the NWS with Brian Vickers, Kyle Busch and Tony Stewart. He has one Sprint Cup win with Mark Martin in 2009. Mainly the research and development guru, McGrew helped develop the Impala SS for HMS and served as crew chief for its R&D team. In 2009 he became interim then permanent crew chief on the #88 driven by Dale Earnhardt Jr. McGrew is known for his technical expertise in the field of Research and Development.

Within the massive resource center that is Hendrick Motorsports exists the fire and the drive to be the champion. Each of the four teams works diligently to try and make that champion their team. But the big picture is never out of view. The championship stays at Hendrick Motorsports regardless of what that takes. Every member of every team knows that is the goal. The celebration will be no bigger for one bringing it home than another. Every member of the team whether driver or crew chief or mechanic is aware that the needs of the team as a whole out weigh the needs of the single team within the whole, it is that philosophy that has brought no less than 13 championships home to HMS. It is that philosophy that will continue to make HMS a dominant force for years to come.