NASCAR
with Chuck Licata
Hendrick Strikes Gold –
and Junior Gets a Legit Chance at a Championship...
This is why you “never say never” when it comes to NASCAR.
For the past 30-some days, talk concerning where “free agent driver”
Dale Earnhardt, Jr. would go centered mostly on Richard Childress Racing
(RCR). After all, Junior’s dad drove for RCR and the possibility
that Junior would/could run the famous #3 (which his father, Dale Earnhardt,
Sr. etched into history) raised a lot of Dale Earnhardt fans.
Plus, how in the world could Junior end up at Hendrick Motorsports?
After all, they already have four drivers (the maximum soon to be allowed
by NASCAR) – and each is locked into a multi-year contract.
Besides – Hendrick has four-time champion Jeff Gordon, defending
champion Jimmie Johnson and up-and-coming star Kyle Busch (along with
Casey Mears). The “no room at the inn” motto certainly applies
here, wouldn’t you think?
So much for common sense.
Junior announced Wednesday, June 19 that he would indeed run with Hendrick,
starting next year for the next five years. As for the “full house,”
no problem – it was revealed Busch would be let out of his remaining
two-year contract with Hendrick after this season.
As of this printing, Busch would become the next highly-rated free agent
of 2007, although it’s obvious he is already in negotiations with
other teams (most likely, he’ll end up at Dale Earnhardt, Inc.
or Ginn Racing).
At this printing, it wasn’t known whether Budweiser – Junior’s
current title sponsor at DEI – would jump to Hendrick with the
famous driver. One reporter stated Budweiser was looking at its options,
including the possibility of joining Kasey Kahne (driver of the #9 Evernham
Dodge).
No doubt, Junior accomplished what he said he wanted – to give
himself a better chance to win the drivers’ championship. Hendrick
drivers have won 10 of the 14 races this season already – and
the organization owns six NEXTEL Cup championships since opening its
doors in 1984.
There will be rumblings among Junior fans – after all, they’re
prevalent among the fans who threw beer cans at Jeff Gordon earlier
this season when Gordon tied – then broke the tie – with
Dale Senior with his 76th and 77th career victories (the “Dupont
Dude” has since won two more races). For some stupid reason, Earnhardt
Sr. and Jr. fans have a dislike for Gordon – even though Gordon
and Senior had a working relationship back in 1991-92 at the height
of the “Senior-Gordon rivalry.”
It’d be hard to believe Junior fans wouldn’t make the “jump”
over the Hendrick with their driver starting in 2008, whether Gordon
is there or not. I’m certain Hendrick will not only continue piling
up on-track victories, but the money he’ll make from the sale
of Junior memorabilia will pay for itself – no matter how much
he pays Junior and no matter how many wins (or lack thereof) Junior
scores.
Other notes: Don't be surprised to see several NEXTEL Cup teams change
drivers next year...Keep an eye on Brad Coleman, the native Houston
driver who placed second at the NASCAR Busch Series race in Kentucky
on Saturday, June 16. Brad's making waves as the part-time driver for
the #18 Carino's Italian Grill Joe Gibbs Chevrolet, and he's on the
fast-track to both fame - and a shot at a NEXTEL Cup ride...K-MAC Sports
is proud we have both arenas of racing - dirt and asphalt racing - covered
in its Saturday morning lineup. Catch "Dirt Track Insider"
at Noon Central time on kmacsports.com, followed by "Track Smack
with Dawn Murphy." Enjoy!
Chuck Licata is the 2007 TABC Sportswriter of the Year who covers high
schools and motor sports for The Zone (KVET-AM 1300, Austin) as well
as the Liberty Hill Independent. He is also a co-owner of K-MAC Sports
Productions of Austin (kmacsports.com), an online broadcasting company.
He can be reached at racing@kmacsports.com.
