Post by dalejrfan on Jun 20, 2005 20:59:59 GMT -5
However, morale is improving between the Nos. 8 and 15 teams
BROOKLYN, Mich. -- Tony Eury's public criticism of nephew Dale Earnhardt Jr. following an accident in the Coca-Cola 600 seemed to signal that morale at DEI was approaching rock bottom.
Turns out it might just be the wakeup call the whole company needed.
In the aftermath of Eury's outburst, the line communication between the Nos. 8 and 15 teams that had been slammed shut all season was re-opened. Right now it's just a crack. But compared to a month ago it's the Grand Canyon.
"It took a blowup like that for everybody to sit down and sort it out," Tony Eury Jr. said. "After the Charlotte deal we all sat down and let everybody know how everybody feels, just kind of opened the lines up a little bit.
"We just mainly wanted to find out who wants to stay and who's not wanting to be there. We didn't have that train of thought earlier in the season. Earlier in the season it was [about] who could get an edge on the other."
Eury's No. 15 team currently has that edge. Driver Michael Waltrip is enjoying a career-best season. Earnhardt, a career-worst.
Waltrip has posted three top-five and six top-10 finishes in the past nine races, including a fifth-place run at Pocono last week and a seventh-place effort Sunday at Michigan.
Meanwhile, following a 17th-place finish at Michigan, Earnhardt dropped a position to 17th in the overall standings, 503 points behind leader Jimmie Johnson.
It is not for lack of effort. Earnhardt maintains his team is capable. But Eury Jr. said if Earnhardt is to make the Chase, the No. 8 team must improve dramatically, and in short order.
"I know the 15 can [qualify]. The 8? They've got a lot of work to do," Eury Jr. said. "The 15, we've shown all year we can be in that Chase. We just had those two blown motors at the start of the year, and it's hard to dig yourself out of a hole in the first 10 races.
"We just can't have any more screw-ups or be caught up in accidents or things like that. If that happens we can make this Chase without a doubt. Junior? It's gonna take a little bit more work on their part to get there. Hopefully he makes it, but it's going to be hard."
Eury Jr. admits his team entered the season with a weighty chip on its shoulder following the offseason decision to swap crews between Earnhardt and Waltrip.
Growing painsJunior on the team changes and his '05 season
DEI disasterJunior spins Waltrip on Lap 246 of the Coca Cola 600
"The biggest thing about the whole year was we wanted the world to know that that team wasn't riding Dale Jr.'s coattails," Eury Jr. said. "We're a legitimate team. We're one of the best out here. We can be in this Chase with Michael Waltrip or Dale Jr., either one.
"I think when the change come a lot of people thought, 'Well, those guys are done. We won't see them no more.' That was a point we wanted to prove, and it got real tense around the shop. I'll be the first one to admit that. It was."
Earnhardt said replacing Rondeau with Hmiel has been an important step in mending emotional wounds and righting a wayward ship.
"When we put Steve in control of my team, him and Tony Jr. work together really well," Earnhardt said. "We've started to have meetings after practices and Tony Jr.'s been a huge help to me over the last couple weeks with some of the stuff they do to their cars. It's been awesome."
Eury Jr. said his cousin is deflated by the way his season has unfolded, and often needs a reminder that he can't go it alone.
"He's real down, but he's done a good job keeping his head up," Eury Jr. said. "He knows the deal, knows what's happening, and he knows he's still got the confidence he's always had.
"That's the one thing I've been preaching to him the last couple weeks -- just keep your head up. You know what kind of driver you are. Don't think you're the problem. He's not going to be able to fix it. One guy ain't gonna make a race team.
"I didn't make Dale Earnhardt Jr. Junior didn't make me. We, together, made that 8 team. If he keeps his head up and gets the right people around him he'll be good."
Junior is trying to remain positive, take it in stride.
"It's racing, ya know? It's not always going to be Victory Lane," Earnhardt said. "We're working hard. I would be ashamed if I wasn't giving a good effort, but we're giving the best effort we can give.
"So we can't be ashamed. There's some verbal punches out there that get thrown, but those don't really bother you that bad. You just kind of remember who said what and go on down the line."
If nothing else, Earnhardt knows his blood has his back again, and is once again focused on helping him succeed.
"Me and Dale Jr., we're as tight as ever," Eury Jr. said. "I'm 100 percent behind him and I'm gonna do whatever it takes to get him where he needs to be. I just want to make sure everybody's here and everybody's pulling the same rope.
"All that's behind us now, and I kind of feel bad for him. I really do. To be the competitor he is and knowing how good of ability he's got, to see him going through this -- he's not going to pull it out on his own.
"He's got to have help. And we can't help him, but we can. We're throwing some stuff at them just trying to get them in the ballpark. They've got a number of small issues and once they get that worked out they'll come around."
BROOKLYN, Mich. -- Tony Eury's public criticism of nephew Dale Earnhardt Jr. following an accident in the Coca-Cola 600 seemed to signal that morale at DEI was approaching rock bottom.
Turns out it might just be the wakeup call the whole company needed.
In the aftermath of Eury's outburst, the line communication between the Nos. 8 and 15 teams that had been slammed shut all season was re-opened. Right now it's just a crack. But compared to a month ago it's the Grand Canyon.
"It took a blowup like that for everybody to sit down and sort it out," Tony Eury Jr. said. "After the Charlotte deal we all sat down and let everybody know how everybody feels, just kind of opened the lines up a little bit.
"We just mainly wanted to find out who wants to stay and who's not wanting to be there. We didn't have that train of thought earlier in the season. Earlier in the season it was [about] who could get an edge on the other."
Eury's No. 15 team currently has that edge. Driver Michael Waltrip is enjoying a career-best season. Earnhardt, a career-worst.
Waltrip has posted three top-five and six top-10 finishes in the past nine races, including a fifth-place run at Pocono last week and a seventh-place effort Sunday at Michigan.
Meanwhile, following a 17th-place finish at Michigan, Earnhardt dropped a position to 17th in the overall standings, 503 points behind leader Jimmie Johnson.
It is not for lack of effort. Earnhardt maintains his team is capable. But Eury Jr. said if Earnhardt is to make the Chase, the No. 8 team must improve dramatically, and in short order.
"I know the 15 can [qualify]. The 8? They've got a lot of work to do," Eury Jr. said. "The 15, we've shown all year we can be in that Chase. We just had those two blown motors at the start of the year, and it's hard to dig yourself out of a hole in the first 10 races.
"We just can't have any more screw-ups or be caught up in accidents or things like that. If that happens we can make this Chase without a doubt. Junior? It's gonna take a little bit more work on their part to get there. Hopefully he makes it, but it's going to be hard."
Eury Jr. admits his team entered the season with a weighty chip on its shoulder following the offseason decision to swap crews between Earnhardt and Waltrip.
Growing painsJunior on the team changes and his '05 season
DEI disasterJunior spins Waltrip on Lap 246 of the Coca Cola 600
"The biggest thing about the whole year was we wanted the world to know that that team wasn't riding Dale Jr.'s coattails," Eury Jr. said. "We're a legitimate team. We're one of the best out here. We can be in this Chase with Michael Waltrip or Dale Jr., either one.
"I think when the change come a lot of people thought, 'Well, those guys are done. We won't see them no more.' That was a point we wanted to prove, and it got real tense around the shop. I'll be the first one to admit that. It was."
Earnhardt said replacing Rondeau with Hmiel has been an important step in mending emotional wounds and righting a wayward ship.
"When we put Steve in control of my team, him and Tony Jr. work together really well," Earnhardt said. "We've started to have meetings after practices and Tony Jr.'s been a huge help to me over the last couple weeks with some of the stuff they do to their cars. It's been awesome."
Eury Jr. said his cousin is deflated by the way his season has unfolded, and often needs a reminder that he can't go it alone.
"He's real down, but he's done a good job keeping his head up," Eury Jr. said. "He knows the deal, knows what's happening, and he knows he's still got the confidence he's always had.
"That's the one thing I've been preaching to him the last couple weeks -- just keep your head up. You know what kind of driver you are. Don't think you're the problem. He's not going to be able to fix it. One guy ain't gonna make a race team.
"I didn't make Dale Earnhardt Jr. Junior didn't make me. We, together, made that 8 team. If he keeps his head up and gets the right people around him he'll be good."
Junior is trying to remain positive, take it in stride.
"It's racing, ya know? It's not always going to be Victory Lane," Earnhardt said. "We're working hard. I would be ashamed if I wasn't giving a good effort, but we're giving the best effort we can give.
"So we can't be ashamed. There's some verbal punches out there that get thrown, but those don't really bother you that bad. You just kind of remember who said what and go on down the line."
If nothing else, Earnhardt knows his blood has his back again, and is once again focused on helping him succeed.
"Me and Dale Jr., we're as tight as ever," Eury Jr. said. "I'm 100 percent behind him and I'm gonna do whatever it takes to get him where he needs to be. I just want to make sure everybody's here and everybody's pulling the same rope.
"All that's behind us now, and I kind of feel bad for him. I really do. To be the competitor he is and knowing how good of ability he's got, to see him going through this -- he's not going to pull it out on his own.
"He's got to have help. And we can't help him, but we can. We're throwing some stuff at them just trying to get them in the ballpark. They've got a number of small issues and once they get that worked out they'll come around."