Mears to the No. 5, Eury Jr. Stays With Junior

Well, i'd say Mears i think comes out on top of this deal. He gets the team that's in the chase, while Jr gets the worst which gets rebuilt and is been the worst team in all of Hendrick's cars for years. I question if Jr made the right decision in goin to Hendrick. I think he should've went to RCR, if he didnt want to run the 3 number, that's fine, but i think he's making a bad situation for himself at Hendrick and could be setting himself for failure.

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I wouldn't let tony eury change the spark plug on my lawn mower !!!!!! look for the same ole , same ole from Jr. He should stick to jean commercials and racing on the inter net

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I disagree with the above two statements. I am not a JR. fan per say, but definitely think the guy made the right decision in moving to Hendrick Motor Sports; for sure! He will have the best crew, the best team-mates, the best owner, the best cars, and the best parts. He did make the right decision. Now he just needs to prove if he really has what it takes when all of the best equipment, owner, & crew are handed to him!

Kim

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I can't see anyone calling HMS a mistake, esp. over RCR. Junior said he wants to win and HMS has waaay more wins simple as that. As for Eury I don't think too much of him. But Casey ends up with Alan Gustafson so thats good anyway :)

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I think it's a big mistake. He's walking away from one of the best sponsors in Nascar and he's losing his No.8, His grandfather,s number. Just because Hendricks is @ the top of their game doesn't mean they'll remain on top. It is my sentement that he has sold us Earnhardt fans out for a quick fix. If he was really that unhappy at D.E.I., he should have went to Childers & tried to acquire the #83 from Vickers.

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People, it is JUST A NUMBER ! Give the whole # 8 thing a rest! Yeah, he's losing the number he's most identified with, but his daddy didn't always have the #3 - Dale Sr. had at least 3 other numbers in his career - he just happened to die while driving the 3 car. And this whole thing about 8 being his grandfathers number - why is this suddenly becoming a big deal? I don't remember this many Dale Sr fans complaining when he switched over from driving a piss yellow, and royal blue car sponsored by WRANGLER .

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I think taking Eury is a big mistake on Jr's part. A fresh start is what he needs, and how can he have that by taking old habits and ways of doing things along with him. Then too, many times this year I've heard Jr say on the radio that his car was lousy, and yet Eury wasn't able to make any difference in it's performance during the race. Other crew chiefs can and did help out their drivers, why couldn't Eury. I think that at this point in Jr's career, with all the circumstances surrounding it, the thing he needs most is a mentor. Someone who can settle him down, help him get refocused, and take some of the load off his shoulders. It's a pity that Dale died when he did in more ways than one. Of course we all miss him, but with his guidance and and advice, Jr's career would have been a lot more successful than it has been. I'm hoping that Hendricks will step in and take an active interest in Jr, not just be the one who signs the checks. Works for me...

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Emerson:

I can't believe I am going to say this, but I actually agree with you for once! Shocking huh? :-) Anyway, I agree Eury Jr. seems like a mistake. However, Jr. has been through many crew chiefs and is known for being "difficult" with them. Eury Jr. apparently doesn't put up with Jr.'s shit, so it might be a good thing, who knows? Your mentor idea is a good one! Jr. needs direction from someone who will truly care about him and care about furthering his career & successes and not just their own. Hendricks is that man. Jeff Gordon also has no trouble mentoring and teaching, just look at Jimmie Johnson, Jeff's protege' and my personal favorite.

And for all of you fans who think your driver "sold his fans out" just because he can't keep the number 8, you must not have been a true fan of the "driver" in the first place. Go stay with your precious number and leave your driver behind becuase he never needed you in the first place if that's the kind of fan you are!

Just my opinion of course!

Kim

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DALE JR WILL NOT BE DRIVING THE 8CAR. Get over it. He can't see the number on the outside from inside the car. Correct me if I'm wrong, but what he does on the inside is the important part,right? I think his move to RHR is the best possible move for Jr. If he is going to make a name for himself it has to be away from DEI. However, I believe he should have severed all ties with DEI and left Tony Jr behind. I feel that he should let Hendrick make the crew decisions and just do what he's paid to do. DRIVE THE CAR. Tony Jr has not shown me anything thus far. I guess blood is thicker than water. But if you are going to make a major change go all the way. One other point here. Everyone has made such a big deal of how TE has screwed Jr. He still owns the same percentage of DEI as he did before this started, doesn't he? Just because he didn't get 51% of DEI handed to him is no reason to castigate TE. When Jr (and his sister) ask Rick Hendrick to hand over 51% of his company and he says" sure Jr no problem" then I'll reconsider my thinking about TE. Until then keep in mind it's BUSINESS not racing. What experience does Jr or his sister have in running a business? Ask Mike Waltrip.Just because you sit in the car doesn't necessarily qualify you to own the car and all of the issues involved in keeping 100s of employees on track (so to speak)will distract from the BUSINESS of driving the car. And without a driver what good is it?

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Has anyone thought about taking the number 83 from Brian Vickers. Make the 8 in red and the 3 in black. On the front of the car make the 3 larger so when the driver in front look back he sees the black 3 and begains to sweat. On the back make the 8 larger so when Jr. passes they say thier goes Jr.

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No. 3 will not appear in Jr's number in any way shape or form. Jr wants to seperate himself from his legendary father in that respect. So don't count on it. Look for 81

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you know jr is stiil going to be jr no matter who he drives for or what his number is.just like his dad, i'm sure he won't forget where he came from.jr's personality is most of his appeal.but he is a good driver . alot of drivers have a bad season
but it doesn't take away from their ability. dale has a lot more top five and top ten finishes than alot of drivers and i think he will do great. if not, i'm still a fan because at least he goes out there every week and gives his all for his fans.

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I think that some of you are right and some of you are wrong. Eury and Jr. are friends and cousins. Its not the crew chiefs fault if they are given shit to drive. TEI is so cheap with Srs. money that she is still running on 2005 engines. She tore apart another co, left hundreds of people without jobs, and she hasnt been to a race in years. Im sure that Hendricks will give Jr. the best equipment possible. He has a reputation to keep. Hes not a stupid man. So why dont u lay off of Jr. and Jr. and start putting the blame on who it really belongs to,. TEI she shouldnt have have hooked up with a married man in the beginning. What better way to shaft his family like shes doing. THINK ABOUT IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Junior needs to leave Tony Eury,Jr. home. He maybe a great car chief, but he hasn't proven that he can get the job done with Junior. Junior did much better with Tony Gibson DURING THE SIX WEEK SUSPENSION, then he has since the return of Eury.

Its my hope that Mr. Hendrick will if necessary, step in, and replace Eury when the time comes.

Blood maybe thicker than water, but its not producing the results that it should be.

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I think Tony Jr. and Dale Jr. will be fine at HMS. I am still not a fan of Hendrick, but I'll stay a Junior fan no matter where he goes. Everyone criticizes Tony for not doing a good job, but look at what he is working with right now at DEI! I know the two have had their differences, but oh well. Once him and Junior get to Hendrick, I think they'll be just fine. I have a hard time believing that Mr. Hendrick would give Junior's team bad equipment. Otherwise, I think Junior would have gone elsewhere.

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Ron, this one is stirred up enough without me. I will take your advice and leave it alone.

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I wouldnt worry about the car number on Jr's car. Worry about Eury being Jr's crew chief. Jr needs a new crew chief in the vein of Gordon & Johnson. Not a good ole boy cousin. Jr was determined to get on the best team with the best equipment & personel. Not quite I guess.

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Some Jr stats for you courtesy of Cynthia

Overall Driver Rating: 7th
Avg. Running Position: 5th
Fastest Early in a Run: 2nd
Fastest Late in a Run: 4th
Fastest on Straightways: 1st
Fastest in the Turns: 6th
Fastest Laps Run: 4th
Fastest on Restarts: 2nd
Green Flag Speed: 2nd
Laps in Top-15: 3rd
Laps Led: 7th
Mileage Led: 8th
% of Laps on Lead Lap: 6th
Speed in Traffic: 8th

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I was a Dale Sr. fan since 1978. I think Dale Jr. has learned alot from his Father. He has a Great Talent and has a Good Head on his shoulders. Let him make the decisions what he want's to do. He made a Good Decision when he moved to HMS and will take Tony Jr with him. The Driver is the Ignition to the Car NOT the number.

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JUNIOR SHOULD LEFT HIS COUSIN AT TEI.
HENDRICK SHOULD LEFT ALAN GUSTAFSON WITH THE #5 TEAM.I GUESS THE RUMOR ABOUT CHADD KNAUS GOING TO BE EARNHARDT CREW CHIEF, WAS JUST A RUMOR.
TOO BAD. JUNIOR GETS THE SHORT END OF THE STICK AGAIN. STRANGE ABOUT HOW EASY TEI LEFT EURY JR ESCAPE, WHEN HE HAD ANOTHER YEAR LEFT ON HIS DEI CONTRACT. DUMP HIM BACK TO JUNIOR SAID TERESA AND SIEGEL...WHO NEEDS HIM?.WHO IS GOING TO CATCH THE HEAT NEXT YEAR,IF JUNIOR DOES NOT WIN ANY RACES AGAIN?ABOUT IF HE MISSES THE CHASE AGAIN? WHO?
EURY WILL BE THE ESCAPE GOAT AND GET FIRED.
SMART CHICE JUNIOR. SMART CHOICE RICK HENDRICK.

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