Pit Crew Helps Continue Gordon's Struggles

For two weeks in a row, the crew members on the other side of the pit wall have helped take a good finish out of the hands of a Hendrick Motorsports driver.

Last week at Watkins Glen, it was a bad call by Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s crew chief Tony Eury Jr. Sunday afternoon at Michigan International Speedway, it was a bad pit stop by Jeff Gordon's No. 24 over-the-wall crew.

Gordon started Sunday's 3M Performance 400 and ran in the Top-10 for most of the race's first 90 laps. On lap 85, Dave Blaney smacked the outside wall on the backstretch to bring out the race's second caution -- bringing the entire field to pit road.

Gordon came to his crew in fourth spot having just run some of his best laps during the previous green flag run. On the ensuing four-tire change, lug nuts fell off one of the wheels and caused a lengthier stop than the other leaders. The result was Gordon coming back on track in 14th position.

When the green flag waved, Gordon was working to come back towards the front when contact between Tony Stewart and Jimmie Johnson to his outside sent the No. 48 into the side of the No. 24 -- cutting down Johnson's left-front tire.

Gordon appeared to get away unscathed until a handful of laps later on Lap 97 when the right-front tire blew on the No. 24, sending it straight into the Turn 2 wall. The damage was extensive and required a lengthy stay in the garage area for the team to fix the race car to get it back on track.

Gordon did return to action for a few laps, but soon pulled the No. 24 back into the garage to take a 42nd-place finish, 89 laps down.

The bigger issue for Gordon now -- who hasn't won yet in 25 tries in 2008 -- is staying in position to make the Chase to the Championship. Prior to Michigan's race, Gordon was 500 points back of Kyle Busch in sixth position. More importantly, Gordon was 148 points ahead of the 12th-place Chase cutoff.

Following the race, Gordon dropped to ninth in points, 638 behind Busch and just 82 points of Clint Bowyer in 13th.

Now, Gordon is by no means a shoe-in to the 2008 Chase as he had appeared to be just a few weeks ago. At this point, it's all about running smarter and winning races in order to secure a Chase start -- and that applies to the entire team.

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)

8-17-2008 @ 9:19PM

Mike LeVan said...

Congrats to Tony Stewart for taking out 2 drivers that were ahead of him in points and had better cars than his in this race.
I believe you forgot to mention that the first pit stop Jeff had in this race was a 15.7 second pit as well. It does not do much good to have a good car and good driver if the pit crew sucks. I had spoken on the issue of the 24 pit crew being one of the slowest out there a few weeks ago. Had it not been for the pit crew, he would not have been back in 14th place to get wrecked in the first place. The top teams are turning in 13-14 second pit stops, not 15+.
MBL

9-02-2008 @ 8:59PM

Marshall Miller said...

Yes,...right on ! I've been saying for some time now that the best thing would be for Jeff Gordon to have the gut's to realize "where" the problem is. It's Steve Letarte,..this kid doesn't have a clue on how to make a car handle in a given track. I'm amazed that Mr. Hendrick hasn't said anything. If it was up to me I'd dump this kid that think's he's a bonafide Crew Chief. Then,..there's the abysmal pit crew - how many time's have you seen Jeff come into the pit's in,..say, 3rd. place and go out in 7th. or 8th. place !!? The answer is,..most of the time. Jeff need's a NEW team. No doubt about it.

8-17-2008 @ 11:36PM

anna seitter said...

OUCH MIKE, just yesterday you said jeff gordon is in danger of falling to 7 -8 in points and today he beat your estimation by falling to 9. YEAH, thanks to stewart and jimmy hard racing .
I now begin to wonder if he is going to hold his position for the chase.

8-18-2008 @ 7:50AM

OUCH is right, Anna. A few weeks ago I had commented on the fact that it does no good for JG to have a good car and drive his ass off only to loose an average of 4 positions every time he pits. Now, it happens again. This time he looses 10 positions during the second pit stop placing him close to the middle of the pack. Every driver knows the middle of the pack is the danger zone. It is where most of the wrecks occur.
While it was fun to blame Tony Stewart and congratulate him for taking out two drivers ahead of him in points, I did watch the wreck and every replay and angle the TV people had to offer. The crash could easily be blamed on any of the three of them. Jeff had no business crowding JJ and TS up the track. It is indicative of the fact that things are just not running well on the 24 team. Jeff said it well in the interview after the crash. When the pit crew is good, the car and driver suck, when the car and driver are good, the pit crew sucks.
15.7 second pit stops are the norm, they are not the exception on the 24 team. I understand you cannot always win the race off pit row. But when you are averaging something like -4 on pit stops for the year, sooner or later you have to make a change.
MBL
yep, it sucks to be a Gordon fan this year.

8-18-2008 @ 8:35AM

Kim said...

Yup, yesterday's race sucked for all of us Hendrick fans! It sure started out well. We had all three of our favorites running in the top five at the beginning, and then it all went down hill.....Mike's right...Jeff's pit crew has been pitiful. And Steve Letarte should be "pumping them up" with positive energy instead of sitting in his box like a damn bump on a log. Jimmie's crew wasn't much better yesterday either. They turned out a couple of slow stops early on which put Jimmie in the middle of the pack, next to Stewart. Stewart didn't wreck into Jimmie on purpose nor did Jimmie wreck into Jeff on purpose. They were four wide. Stewart came down into Jimmie, Jimmie came down into Jeff. Why Jeff didn't do a pit stop when Jimmie did is beyond me. It was clear he had damage as well. He waited until he wrecked out of the race when he could have pitted with Jimmie and prevented the problem. What a disgrace! Letarte needs to get his act together and quick! Not a good year to be a Gordon fan. :-(

Kim

8-18-2008 @ 10:54AM

jim phillips said...

# 88 crew chief needs to do something other than crew chief
he can not fix anything, jrs cars dont get better

8-18-2008 @ 7:24PM

Bill Wilke said...

All Toyotos should be checked, particulary Kyle Buschs. It sure appears funny that last year he was never a contender.I grant you he is young and sometimes very foolish the chances he takes with not only injuring himself but the other drivers around him.Since going to Totota this year his car has become a rocket, what's in or under his car that others don't appear to have? It needs looking into,now , not next week or next month.

8-18-2008 @ 7:46PM

It'a about time to not only get ready of TONY FURY in the junior team; it has also been long due to dump steve letargy out of the way of JEFF. works for me....

8-18-2008 @ 8:14PM

You have a point, Bill. It does seem rather odd that Kyle left one of the top teams in NASCAR (Hendrick) where he wasn't very successful and has since moved to another top NASCAR team where he has done well. Unlike you though, I am not as surprised. I believe the talent has always been there. You could see his determination and frustration last season. I believe at the time, since not getting along with his owner, his team-mates, and his own team, Busch wasn't given the best of everything like Jimmie & Jeff were. Poor attitude goes a long way in preventing a winning streak.

This year though, the story is different. Kyle seems to have softened some & has a team that he clearly gets along with. You can tell his crew chief just adores him and they have a good connection as does the team as a whole. Also, Stewart and Hamlin seem to like him, too. I don't believe Kyle has been given a "magic car." He simply already had the talent (one piece of the puzzle) and all the other pieces (i.e. good team-work, friendships amongst team members, a good crew chief, an owner who likes you, and a great car), are all coming together now. The kid has talent, plain and simple.

Kim

8-19-2008 @ 1:27AM

Don Emerson said...

I couldn't agree more Kim, it's Kyle, not just the car, that has him at the front of the pack. That and a crew chief who knows what he is doing as far as the COT goes. Time after time they make adjustments to Kyles car to improve it as the race goes on. Too bad Eury, Letarte and a few others can't get the hang of it. Racing is like any other business, you either change with the times or get left behind. Might be time for some major shakeuips along pit row. As far as last year, it wasn't that Kyle had poor equipment, he just didn't fit in with HMS and it showed on and off the track. On any multicar team, some drivers get more attention and better car preparation than others. That's pretty much what happened to Kyle at HMS, His poor perfromance on the track triggered his bad behavior off the track. It was a case of trying to fit a round peg into a square hole, and of course, it didn't work. If Jr doesn't step up his performance, he too may find himself shuffled to the back burner in the not too distant future. Works for me.......

8-19-2008 @ 9:00AM

Don,

I agree with you, too. 2009 brings Mark Martin to Hendrick with the hopes of getting him a championship. There is going to be a lot of focus on Mark Martin next year and those other team-mates that aren't willing to step up to the plate on their own without a lot of help from other crew chiefs, (i.e. Earnhardt and Gordon) are going to suffer a bad year.

And might I add another thing. Mike is correct. His entry about Chad Knaus helping out Eury Jr. in the garage earlier on this season to help Jr. get going, was true. SI.Com and NASCAR.com reported several weeks ago that Knaus was back to working with his team, i.e. Jimmie, full-time now as he was no longer in the garage with Eury Jr. and Co. Interesting how Jimmie has improved the past few weeks and Dale Jr. hasn't. Eury needs to get his act together and quick!

And Don, don't even get me started on Steve Letarte! I don't know what the hell is going on with that team. He just sits in his little tower. He doesn't even look happy. Here's some advice Steve.....start trying to pump your team and driver up instead of being a bump on the log!

Kim

8-19-2008 @ 10:25AM

99fan said...

just my opinion, but as far as post 6 goes kyle was the odd man out at HMS last year. if you think that doesnt have an effect on the driver just ask dale jr. we all know how poorly jr ran after he said he was leaving DEI compared to truex jr.. that being said,i think its a safe bet to say that when gibbs told tony and denny about the switch to toyota (befor going public with it) that tony decided then and there that he would be leaving. so gibbs is left with this---- do we throw everything at the 20 car and send tony out a winner and start all over with the 20 car next year? ,or do we throw everything at the 18 car with a new driver who is going to be here for several years and not lose a year with this team? I think the results on the track can answer both questions. jmo.....

8-19-2008 @ 10:37AM

as far as gordons pit crew, i feel your pain! that last two tire stop by carls bunch was one of the few times that they got it right.. what they think about pulling off a 19 second stop aint s#!T

8-19-2008 @ 11:44AM

Brad said...

That's right the OTHER HMS teams won't be willing to step up their programs, and please tell me Kim what is your criteria for suffering a bad year, I can see Gordon's is obvious but what I notice is you didn't mention JJ, How many wins did he have last year?? and only 2 this year. If you compare what Jr. alone has acomplished this year to last, he has hands down done a better job than JJ or JG, and even though neither got the finish they deserved sunday.....who was that leading the most laps for HMS sunday.....aaahhh Jr........damn if only Knaus could have spent 2 more minutes with Eury. Do you really think JJ's lack of performance early this year was due to Chad spending to much time in Jr's camp, if that's the case then please tell me what has happend to Gordon, didn't he also have a good year last year....So who has Letarte been spending to much time with. In your own words, Kyle has talent plain and simple, that is the the biggest reason JJ, JG and so many others (not Edwards) aren't the top dogs right now.

Aloha, Brad

P.S. They all need to get their acts together.....not just Eury.....and all four crew chiefs share info about everything at HMS.......early in the year JJ and Chad said after working with JR. and Eury that they were better than we thought they were,,,,,and if Chad was working so much with Jr and Jr was running so good what information was he giving to Eury that he was not able to put into his own car? Give Jr. and Eury a little credit....nobody his holding there hand....I've yet to see Chad on Jr's. box with Eury during a race.

8-19-2008 @ 2:42PM

Dirt Rhodes said...

Good to see you come along with some common sense Brad. Some of these posts are unbelievable. If ignorance is bliss this should be the happiest place on the planet. Unbelievable!

8-19-2008 @ 6:03PM

First Brad, I believe I have said before I am an "equal opportunity criticizing crew chief bitch." That being said.....I have always been and will remain not a fan of Tony Eury Jr. I am also not a Jr. fan as you know. I don't "hate" Jr. so don't appreciate when people refer to me as a "Jr. hater" or "Jr. Basher" (although you do not). Look, I can't help that I don't think the kid is all he's cracked up to be. He has been in Sprint Cup for many years now and guys that have been in the series for less, hold much better records than him. Take Kyle Busch as an example, Jimmie Johnson, Carl Edwards, and I believe even Kasey Kahne. Now I am not a fan of the Nationwide Series so don't care about Jr.'s record there, don't know anything about it, etc. I base my opinion on him on the performances I have seen of his in Sprint Cup only. Fair? I don't know, but it is my opinion and I am entitled to it.

Now, I will agree Jr.'s year started out well although he is fading. He has dropped back in points (pretty coincidental since he dropped back several weeks ago after it was reported Chad Knaus was back with Jimmie full-time). You actually made my point for me in your argument. Jimmie did not start out well. Jr. did. Jimmie has improved. Jr. stayed the same and is now sliding backwards. Gordon isn't in the picture, because let's face it, he has sucked all year. Now isn't it most important as the ever important chase looms nearer that the driver and team improve and not slide backwards? I would assume so, therefore do not agree with your argument of Jimmie being sub par to Jr.

As I said earlier....I am an equal opportunity critical bitch when it comes to Crew Chiefs. I do hold them accountable for their drivers, cars, team efforts, etc. When Jimmie wasn't doing well, I was the first to "bitch" about Chad getting his act together. Once again, I am sorry that people don't like to hear or "read" criticism about Jr. I am still entitled to my opinion and I just haven't seen enough from him or Eury Jr. to change my mind as of yet, although my mind is open. :-)

And as for you Dirt Rhodes......You must be in bliss.....many of your comments tend to lean toward the "ignorant" side! Kisses!

Kim

8-19-2008 @ 6:30PM

Ron, is that you ghost posting? Shame on you.
I have a hard time believing that all 4 teams in the Hendrick line up share all their knowledge with one another in the garage. I do believe that they share some but to think that they share ALL is a bit hard for me to go along with. Of course what goes on in the garage is the basic setups and what they may be testing, and what happened as a result. The real knowledge comes from how they apply it at each track, during the race, as the track goes through the changes in temp, rubber, and so forth. I feel this is the area that Chad Knaus is the best. Eury and Letarte just do not put it all together the way Chad does.
Yes, at the beginning of the season there was a mutual admiration society meeting when Team Jr came on board. It was reported that JJ and JG were impressed with how good the two Jr's were and Dale Jr did comment on how much harder working and more professional he felt Hendrick's organization was. Everyone was happy and patting each other on the back.
However, as was reported on SI.com, nascar.com, and the fanhouse pages, Chad was helping out SOME with the new team. There are onyy so many hours in a day and so many hours in a week that these guys can work. If some of those hours are spent on anything other than YOUR team, it takes away from YOUR team. I wish Chad would go help Letarte out because he certainly could use it. it is just MY opinion but I do feel Chad is the best there is.

I did not get to see the first part of the race. What I did see online was that Jr lead the vast majority of the race until the second pit stop. After that, his car had some handling problems and he was going backwards fast. I turned off the TV after Tony STewart took out JJ and JG so I did not see the end. Can anyone tell me why Jr ended up a lap down at the end and way back in 22nd place or there abouts.?
MBL

8-19-2008 @ 8:45PM

BECAUSE TONY EURY SCREW UPS THAT'S WHY.
Crew chiefs come and go all the time and even JEFF GORDON went trough quite few of them. Why there is so much controversy about getting ready of TONY FURY? Dale jr is one of the "gods of nascar" NOT TONY E.
And yes somebody, i mean SOMEBODY has been ghost blogging lately again to light the fuel up. I do not know yet who it is and if i discover it i will keep him/her to myself this time.
You all know that i'm a dale junior fan too for a long time and so you all shall know about jeff bordon and that's why i believe that STEVE LETARGY SHALL ALSO BE STANDING IN THE UNEMPLOYMENT OFFICE LINE WITH TONY E.
JMO right or foul, facts are junior has had 1 top 10 in 9 weeks
since his only michigan win and jeff bordon is now in danger of slipping out of the CHASE LIST.

8-19-2008 @ 8:38PM

Ah, Ms Kim, would you direct me to my post(s) (comments)that were on the ignorant side?

8-19-2008 @ 9:29PM

Ah, Dirt Rhodes.....I can't really. I was just being pissy. When people shout out the word "ignorant" about those who express an opinion that is different than theirs, it perturbs me. I may be of differing opinion on this scenario, but I don't believe I am "ignorant" in any way and I sure as heck know I am not in "bliss" with anything. BTW.....you remind me of someone on these boards I am rather in love with. You wouldn't happen to be my Ron in disguise would you? :-)

And Anna!

YES, ANNA, YES!!!! Thank you! I am so glad to see a Jr. fan who actually understands where I am coming from with my comments. Thank you for that. :-)