Sunday, February 17, 2008
A Different Side of Nascar
Most Nascar related articles discuss the racing itself or topics that directly have to do with the racing, but this is not all of Nascar. There is more to the sport than “just turning left”. A particular example of this is the driver to driver, driver to team, and driver to owner relationships. Without making these relationships work, the drivers would not be able to go out on the race track and turn left each week.
Last season, the fans were able to see this in the Dale Jr./Teresa Earnhardt relationship. Dale Jr. admits he and Teresa never hit it off. This made it difficult for Dale Jr. to experience success last season. Some theorists believe Teresa to be the “evil stepmother” who sabotaged Dale Jr.’s 2007 season. Although this is not the case, it brings up a good point. The tension Dale Jr. and Teresa experienced caused a distraction that led to a completely off season.
The pot finally boiled over when Dale Jr.’s contract with DEI was set to expire at the end of the 2007 season. Negotiations to renew the contract were heated. Dale Jr. desired to own a part of DEI, his late father’s company set up for Dale Jr.’s sake. Teresa would not have it. It was obvious the two had different views on what direction the company should go. Teresa wanted to focus on continuing Dale Sr.’s legacy off the track instead of focusing on DEI’s current race teams. This caused Dale Jr. to rethink his racing career. Is he really meant to work at DEI?
The horrible 2007 season helped Dale Jr. answer this question. The worries involving his stepmother and his future, caused Dale Jr. much distraction. He went the entire year without a win. He experienced many mechanical failures, while teammate Martin Truex Jr. found success. DEI was not giving him the resources needed for success in this sport. Dale Jr. realized he needed to move on, but to where?
Dale Jr. knew he needed to leave DEI if he wanted to experience success in the sport. What better place to experience success than with the dominating team of Hendrick Motorsports? Hendrick Motorsports won 18 of the 36 races that made up the 2007 season. Not to mention the 48 Hendrick Motorsports team won their second championship in a row. By the time Dale Jr. made his announcement it was no surprise he was going to leave DEI and join the Hendricks teams. Dale Jr. made the right choice.
Watching Dale Jr. in the garage and on the track these past two weeks, the fans can see a new side to him. This Dale Jr. is relaxed and happy, unlike last season’s. Having contentment instead of the tension between himself and Teresa has allowed Dale Jr. to taste success once again. Dale Jr.’s shootout and duel win are perfect examples of how this new, content Dale J can and will experience success. The skill of turning left is not all that is needed to be successful in Nascar. Drivers must also be skilled enough to deal with personal issues so nothing outside the track can get in the way of their career’s success.