What’s the big deal about Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s criticism of the Car of Tomorrow? Earnhardt isn’t the first driver to say the car needs changes, and he won’t be the last. His comments were actually more muted than other drivers’ have been.
“I just remember how the other cars drove,” Earnhardt said. “I liked how they drove and I like how this car is safe. But I want to be able to race it like we raced the other cars.”
That comment makes a lot of sense. Earnhardt finished third last week at Michigan for his second top-five finish this year. He has 17 victories with the old car and one with the new one.
Beyond that, many drivers hate how the new car drives and have expressed their displeasure. It’s much more difficult on them, and they have taken varying amounts of time to adjust. Earnhardt’s learning curve has been shallower than that of some of his competitors.
Last year, when nearly everybody struggled, Earnhardt struggled less. This year, Earnhardt isn’t the worst, but his opponents have improved more.
So when NASCAR President Mike Helton told reporters Earnhardt’s comments were born of frustration, he had a point. But he knows Earnhardt isn’t alone. This topic came up in a town hall meeting in May. Earnhardt’s words weren’t the first Helton has heard on the subject, and they won’t be the last.
Pit stops: The White House hosted several current drivers and past champions Wednesday. President Barack Obama addressed the crowd — which included campers from the Petty family’s Victory Junction Gang charity — took a photo with the championship trophy and three-time defending champion Jimmie Johnson and shook hands with the drivers. Some took advantage of photo ops too, such as Jeff Gordon and his wife. Active drivers in attendance included Johnson, Gordon, Earnhardt, Tony Stewart, Clint Bowyer, Carl Edwards, Greg Biffle, Jeff Burton, Denny Hamlin, Juan Pablo Montoya and Kurt Busch. … Brian Vickers signed a multiyear contract extension days after winning his first race with Red Bull Racing. The victory was Vickers’ second. He won in Talladega in 2006 while driving for Hendrick Motorsports. … Ron Hornaday Jr.’s truck-race winning streak ended in Bristol when Kyle Busch won the O’Reilly 200 on Wednesday night. Hornaday had won the previous five races — a series record. … More good news for ESPN’s ratings this week. Michigan numbers were better than last year’s for both the Nationwide and Cup race. … Kevin Buskirk is out as Elliott Sadler’s crew chief. Car chief Wally Rogers will take over on an interim basis this weekend at Bristol. … Southern California native Johnson will be inducted into the Auto Club Speedway Hall of Fame on Oct. 10, when NASCAR travels to Fontana, Calif., for its first Chase race there. … Kyle Busch has 12 victories this season but only three in the Sprint Cup series. This weekend Busch returns to a track where he has been successful. He won at Bristol in March, and the Tennessee track is the only place where Busch has won more than one Cup race. … Places 10 through 15 — held by Biffle, Matt Kenseth, Mark Martin, Vickers, Bowyer and Kyle Busch — are separated by only 100 points.
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tganguli@orlandosentinel.com
