Dale Earnhardt Jr.

I have had a few days to think about what happened on Wednesday. Everything that Dale Jr does whether it's on the track or off the track it makes headlines. I was at work during his press conference so I didn't get a chance to watch it live on Speed, but I was I did get a chance to hear the first four minutes of the press conference on Sirius.

This decision was the hardest decision he will make in his life until he decides to walk away from NASCAR. I can't even begin to step into his shoes and to tell you the truth I don't want to. I believe this is a good decision for Dale. He wasn't, in my opinion, getting the equipment needed to compete on the level he should be. He is a talented driver. But talent will get you so far in the world of NASCAR. You need the car, the equipment and the personnel in place to compete and win championships in NASCAR. When Dale Jr. decided to follow in his father's footsteps, you knew his life would be under a microscope. His father is a Daytona 500 winner and a 7-time NASCAR champion. He was The Intimidator. To me there was no driver any greater than Dale Sr. As much as he would have liked to stay at the company his father built and created, it wasn't meant to be. Junior needs to carve out his own niche in NASCAR. He needs to step out of his father's shadow and become the champion, in my opinion, he can be. He will win one I have no doubt. I am sure Dale Sr. would support his son in whatever pursuits he chose to follow. But I believe this whole event would be moot if Dale Sr. was alive.

Now the Dale Jr. lottery begins. Dale Jr. wants to win a championship. He will need a team that will get him that championship. He wants to stay with Chevy. This eliminates several teams out there. He wants people around him who he feels can get the job done for him and whom he feels comfortable working with. Everyone's sentimental favorite would be Childress Racing, but if he is going to carve his own niche, RCR wouldn't be it. I would like to see him over at Gibbs Racing. What a team that would be! And of course...I hate to say...maybe Hendrick. But they are a long shot. HMS has 4 racings teams. There's Ginn racing, but it is not quite in the same tier as RCR, HMS, and JGR, but maybe Dale Sr. would elevate the team. From what they have done with Mark Martin, you might have to give them a shot. And last, he could just elevate JR Motorsports to a Cup team. No matter what Dale Jr. decides it will be one with careful thought and consideration. Good Luck Junior wherever you may land.

Tonight's race is rained out. This is the second week in a row the Saturday night race has been rained out. I am sick of rain. We had some serious deluge here on Tuesday and Wednesday. I thought I saw Noah putting up some scaffolding. I am going to say the HMS domination will end tomorrow. Go Tony!