HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. — A much-anticipated crew chief shakeup on Dale Earnhardt Jr's team is the talk of the motorsports world today. Hendrick Motorsports announced that Tony Eury Jr. is out and Lance McGrew is in after a disappointing start to the 88 team's 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup season.
Bobby Labonte, Eddie D’Hondt and Alli Owens react to the news and discuss how changing a crew chief affects a team:
Bobby Labonte, Driver No. 96 Ask.com Ford and President of Breaking Limits:
“Anytime there is a change with Dale Earnhardt Jr. it’s going to be a big story because everyone follows him so closely and because of his popularity. You can change the catch can guy on his team and it’s going to be big news.
“You know, everyone goes through changes on a team. Sometimes it’s once or twice a season and sometimes it’s once or twice every couple of years. It’s part of the sport. You just try and get the best chemistry possible for everyone involved. The most important thing is the team and doing what’s best for everyone involved.”
Eddie D'Hondt, Owner, No. 19 ElectrifyingCareers.com Toyota (ARCA RE/MAX Series):
“We’re more than a quarter of the way through the season. If you’re going to make a big change, you don’t want to do it much later because you’re basically starting over. Someone much smarter than me once said, ‘The definition of insanity is doing the same over and over again and expecting different results.’ Something had to change on the 88 team or it was going to be more of the same.
“Sometimes you need to shuffle the deck and make a fresh start to get something to work. We’re talking about Dale Jr., the sport’s icon. Everyone has huge expectations for him and his team has an obligation to perform. I think Tony Eury Jr. is an excellent crew chief. Despite him and everyone else trying really hard, they just can’t make it work.”
Alli Owens, Driver, No.19
ElectrifyingCareers.com Toyota
“You spend so much time with your team that they become your family. It becomes a drastic change to replace someone. I’m working with a new crew chief (Jerry Pitts) this season, and it’s been a transition. Each crew chief has a different philosophy and method for setting up a car, so it can take some time for the crew and driver to adapt.
“In the 88 team’s case, they’re struggling and know that they had to do something different. This will be their fresh start. They’ll take a few races to regroup and hopefully be better off for it. I think all of the guys on the 88 team will use this is an opportunity to improve the program and rally behind their new leader.”
