Leave Tony Eury Jr. As Dale Jr.‘s Crew Chief
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The rumor mill has ratcheted up considerably the last few days, particularly since Dale Earnhardt Jr. finished a disappointing 40th in Monday’s rain-delayed and rain-shortened Coca-Cola 600.
Tony Eury Jr. won’t last the week as Dale Jr.‘s crew chief – that’s what some rumors would have you believe.
Tony Jr. will be temporarily relieved of his duties as team owner Rick Hendrick tries a “fill-in” to see if that changes anything – yet another rumor says.
Frankly, I don’t put much stock in rumors, but I admit they are intriguing and even laughable at times.
That’s why Hendrick should forego any attempt to replace Eury and simply let him and Dale Jr. work things out. Firing a guy when he’s down is the easy way out. But keeping a guy in place to try and work through everything that’s wrong, while a much more difficult approach, oftentimes leads to better dividends down the road.
Sure, the two Juniors are having trouble, something they’ve had now for over two years. In any other instance, I’d say yes, break them up.
But before Tony Eury Jr. had a losing history with Dale Jr. of late, they had a pretty successful winning history in the beginning of their working relationship, particularly when Tony Jr. was car chief, while his father, Tony “Pops” Sr., was Dale Jr.‘s crew chief.
If Hendrick gets rid of Tony Jr. now, he’ll be admitting defeat at an experiment that failed. Frankly, Hendrick is not a man that readily likes to admit defeat.
Rather, he’d much quickly point out down the road how he ignored the rumors and the calls from fans and reporters to split the two Juniors, and how they finally did get their collective act together.
Give Tony Jr. another chance before you get rid of him, Rick, because quite frankly, I’m still not convinced he’s the main cause of the problems between them. And you know what that means – not to mention who else may be the real reason for such mediocrity.
Catch you back here on Thursday.
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