Certainly Dale Earnhardt Jr. doesn’t want to hear anything about Gordon moving on. As he prepares to join Hendrick Motorsports next season, Earnhardt is looking forward to having Gordon as a teammate and competing against him in equal equipment.
“Jeff is one of the best that’s ever been in our sport,” Earnhardt said. “He’s fun to race with and when you beat him, it’s a good feeling.” Steve Ballard, IndyStar.com
July 23
The team already has two superstars in its stable. Four time champion Jeff Gordon, and 2006 champion Jimmie Johnson. Is there really room there for another superstar?
Egos will play a part in the team, no matter how un-egotistical Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson are. Gordon and Johnson both know their place in the team (whose top dog).
July 19
All of the pieces are in place for car owner Hendrickrace team to transform into NASCAR’s first true Super Team in 2008.
Beginning next season, Hendrick will have Superman (Jeff Gordon—once known as Wonder Boy), Spiderman (Jimmie Johnson—for his ability to latch on to victories), Captain America (Dale Earnhardt Jr.—the most popular driver in the United States) and Casey Mears (still working on his identity). MIKE FINNEY, The News Journal
July 09
The more teams you can have with bigger sponsorship dollars, the more resources you will have. The analogy of Hendrick Motorsports as the New York Yankees or the Boston Red Sox has been used a lot, but NASCAR is different. Even though it’s one organization, the four Hendrick drivers are trying to beat each other. It’s a very close-knit company that shares a lot of information, but watch the last 20 or 30 laps of April’s Martinsville race. When the starter says, “Gentlemen, start your engines,” it’s still every man for himself. Larry McReynolds, FoxSports
Gordon and Johnson were docked 100 points each for the violation. But Gordon didn’t lose the lead in the standings and Johnson only dropped from third to fifth and now sits fourth—still excellent position to make the Chase for the Championship.
As if Hendrick weren’t already the New York Yankees of NASCAR, Dale Earnhardt Jr. will join the juggernaut next year.
Why? He wants to win races. And championships.
And this is the place to do it. Ed Hinton, Tribune auto racing
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