I had a question on Little E, is he the most overated driver in Nascar. I mean sometimes I wonder if he really cares about this and so many people give him a pass, all we heard yesterday is that he is the most popular driver, and he messes up pit stops which should never happen and most people feel he caused the big wreck.

On the pit stops, first he blamed everybody else for having the same colors for the pit numbers, like his was pink, somebody else had pink, so wasn't sure which one it was, then said he only pitted there once all week, and on the second mistake, so the rule was stupid and even asked a person interviewing him if it was stupid, if it is or isn't stupid it is still a rule and you have to follow it.

Then with the big wreck, I would say if you broke it down by percent it would be 70-30 Junior, Vickers didn't need to block, but did Little E have to spin him out, I think it was Jimmy Spencer on the Speed Network said Junior could have gotten off the throttle and didn't need to spin him out, then said Junior should have gotten the black flag.

In closing and I know it's a little long, but do you think Gordon and Johnson ever look at him as a real teammate, I would say they beleive Martin is more of their teammate than Junior. Will he ever win a championship, I would say the way he is going, the answer would be no. I think if his Dad was still around, he wouldn't be letting this happen, and if Hendrick was smart, he would clean house on that team today, but again the fans don't care and will root for him and we are seeing maybe a great driver be average or below average driver.

If that is no the pot calling the kettle black.

Spencer was and is an arrogant loudmouthed meatball.

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"He is a loathsome, offensive brute
--yet I can't look away."

I yelled at the t.v. when he said that...

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@audioidkid

I have long felt Jr was over-adored, a top flight driver, BUT. The pit road mistakes this weekend are totally unacceptable for an experienced pro. My take on the crash was 100% him.

he is a touch over-loved yes. consider that he would not be "who he is" if it wasn't for his Dad's rep. he inherited all of his Dad's fans, ya know..
yes, Jr. won the 500 once...but, he needs to win a championship.

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@audioidkid

His level of popularity is probably too high based on his accomplishments. But, he still has 18 wins which is more than all but about 5 active drivers. Plus, to be frank, he talks a bit more like the typical NASCAR fan than JJ or Gordon. I think the fact that he ran the Bud car for a long time plays into it also and that his name is Earnhardt.

So, yes, overloved. But, he is still a good driver who's won a lot of races. He's the Ernie Banks of NASCAR.

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You know me like that.

No - sorry, but junior's not just "a touch over-loved," rather he is 100% over-loved because of who his dad was. This is just another example of someone who is a full-fledged member of the lucky sperm club feeling like they're entitled and not having to work as hard (or catch breaks) as others. Of course he wants to win a championship to justify all this love that, in many people's opinion, he doesn't deserve. Come on, everyone on the track feels that they NEED to win a championship - they're not just gonna wreck half the field because they feel that they don't have to play by the rules...

Just as Dr. Ken said, you cannot argue with the fact he has 18 wins, which is more than most of the other drivers. So while he maybe somewhat over loved and rated, there is no way you can say that is 100%.

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"He is a loathsome, offensive brute
--yet I can't look away."

Okay, I have to admit that I'm a bit over-the-top in saying 100%, but without having to have a drawn-out discussion of semantics, I'm sure that junior was afforded many more opportunities to even be in the circuit that others MAY not have and I just don't like folks to carry around a sense of entitlement and to get too much credit for just being born with a specific last name that carries weight. I know that it's been acknowledged that his name does have to do with his over-the-top popularity, so I'll acknowledge that he has done some things in his own right to get credit for being a good racer

I agree with Hackwilson Ribbies, if he had a diffrent last name, he would not get the love or the passes he gets, if Vickers had spun Little E out yesterday, we would hear that Vickers was getting threats and people would have been throwing stuff at his car.

He won a 500, but when was the last time he won a restrictor race, which he used to dominate.

You could make the case that he won the race for Kenseth for causing the wreck that took out Busch and Hamlin.

Last thought, if that teams gets off to a slow start, I could see Hendrick clean house on that team, I think the main problem is that his cousin is his crew chief Eury JR, and I wonder how much control he has over Junior, or if people just listen to Junior and not him.

If everything he has is based on his last name, then why did his older brother fail in NASCAR?

Sure, Jr. has not been hurt by his last name, but he has also taken advantage of his opportunities and has had success.



You are crazy, no such thing is happening.

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"He is a loathsome, offensive brute
--yet I can't look away."

RFDC, don't you think he wants top notch people on that, so they could contend better for a championship, or is Hendrick just out helping Johnson and Gordon. I am just wondering.

First off, what has happened to DEI as a sports franchise is equal to what Art Modell did to the people of Cleveland and their Browns. Yes, Dale Jr. has the name but brother Kerry Earnhardt has the same number of lucky chromosomes and he's nowhere near the top levels of racing.

DEI was to become a HUGE organ-I-zation in the ranks of RCR and Hendrick. Dale Jr. should have never left for Hendrick... Heck, J Gordo didn't win any races last year is he done at 37? No. Look at the 50+ crowd that is still racing. Jr. didn't always have the best equipment on the track the last two years driving the #8 Bud.

Dale Jr. was already on good terms with Hendrick as they are the top Chevy team. This made the T Stewart transition to ownership is he has Hendrick power under the hood. Stewart was SO pissed when JoeGibbs went to Toyota. Stewart was in line for the former #25 car in the Hendrick stable until ownership became viable.

Is Dale Jr. overrated? No. That's like saying there has only been one good driver the last three years since J Johnson has been champ the whole time. That's like saying Kobe was overrated for the 05-07 seasons. It's the parity of so many teams that have a chance to win each week. Who saw Matt Kenseth winning the Daytona 380? A top 10 would be reasonable, but between the rain and Dale Jr. losing his mind, anything can happen.

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CSFMB: Home of the small minded

He already has top notce people in JJ, Gordon, Dale Jr. and Martin.

There is no stronger team in NASCAR.

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"He is a loathsome, offensive brute
--yet I can't look away."

donspiracy, I agree with most of your points, if Stewart had gone to the #25, man that would be a dominant team, then would the word that should be used for Little E instead of over-rated is over loved that what was used in previous posts.

For RFDC and for anybody, does Junior need a new crew chief that can control Junior, because IMO, I have felt that Eury Jr, never has control over him and that Junior makes most of the decisions.

Don's right. There was a reason he didn't win for a long time because his end days at DEI he had crappy equipment. That last year his engine blew in I think 9 of the 36 races. Hard to win without an engine.

I do agree with the concerns about Eury Jr. though. I'm not sold on their think tank there.

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You know me like that.

This prick cost me in Don's contest and pissed of my 4 yr old when the M&M car wrecked.
Seriously, I don't know thing one about racing, but I am learning. It looked like Dale Jr. got pissed and retaliated. But what do I know.

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We all have private ails. The troublemakers are they who need public cures for their private ails.- Eric Hoffer

Well, you know that.

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You know me like that.

Juuuuuuunnnnnnniiiiooooorrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!!!

This is his week. I can feel it.

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You know me like that.

Go wash your hands.

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We all have private ails. The troublemakers are they who need public cures for their private ails.- Eric Hoffer

Like you washed your hands of my contest, you country cocksucker?

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You know me like that.

Only after he's finished.

I would like nothing more than to see the race end with Junior and Stewart running 1 and 2.

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"He is a loathsome, offensive brute
--yet I can't look away."

Yeah, guilty as charged. My life has taken a different turn as of late. It was not a left turn, I can assure you that.

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We all have private ails. The troublemakers are they who need public cures for their private ails.- Eric Hoffer

Dale Earnhardt, Jr. is NASCAR's most popular driver among fans, even before joining Rick Hendrick and arguably the most talented & successful organization in racing featuring three-time defending Sprint Cup Champion Jimmie Johnson's #48 Lowe's Chevy and Jeff Gordon's #24 DuPont Chevy. Why Dale Jr.'s #88 National Guard/AMP Energy has only 1 win since joining Hendrick and why he's been unable to race much better is anybody's guess. Another member of the FOX Sports/SPEED crew, Jeff Hammond, seems to think that Dale Jr.'s former Crew Chief Darian Grubb moving over to current points leader & owner Tony Stewart's #14 Office Depot/Old Spice Chevy seems to be the missing link to Earnhardt's inability to find victory lane beyond last summer's race at Michigan.

One last thing about Dale Jr. When the likes of SPEED, ESPN2, MRN & PRN Radio all talk about NASCAR after the race, Dale Jr. is a prime topic of conversation, and not necessarily because he was any good that day either.

Is Junior running a toyota this week? Well then, he ain't winning.

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The track cooled off. He was fast early on Thursday. He'll be fast late on Saturday.

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You know me like that.

Just got back from the track - a lot of the toyota's were fast in the first practice too. 18, 00, 83, 47 all went out in qualifying before the sun went down.

You should have a manufacturer's "Win Dr. Ken's $" this week - I'll take toyota.

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Looked like Speed was fast all day too, ironically, or I guess, not ironically.

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You know me like that.

My only regret from going to the track today was that I missed Speed's interview after he ran 2nd fastest. He may as well pack up and go home now, my use for him is finished.

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