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Is Mark Martin Going to Be Derailed by Changes to Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s Team?

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by Matt Mercer, Special To NASCAR commentary and driver pictures, 2011 NASCAR schedule, video, Bench Racing With Steve and Charlie

I'm the former blogger of The Catfish Show NASCAR Blog and a contributor to On Pit Row. Follow me on Twitter: @mattmercer

May 28, 2009 7:12 pm EDT 8 Comments


As I was reading a story this afternoon on what new Dale Earnhardt Jr. crew chief Lance McGrew plans for the #88 team, I started worrying about the chances of Mark Martin’s title run this year. McGrew says that among the first items to be evaluated is the #88 team’s relationship with that of their shop-mate, the #5 team. McGrew says that they aren’t a unified outfit because they were two entities brought together, unlike the #24 and #48 teams. Correct me if I’m wrong, but the #5 and #25 teams were together since what, 2002 when Hendrick added a 4th car? The teams have been there, with mixed success, since the days of Terry Labonte/Kyle Busch in the #5 and Joe Nemechek/Brian Vickers/Casey Mears in the #25. McGrew was even a big part of that #25 team, serving as crew chief for Vickers in that time. I have to wonder why McGrew seems to fault the new combination of Martin and crew chief Alan Gustafson in the #5 for being successful. Maybe I’m reading the story wrong, but that’s how it looks.

My main concern here is that Martin’s team has been very successful with fast cars nearly ever week of the year while Earnhardt Jr. and his team haven’t adjusted their equipment to meet the demands of 2009 yet. It’s no guarantee the change will work the first time around. Is McGrew implying that he wants to change the way Gustafson is running the #5 team? This quote scares me:

“Basically, the crew chiefs have to steer the ship. If you want [the 5/88] building to perform and function with the 24/48 shop does, it has to be managed like the 24/48 shop is. The crew chiefs steer the ship there. I feel like you have to do that in unison, because the idea is to have two teams in one building that operate as one. Those [24 and 48] teams do that. Right now that’s not happening [in the 5 and 88 shop].”

Right. Because it’s the #5 team’s responsibility for the #88 not using the notes and setups the #5, #24, and #48 do. McGrew is right about this part: ideally, both teams in the shop should operate as one. It seems that the #88 team led by Tony Eury Jr. was willing to break away from that and do things their own way.

All I’m saying is, this could easily drag down Martin during the rest of the 2009 season. If McGrew wants to change the #5 team’s method (which is clearly working) it could derail Martin’s title hopes this season. I do not want that to happen and I suspect that even Dale Jr. himself wouldn’t want that to happen. Hendrick needs to be careful he isn’t tearing down the strong to build up the weak.

Photo credit: Sports Illustrated

Filed under: Brian Vickers, Casey Mears, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Hendrick Motorsports, Joe Nemechek, Mark Martin, NASCAR 

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Comments

8 Responses to “Is Mark Martin Going to Be Derailed by Changes to Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s Team?”

  1. User Avatar Steve Wronkowicz on May 28th, 2009 8:14 pm

    I don’t see what McGrew or anyone else at HMS would see in changing the 5 team to make it more like the 88. Using the setups from the 5 to form a baseline for direction for the 88 would seem much more plausible.

    It has been no secret all year that while the 24/48 combo has worked together successfully; there has been no such co-operation with the other group, regardless of the car numbers and drivers involved.

    It’s about time that Rick told them to get their collective asses together.

  2. User Avatar Charlie Turner on May 28th, 2009 9:53 pm

    I think I see what you’re talking, and worried about Matt. I mean, who knows just how much power Junior has? Could he and his new brain-trust influence the #5 team? Will Rick Hendrick let the strong survive? It will be THE story of the summer.

  3. Aaron on May 29th, 2009 10:50 am

    Martin has said earlier in the season that he tried using the same setup Johnson uses and didn’t like it. So then he tried Gordon’s setup and tweaked it from there, so obviously the 48/24/5 all share setup information. Gordon has said that he tested one of Mark’s setup’s and couldn’t believe how loose it handled. The question is, has the 88 tried their setup’s? If they have it sure hasn’t been mentioned. Martin will be fine, he can drive anything with wheels, and I doubt Gustafson will allow McGrew or Whitesell to tell him what to do as long as they are being successful. If they are smart, they willl take the setup Alan puts under Mark’s car and put it in Jr’s car and go from there, it can’t be much worse than it already was with Eury Jr in charge.

  4. Ken on May 29th, 2009 3:37 pm

    The switch has already hurt not only Mark Martin but also Jeff Gordon and Brad Keselowski. Mark qualified 27th at a track that is one of his best. Jeff Gordon’s car looked like crap in qualifying and he ended up crashing and going to a backup car. And Brad wasn’t even fast enough to qualify in the 25 HMS car, getting beat by guys like Joe Nemecheck and his small team, Dave Blaney and Phil Parson’s small team and Tony Raines and that small team. Oh and Jr. 22nd. Mid pack at best as usual. Brian Whitesell and Rex Stump and Lance McGrew won’t help Jr. but their new roles will certainly hurt the rest of the organization. If Mark misses the chase then he can blame Jr.’s lack of talent and his idiotic fan base for it.

  5. racinsince55 on May 29th, 2009 5:53 pm

    I really hope that Mark Martin doesn’t get thrown under the Bus with all of the changes.

    Mark Martin has more talent in his little finger than Jr. will ever have, period.

  6. User Avatar Marc on May 29th, 2009 6:51 pm

    Ken, jumping to conclusions based on one qual effort by Martin? Pah-lease!

    Oh yeah and can you quantify how much Jr’s “idiotic fan base” has on the performance on that or any other team?

  7. Douglas on May 29th, 2009 8:05 pm

    Mark Martin used to to be one of my favorite drivers. All he is doing now is trying to embaress FORD and Jack Roush. I was so glad Harvick beat him at Daytona last year. He is also very greedy. And by the way, who called JR a driver. I would rather see a YUGO win than a chevrolet.

  8. Pete on October 4th, 2009 7:04 pm

    Why would Mark need to get back at Roush and Ford? That was an amicable split. Some people are just too stuck on behind the scenes crap, rumor and vengeance.

    Idiot.

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