The Earnhardt Switch

In one of the biggest upsets in NASCAR history, Dale Earnhardt Jr. left the team his father built from the ground up this summer. Due to conflicts with the team's current owner, his stepmother Theresa Earnhardt, he made the move to Hendrick Motorsports to drive alongside teammates Jeff Gordon and Jimmy Johnson. Jr.'s longstanding and easily recognizable red #8 car is a thing of the past for fans, and with the change in teams comes the introduction of a new unmistakable NASCAR symbol: The green and black #88 car which will hopefully be the vehicle to lead Jr. onto his first Cup championship.

I'm sure the move was not easy for Dale Jr. He's walked away from a team which his father poured his heart and soul into, a team which Jr. hoped would be passed onto him some day. While it may still be the light at the end of the tunnel, his rocky relationship with his stepmother will certainly mean it won't happen anytime soon. Jr.'s Cup history with Dale Earnhardt Incorporated has been less than ideal, with Jr. accumulating only 17 wins and averaging only 18^th place finishes in 8 years of driving. He is, however one of the most popular drivers on the Nextel Cup series, and that popularity will surely follow him to Hendrick Motorsports. As will his crew chief and cousin Tony Eury Jr., which will add an element of ease and stability to Jr.'s transition to the Hendrick family.

There's been a good deal of speculation as to the success Jr. will encounter at Hendrick Motorsports, considering Jimmy Johnson and Jeff Gordon, two of the best drivers on the Cup circuit, are already based there. Both of these drivers are extremely talented and have already been very successful at Hendrick, and Hendrick Motorsports has amassed one of the most talented batch of drivers and crew members in NASCAR history. Jimmy Johnson is now a back-to-back Nextel Cup champion and Jeff Gordon is one of the most successful drivers ever, with 81 wins and well over $20 million in career earnings. There has been concern expressed that perhaps Dale Jr. might end up on the short end of the stick equipment wise considering he's the new kid in the Hendrick stable, but only time will tell as to whether his equipment is equal to that of his very successful teammates. Adding Dale Jr. to the mix will, without a doubt, make Hendrick Motorsports the team to beat in 2008.

Tradtionally, Dale Jr. fans and Jeff Gordon fans have been at each other's throats. If you like one, you certainly cannot like the other, in the confines of "proper" NASCAR fan etiquette. They are both very talented drivers with a massive amount of skill, but are polar opposites when it comes to personality and presentation. This division of type may very well be what helps NASCAR fans adapt to having both drivers on the same team.

While it may have been a huge shock to see the #8 car going to the wayside, such is business. I know I, for one, will miss that bright red car speeding around the tracks. I will, without a doubt, have more than a few times early next season where I mistakenly pick our Kasey Kahne, who will be touting the Budweiser red sponsorship, and will have to stop and make myself remember that Jr. is sporting a whole new getup. I'm sure AMP and Mountain Dew will be great sponsors for the new #88 team, and that black and green car will be easy to spot soon enough.

An era has truly passed in NASCAR with Jr.'s leave from Dale Earnhardt Incorporated. Dale Jr. is an amazingly talented young man with skills enough to succeed anywhere. Perhaps at one point in the future DEI will be turned over to Dale Jr., who can continute the Earnhardt legacy in the manner in which it deserves, but until that day, Jr. will be out there striving to be the best driver, and the best man, he can be.