Fan reactions weigh on Dale Jr. during retirement news conference

Silence blanketed the Hendrick Motorsports Team Center building Tuesday afternoon for three long minutes before Dale Earnhardt Jr. strode across the stage wearing a suit and tie.

Hardly anyone said a word. No music played. Just silence, save for the sound of people shifting in their chairs.

What was about to come in an hour-long news conference to discuss Earnhardt’s decision to retire? The tone was unclear, but it seemed like he could handle it in a variety of different ways.

Perhaps he’d be excited and buoyant, pumped about the future after making a decision to step away.

Maybe he’d get choked up, overcome with emotion over realizing his full-time racing career was coming to an end.

Or he could bring a motivational angle to the speech, trying to cheer his massive fan base and tell them everything was going to be OK.

In reality, it wasn’t any of those things. While Earnhardt said he was at peace with his decision and was happy with his career, he was solemn and “spun out” because he was fretting over how the news would be received by his fans.

Typical Earnhardt. A man driven by a fear of letting anyone down and a sense of duty to those he loves spent his retirement news conference thinking about other people instead of himself.

By the time he took the stage, most of those close to him had already been informed. He made a round of phone calls Monday night, breaking the news to a variety of people.

His fans, though, didn’t know until the news was made public Tuesday morning. And he was nervous as to how they’d react, because he didn’t want to bring them any pain.

“I’m very sad because I know that it’s definitely disappointing for a lot of people to wake up to that news this morning,” he said. “I know we’ve got a lot of fans that are very sad, for lack of a better way to describe it.

“So I feel that emotion as well, that what I’ve announced today has had that effect on a lot of people.”

Indeed, it was a tough day for his fans. Those on Twitter used words like “lost” and “heartbroken” to describe their emotions, spending the day crying their eyes out. People compared it to a breakup; others described it, sincerely, as one of the saddest days they’d experienced.

Those who aren’t hardcore Earnhardt fans might scoff at such reactions, but they’re very real. Even those fans who never met Earnhardt feel like they know him, because he speaks their language and they feel a connection — even if it’s a one-way relationship.

Earnhardt knows this, of course. He’s seen countless people rendered speechless or moved to tears by meeting him over the years. So even if the emotions seem silly to outsiders, Earnhardt wasn’t taking them lightly on Tuesday.

That he cares so much is a testament to why he became popular in the first place.

But after the initial shock, his fans may discover it’s not really the end. First, there are 28 more races this year where they get to say goodbye — a chance not all fans get (just ask Carl Edwards supporters).

Then, there are future races — at least two in the Xfinity Series next season and probably more to come — which will ease the transition for everyone.

 

 

Plus, he’ll still be around — just in a different capacity, he said. And that thought might help some fans dry their tears.

“I really enjoy making people happy,” he said. “I think I can replicate that in the next chapter of my life.”

NASCAR’s Steve O’Donnell on life after Dale Jr.

One of the hot topics in the wake of Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s retirement announcement has been: Is NASCAR in trouble?

It’s a fair question, because the up-and-coming drivers don’t seem to have the same sort of big, magnetic personalities drivers like Earnhardt, Tony Stewart and Jeff Gordon had.

There are a lot of opinions on this, but a very important one comes from NASCAR itself. Steve O’Donnell, NASCAR’s executive vice president and the guy who basically runs the show these days, attended Tuesday’s news conference and answered a few questions afterward, saying he was optimistic about the future of the sport.

Among his answers:

 

— The current crop of young drivers do have personalities that will attract fans, O’Donnell believes, but “they’ve got to win” more often in order for fans and media to recognize that.

“People like winners,” he said. “We’ve taken some steps in the Xfinity Series to move out some of the Cup drivers. The reason for that is we want drivers exposed to winning — (then) they’re interviewed more, people get to see their personalities.”

O’Donnell said there’s “no doubt” the drivers’ personalities will be exposed as they start to have more success.

— It’s one thing for NASCAR to be more involved with developing personalities and scheduling TV show appearances or similar opportunities, but there’s only so much the sanctioning body can do. At some point, O’Donnell said, the drivers have to step up and “take those personalities outside the sport.”

“It’s important for us to work together, but it’s also on the drivers,” he said. “They’ve got to want to do some of these things outside of the sport to help grow the sport as well.”

— O’Donnell is comforted by the fact Earnhardt isn’t going away and wants to remain part of the sport. He believes Earnhardt can continue to help NASCAR develop the young drivers’ personalities, both as an Xfinity Series team owner and other ways that haven’t yet come to light.

In addition, O’Donnell feels Earnhardt will continue to give feedback on NASCAR’s direction (as Jeff Burton and Jeff Gordon have in retirement).

“He’s not hesitant to send you a message every day on, ‘Here’s what I thought about the race’ or ‘Here’s some ideas you all need to explore,'” O’Donnell said. “He cares about the long-term health of the sport. And I think the other drivers he’s interacted with, especially the younger drivers, see that and know that’s important going forward.”

Initial thoughts on Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s retirement decision

Dale Earnhardt Jr. has decided to retire after this season, as announced Tuesday morning by Hendrick Motorsports.

The news just broke, so I’m still collecting my thoughts, but here are some early reactions:

— We all knew Earnhardt would stop probably racing within the next few years, but it’s still really jarring now that the news is real. To see the words “Dale Earnhardt Jr.” and “retiring” sort of leaves a pit in the feeling of your stomach, because it’s really the end of an era. When you take into account that a very large percentage of NASCAR fans are part of Junior Nation, there will be many people who feel lost, saddened and unsure of where this leaves them now. The positive for them is they’ll have 28 more races to watch their favorite driver and prepare to say goodbye instead of just dealing with a sudden departure.

— In February of last year, I tagged along with Dale Jr. for a day to visit one of his car dealerships in Florida. The conversation turned to how much longer he might want to race (this was before the concussion) and something he said has stuck with me.

“I’m in great cars,” he said then. “How long will I have great cars? When I’m not in great cars anymore, driving cars might not be fun. I’ve saved my money, so I don’t have to be doing this. But I love it, because I’ve got great cars.”

We’ll find out more about his reasons during a retirement news conference later today, but he doesn’t seem to be having as much fun this year. His team isn’t running well or getting good finishes and he’s already in a big hole for making the playoffs — and it’s still only April.

It makes sense that would ask himself: Do I really want to do this all of this year and next year if I’m not going to be running up front and winning?

I don’t have any insight into his reasoning, but I’m guessing that played some sort of role.

— One driver does not make a sport. But Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart and Earnhardt made up a trifecta of star power — with Earnhardt being arguably the biggest star NASCAR has ever had — that transcended racing and could reach across the lines of sports and pop culture.

No, NASCAR isn’t going to die just because Earnhardt is leaving — nor will it be on life support. But NASCAR is sick, and it’s serious.

After Gordon left, there was unquestionably an impact on NASCAR attendance, TV ratings and interest. Some fans followed him throughout his career and were putting up with things they didn’t like about NASCAR just because they wanted to still watch their favorite driver. Once he was gone, they stopped watching and attending.

The same will happen with Earnhardt, but perhaps on a larger scale. That’s not good for a sport that’s already been struggling.

Thanks to the TV deal where FOX and NBC overpaid by billions, NASCAR (and the tracks, which get TV money) will be stable financially for awhile. But these next five or so years will be absolutely crucial in the sport’s history, because now is the time where NASCAR either builds new superstars or continues to trend downward.

Look, Earnhardt wasn’t going to be around for much longer regardless of whether it was this year or a couple years, so the time was coming when NASCAR would have to figure out how to exist without leaning on him. As it turns out, that time is starting in 2018.

— It’s a relief to know that Earnhardt will (hopefully) be leaving the sport by his own choice — not one made by doctors.

During that interview last year in Florida, he said: “The one thing I’m scared of is you’re physically injured and it just ends. It’s jerked out from under you. You don’t want that. You want it to be on your terms. Like, ‘Alright man, I think I’m done.’ You get months to mentally absorb it. If it’s thrown right there in your lap and it’s like it’s over, that’d be so emotional.”

When he suffered the concussion last summer that made him miss half the season, it seemed like a very real possibility he might not be able to race again — and that the end of his career wouldn’t be on his terms.

Now, as long as he stays healthy for the remainder of the season, Earnhardt will be able to climb out of the car in the way he wants. All the hard work it took for him to come back in the first place has to be more than worth it for him in that regard.

— Oh, so what about his replacement? The logical choice would be Alex Bowman, because he’s already worked with the 88 team and done well there (he almost won Phoenix, remember?). Bowman at least deserves a shot, and future star William Byron wouldn’t be hurt by spending another year in the Xfinity Series anyway.

But at the same time, I’m sure there are MANY drivers outside Hendrick Motorsports who would literally give up their pinkie toe for a chance to drive the 88 car, so perhaps it’s not so obvious.

— On a personal and professional level, I’m really going to miss covering Earnhardt. There’s something about his combination of candor, wit and humility that makes him the best interview in sports (at least that I’ve seen), and you really can’t replace a guy like that.

Dale Jr. is a normal dude trapped in a superstar’s life, and his fans identify with him because he acts and talks like they would if they found themselves in a similar situation.

Over the years, I’ve found Earnhardt to be respectful and genuine and someone who doesn’t try to hide behind corporate speak. There’s nothing fake about him, and people seem to connect with that. There’s a very sincere quality there, which is something you don’t find all that often with people of Earnhardt’s celebrity status.

The people who claimed Earnhardt was popular because of his last name have always missed the point. While the name may have led to his initial opportunity in the sport, he was able to cultivate an ever-growing fan base and keep it over time because of the person he is — not his name.

Post-Bristol Podcast with Jenna Fryer

Jenna Fryer from the Associated Press joins me to talk about the Bristol race, her turbulent week on the internet and how reporters handle themselves after controversy. Plus, an appearance from Enshrowd (who does the music for the podcast).

The Top Five: Breaking down the Bristol race

Five thoughts from Monday’s rescheduled race at Bristol Motor Speedway:

1. What a race!

Bristol was one of those races that was so enjoyable to watch, I was disappointed when it ended.

That’s it? Only 500 laps? How about 600?

Seriously though, I could have watched that racing all day. It was just SO much fun to see the drivers going all out, with close-quarters racing and two equal grooves (yes, even though the bottom wasn’t the dominant lane).

I found myself smiling through many of the battles for position (which seemed constant) — and even while watching the leaders navigate lapped traffic.

It didn’t matter there was no late caution or restart to spice things up (the last 32 laps were green), nor did it matter there was a typical winner (Jimmie Johnson, again?). Bristol was just highly entertaining all day long, with the VHT-aided bottom groove just good enough to even things up with the top lane. As it turned out, that made for perfect racing conditions.

“Honestly, I don’t think it gets much better than that,” Kyle Larson said.

The sticky VHT slowly wearing off through the course of the race made it so that the track was constantly changing, and Bristol and NASCAR deserve a lot of credit for making it work.

Jimmie Johnson explained it this way: When there’s anything that’s consistent in NASCAR, the garage will figure it out. Everyone is too smart. But when the surface underwent a constant evolution like it did on Monday, Johnson said no one could exactly nail the setup.

“The track intentionally tried to create the need to be on the bottom,” Johnson said. “… This race, without a doubt, would have been single-file around the top without the VHT on the bottom,” Johnson said.

There was only one bad thing about the race: It was held Monday, when many fans were at work or school and couldn’t watch. Thanks a lot, Mother Nature.

How unfortunate that so many people missed one of the best races in recent years.

2. Larson Legend

I made a beeline for Larson’s car after the race, because watching him was half the fun of Monday’s race. He got out of his car and we made eye contact, and he looked sort of puzzled because I was grinning.

It took a second for me to remember he finished sixth on a day where he could have won, and probably wasn’t thrilled about the result. But I don’t really care where he finishes; I just know he put on quite a show — and usually does.

This seems so premature to say about a driver with two career wins, but Larson is really going to be an all-timer in this sport. I don’t know if his dry wit will ever translate into superstardom outside NASCAR (he might be too reserved to be the Jeff Gordon type who can guest-host a morning talk show), but he’ll be a legend within it by the time he’s done.

Larson’s driving style makes races more interesting to watch, and that’s not something you can say about many drivers. No matter what his career stats say by the time he’s done, he’ll be remembered as one of the greats of this generation.

3. Ol’ Jimmie does it again

Seven-Time, already the best driver in NASCAR history, just keeps adding to his career tally.

He now has 82 wins, which is one short of Cale Yarborough and two shy of Darrell Waltrip and Bobby Allison. It seems very possible that by the end of the season, the only drivers ahead of him on the all-time list will be Richard Petty, David Pearson and Jeff Gordon — and he may be alone in championships by the end of November.

It will be extra special for Johnson to tie Yarborough whenever he does, because Yarborough was the only NASCAR driver he knew while growing up. Johnson recalled walking into a Hardee’s as a kid and thinking he was in Yarborough’s race shop.

However, I fully recognize it’s not so great for everyone else living in the Jimmie Era — not just fans of other drivers, but the other drivers themselves.

“The damn 48,” Clint Bowyer said. “You know what I mean? Hasn’t he had enough?”

He certainly has, but that doesn’t mean he’s about to stop winning.

4. Dale Earnhardt Jr. in trouble

If the playoffs started today, Earnhardt would miss the cut by 50 points. It’s not even close right now, and Earnhardt — with the exception of his top-five at Texas — just isn’t running that well.

That’s not news to him or his fans, of course. But if this keeps up, he’s going to be in the type of territory where he needs to win — and that changes how a team goes about a race, particularly with strategy.

It’s been a fairly miserable start for Earnhardt, who is 24th in the standings — behind rookies Daniel Suarez and Ty Dillon. He’s five spots behind Aric Almirola in the points.

I honestly don’t think Earnhardt has lost anything despite missing half the season last year, but he hasn’t had good luck (three DNFs due to crashes) and the car hasn’t been all that great in the other races. Bristol wasn’t going to be a memorable race for him even before his oil cooler broke.

He described his car as being too tight and said other drivers were “beating me really bad back to the gas” out of the corners.

“That ain’t no way to run anywhere, really,” he said.

5. Roush Fenway keeps plugging along

Chip Ganassi Racing’s hot start has been well-documented. Kyle Larson is the points leader and Jamie McMurray is tied for sixth in the standings.

But it’s not just Ganassi that is out-running some of the bigger teams this season.

Roush Fenway Racing is much improved, and both drivers finished in the top 11 on Monday (Ricky Stenhouse Jr. was ninth and Trevor Bayne was 11th). In addition, Bayne is 12th in the standings and Stenhouse is 16th (although would currently be on the outside of the playoffs because Kurt Busch has a win and is 18th).

If they keep collecting top-15 finishes, that will be enough to keep them in playoff contention all summer. And right now, they’ve combined for 11 top-15s after having a combined 24 all of last year — this after just eight races.

Are they going to win? Probably not anytime soon. But they’re both ahead of six drivers in the standings from Hendrick, Gibbs and Stewart-Haas, so that’s an accomplishment after the last couple years.

Live blog: NASCAR Monday at Bristol Motor Speedway

Jimmie Johnson won his second straight race, beating out Clint Bowyer and Kevin Harvick in a rescheduled Bristol race on Monday. Stage winners Kyle Larson and Martin Truex Jr. both had late speeding penalties, which hurt their chances.

Lap 420: Erik Jones, who was in the top five for much of the day, cut a tire and hit the wall. As he did, AJ Allmendinger ran into the back of him. Up until the caution, though, Jimmie Johnson, Kyle Larson and Joey Logano put on one of the most entertaining races for the lead all year. During the caution, though, Kyle Larson was caught speeding on pit road.

Lap 381: Kyle Busch crashed for the second time with another tire problem. The frustrated driver pulled the car straight off the track and went to the garage, his day finished. Busch popped two tires during the race.

Lap 360: It’s been a very entertaining battle since the restart. Joey Logano leads, but just barely. Martin Truex Jr. is second, followed by Kyle Larson (running the high line), Erik Jones and Jimmie Johnson — all within 1.7 seconds of each other.

Lap 323: David Ragan, trying to avoid the slow car of teammate Landon Cassill (who was on old tires), collided with Danica Patrick. Both cars crashed on the backstretch, and Patrick’s race was over. “This is the end of a miserable day,” she told her team.

Lap 295: Brad Keselowski had to make an unscheduled pit stop for repairs, leaving him three laps down in 28th place. A few laps later, he had to take it to the garage with steering problems and other issues. Martin Truex Jr. continues to lead Joey Logano.

Final stage restart: Landon Cassill stayed out and took the lead, but was quickly dropped on the restart. Martin Truex Jr. retook the lead ahead of Kevin Harvick, Kyle Larson, Denny Hamlin (who nearly got into Cassill) and Joey Logano.

Lap 250: Martin Truex Jr. wins Stage 2, giving him 10 stage points and a bonus point for the playoffs. The other drivers who scored stage points: Joey Logano, Jimmie Johnson, Kevin Harvick, Jamie McMurray, Erik Jones, Kyle Larson, Denny Hamlin, Trevor Bayne and Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

Lap 218: On the restart, Dale Earnhardt Jr. suffered a mechanical problem that resulted in a broken oil cooler. Earnhardt ended up hitting the wall in Turn 1 and had to go to the garage, done for the day. Then, on his way to the care center, a kid tried to ask him for a selfie (but it didn’t work out).

Lap 210: Kyle Busch pops a tire and his the wall in Turn 2. It’s yet another tire problem for Busch, who seems to have more issues with his Goodyears than any other driver (coincidence or not).

Lap 203: After leading the first 202 laps, Kyle Larson gave up the lead to Martin Truex Jr. Once he lost the lead, Larson quickly fell back to third.

Lap 175: Kyle Larson has led every lap so far and still continues to dominate the race. Joey Logano is second and Martin Truex Jr. is third.

Lap 125: Stage 1 ends with Kyle Larson having led all 125 laps. The rest of the top 10: Martin Truex Jr., Erik Jones, Joey Logano, Jimmie Johnson, Chase Elliott, Jamie McMurray, Denny Hamlin, AJ Allmendinger and Kyle Busch.

Lap 111: FOX shows an in-car camera view of Ryan Blaney’s struggles. He’s been without power steering for roughly the last 30 laps or so and has fallen two laps down in 33rd place.

Lap 100: Kyle Larson has led every lap so far. Martin Truex Jr. is in second place, 2.5 seconds behind.

Lap 88: Erik Jones is on the move. The rookie is now up to second place, trailing only Larson. Jones won Saturday’s Xfinity Series race.  

Lap 71: The race goes back to green with Kyle Larson still leading. Behind him are Martin Truex Jr., Jamie McMurray, Chase Elliott and Kyle Busch.

Lap 67: Red flag. You know that caution (see below)? Well, it’s still going. They stopped the race to clean up the track in Turn 1.

Lap 54: Kurt Busch lost control on the inside of and slid into the inside of the frontstretch wall entering Turn 1. There was significant contact for Busch, and Chris Buescher also crashed into Reed Sorenson when the car in front of him jammed on the brakes. “That’s my bad,” Busch told his team on the radio. This caution will also count as the competition caution, which had been coming up.

Lap 40: With a 2.5-second lead, Kyle Larson has decided to move up to the high line and try to work it in when he can. Chase Elliott is second and Martin Truex Jr. is third.

Lap 15: Kyle Larson is running the bottom as the race leader and has already lapped the first two cars. All the leaders are on the bottom so far, as it’s showing to be the fastest way so far after a morning re-application of VHT TrackBite.

1:11 p.m. ET: Kyle Larson elects to take the top and starts the race as the leader.

1:03 p.m. ET: OK, engines have been fired. Chris Buescher starts at the rear. Ryan Blaney changed a tire, but will keep his starting spot because NASCAR ruled it was no advantage since drivers did not qualify on those tires.

Pre-race: Why are you reading this now? The race hasn’t started yet. Check back in a few for the first update.

DraftKings Fantasy NASCAR picks for Bristol

I’m playing DraftKings this season and will be posting my picks here each week. Disclosure: If you want to play and sign up using this link, DraftKings will give my website a commission. Disclosure No. 2: I might be America’s worst daily fantasy player.

Last race’s results: Played the $4 Chrome Horn game. Finished out of the money.

Season results: $12 wagered, $0 won in seven contests.

This week’s contest: $3 entry Hot Rod game with $20,000 total payout.

Bristol picks:

Kyle Larson ($10,100). I need drivers who are capable of leading a lot of laps, and I envision Larson leading the first 50 — at least — after starting on the pole.

Matt Kenseth ($9,100). He’s so consistent and will be able to adapt to changing conditions with success. He won’t lead many laps after starting 22nd, but I could see him having some success later in the race.

Clint Bowyer ($8,400). He was competitive in the past here even when his cars weren’t, and he was second-fastest in 10-lap averages for final practice.

Erik Jones ($7,800). Even though he made his best laps this weekend on the bottom lane, he clearly has a fast car in general (as do all the Toyotas). He was also fifth-fastest in final practice for 10-lap averages.

Kasey Kahne ($7,600). Pretty great value for a guy who was fastest in 10-lap averages for final practice. Plus, he had the third-fastest single lap speed.

Daniel Suarez ($7,000). It seems like this place suits him, and I like the extra laps he got from the Xfinity race. He might not lead laps, but if he can get a top-10 and get points differential from starting 23rd, that could be a good value.