Eury, Jr will be Dale Earnhardt, Jr’s crew chief at Hendrick
Quote selected text Published September 4th, 2007 in NASCAR News
Tony Eury Jr. will be Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s crew chief at Hendrick Motorsports.
“Tony Jr. and Dale have a successful history working together,” team owner Rick Hendrick said Tuesday. “They have trust in each other, which is the biggest part of the relationship between driver and crew chief.”
Eury has been vocal in his desire to follow Earnhardt, who is also his cousin, to Hendrick. Earnhardt said in May he’s leaving Dale Earnhardt Inc. at the end of this season, and Eury has been trying to get out of his contract with DEI since the announcement.
Hendrick said Eury signed a multiyear contract to join the organization as a crew chief.
“Dale Jr. and I are both excited to continue working together,” Eury said. “With the resources we’ll have at Hendrick Motorsports, it’s an opportunity to consistently run up front and be in title contention every year. The goals are winning races and winning championships.”
Bookmark to:
- Eury, Jr steps down as Dale Earnhardt, Jr’s crew chief to start Hendrick job
- Tony Eury, Sr leaves DEI for JR Motorsports
- Eury Sr. staying on as JR Motorsports crew chief
- Eury, Jr likely to join Earnhardt, Jr at Hendrick
- Eury, Jr to leave DEI for Hendrick after Talladega
What happened to making a clean break ??? Eury is family but not as sharp as many other crewchiefs.
He was a great fab man and car builder and that was his place to be. JR would be better off with someone else.
This is JR’s parachute….if things don’t go well….blame your cousin.
I was hopeing that he would have the crew chief for the #5 car. Oh well, i guess we will see.
I agree w/ BUDMAN, so much for a clean break…
No big shocker here… Tony Jr knows Dale is his meal ticket. I agree with BudMan. There are better chiefs when it comes to running the race and the crew, and Eury would probably be best building cars at the shop. I was thinking Jr would get Gustafson from the #5 team as well, but I guess not!
It hasn’t worked in the past and it ain’t gonna work in the future.
I agree with everyone, he should start fresh, Jr. himself said that the Hendrick car was so different when he drove it, won’t that be the same for a crew chief.
Eury Jr. can go to Hendrick in a different role, that would probably work better.
I agree eury jr an jr bad mix its never worked,maybe that will change at hendrick but doubt it at least rick can say hit the road,I agree jeff Gustafson better deal or bring tony gibson him an jr worked good together when eury was supended.
They work well together. It’s a comfort to Jr knowing he still has family
to work with once he moves to Hendricks…I’m sure they’ll do just fine.
I think Jr.’s making a big mistake keeping Eury Jr.! Look where it’s got him now, 13th place in the standings. Let’s just hope Jr. doesn’t take the rest of the crew with him.
You cant really blame Eury for the 13th place in points due to engine failures and such, but yeah maybe Jr. should still make a fresh start with a new crew chief to, “just to see” how that would work, and if it didnt, then bring in Eury jr from the body shop.
Tony Gibson would have been a better choice. Look at how
well he did for JR when Eury was on suspension. Jr needs
to get away from all those inbreds.
We’ll see. It’s not a terrible thing. But all we can do is wait and see
how it all works out. Dale can drop him whenever he wants.
Lets not forget about those “100″ points that were docked by NASCAR earlier in the season for the
improper wing mounts on Jrs #8… ya’ll remember those???
At least he would have an easier chance of getting into the chase if that major screw-up hadn’t been done.
Do ya’ll remember how it happened??? well… their car was caught and cited with the penalty during
inspection the day following Junior’s announcement to become a “Free Agent”…
What did Dale Junior tell the press conference reporters he was going to do during the immediate days
following his announcement to leave DEI???
I’ll just remind ya’ll… he told reporters the only thing he was going to do was kick-back, go home
and party and drink a “bunch” of beers…
Where was Tony Eury Jr. the following two days after this - when Junior’s #8 was being inspected for
the weekend race??? I’ll just remind ya’ll… Tony Jr. was out partying with Dale Junior on a couple
day binge getting wasted… “yucking-it-up” together…
Why was the improper COT wing mount NOT caught by the team prior to inspection????
I’ll just remind ya’ll… because Tony Eury Jr. was M.I.A. that day… and NOT EVEN PRESENT during car
inspection like he is supposed to be - that’s HIS JOB… Instead, he was out partying with Junior.
But… as we’ve seen… the two of those “little boys” have a greater love for “beer” and being
“party animals” than they do for being “responsible”…
If Tony Eury Jr. would have been sober and present with the team’s car during the 36 hours following
Junior’s announcement to leave DEI… they would have caught that incredibly stupid mistake and been
100 points closer to the chase right now… Does everybody recall how “flippant” many were about this
“little indescretion” when it happened??? But it sure would count for a lot now…
Look for more of this immature childishness out of them next year too…
Oh yippi…
It’s Junior’s decision. He said back in ‘04 that he’d rather run mediocre with Tony Jr. than win titles with someone he doesn’t even know. Don’t believe me? Watch CMT sometime, Dale Jr.: Uncut, the 60 Minutes special. He’ll do what he feels is best, and those two have a working relationship like no other crew chief - driver combination out there. That’s what makes them lethal on the track, and that’s what got them a Top Five points finish in points last year. They’d be doing the same thing if they hadn’t had the misfortune of blowing engines left and right, and everyone knows that.
Btw, I just re-read my post and excuse my repetition and vagueness. I’ve been sick. :-\
Hey guys,did anybody watch the 2005 season when Jr didnt have Eury on the box and had some guy he didnt even know alot about??? Jr wants his cousin and uncle with him. The only Earnhardt ties DEI has now are Kerry and his son. I think its funny. Dale Earnhardt told Eury Sr. to make a driver out of his son an now they are jumping ship with him. Old girl may have the 8 but we got family!!!
Marry Ann: Very interesting Post, Were did you get your information from ?
it’s a family afaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaair,
it’s a family afaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaair, ya!
Thanks Mary Ann…..but, I’m going with Ginger here.
Mary Ann…..WTF? Maybe it should be Mary Jane because that is what you must be smoking.
Dale Jr is very family based. He cares more for family than racing, and yet he has a drive to win races. He will not leave his family behind. Give him credit when it’s due………….
Yes, Eury Jr may not be the best crewchieft on pit road but he is family an family sticks together. I agree on Jr being able to do better with a different chieft but the Eurys have ever left him out in the Cold and he does no tintend to leave them out in the Cold……..
So next year will be a new start, Same Fans, Same Jr, Same CrewChief with a New Car, Number and Paint….
God be with them all………………….
This might not be a bad thing after all. Who was the crew chief that was with him the year that he made the chase? It was Eury Jr. So If you think about it this might be the best combination that has happened, and remember it wasn’t Tony’s fault that the parts were shity. When you are given that what are you supposed to do!
I think it was a good desision to keep him as his crew chief because if it wasn’t for all of the engine problems, he would have beenn up in the standings better. Also, Tony Eury Jr knows a lot about Jr that other crew chiefs wouldn’t understand.