Does Dale Earnhardt Jr. Need a Chemistry Lesson?

Hendrick Motorsports driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. clearly wants to be
one of those players early in 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season. Hendrick drivers finished first, second and third in the NASCAR Chase for the Sprint Cup in 2009, but Earnhardt Jr. wasn’t one of those drivers.

“I want to compete and match the progress and success that the rest
of the company’s having,” Earnhardt Jr. said. “I want to be on that level.”

How does he get there after a winless season in 2009 that included a
crew chief change from cousin Tony Eury Jr. to Lance McGrew?
“I would really like to put together complete races where we’re
competitive throughout the event and we’re able to get finishes that are
good finishes, and those are top-fives and wins,” said Earnhardt Jr. “Wins
are what everybody’s out there racing for, but if we could put together
complete races without mistakes, without me making mistakes, without issues
and problems arising, that’s definitely going to signal some progress.”

McGrew will begin his first full season as crew chief of the No. 88
team, and he and Earnhardt Jr. are continuing to build their relationship.
“I’m been with some great teams and had some good wins and great
success at certain periods of time in my career, but it’s hard for me to
really be able to point out what great chemistry is just yet,” Earnhardt Jr.
said. “I get along great with Lance and we have a lot of fun. I think that’s
important, that we enjoy being around each other. We can kind of build in
that friendship and learn from each at the race track and our work ethic and
our work habits. All that stuff should eventually work itself out.
“I feel like that we’re definitely going in the correct direction
which is good compared to the direction we were going last year.”