Eury Jr to HMS with Dale Jr in #88 - 2008

[Cindy_AL]

Eury Jr. to Hendrick Motorsports in 2008: When driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. joins Hendrick Motorsports for the 2008 Sprint Cup Series season, Tony Eury Jr. will be his crew chief. Eury, who has been Earnhardt's crew chief for the past two seasons, signed a multi-year agreement with the organization this week. "Tony Jr. and Dale have a successful history working together," Hendrick said. "They have trust in each other, which is the biggest part of the relationship between driver and crew chief. We have the utmost confidence in their ability to win races and compete for titles at Hendrick Motorsports." A Kannapolis, N.C., native, Eury will move to Hendrick Motorsports immediately following the current NASCAR season. He will continue the work of Darian Grubb, who will finish the 2007 schedule as crew chief of the #25 Chevrolets before moving into a senior competition role with Hendrick Motorsports. "Dale Jr. and I are both excited to continue working together," said Eury, 34, who has been Earnhardt's crew chief or car chief for the majority of the driver's NASCAR career. "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." Grubb, 31, who hails from Floyd, Va., will coordinate the at-track engineering efforts of the Earnhardt and Mears teams with emphasis on supporting Eury's transition to Hendrick Motorsports and Mears' switch to the #5 Cup Series program. The personnel moves will give Hendrick Motorsports additional depth with the Earnhardt and Mears teams. Grubb, who earned a championship as an engineer with the #48 Chevrolets and has won three times in 29 races as a crew chief, will work hand-in-hand with veteran team manager Brian Whitesell. Hendrick Motorsports is evaluating alternative numbers for the Earnhardt team, which currently uses the #25 on its Chevy race cars. A timetable for that announcement has not been set.(Hendrick Motorsports PR)(9-4-2007)

[Old3Fan]

I thought he was going to take over Kyle Busch's #5 car. Where is the current #25 driver, Casey Mears going? To the #5.

[Vez]

Here's where Mears will be going:
http://www.nascar.com/2007/news/headlines/cup/09/04/hendrick.cmears/index.html

plus it does state in Cindy's post near the bottom that Mears is being switched to the #5 car - which will keep the same sponsors, as it has now.

[Mark in Oshawa]

The 25 has not been able to get results, so I think it is where Junior will end up and I think Hendrick is hoping that Eury plus Jr. will make a big difference there....

[e2mtt]

I was kinda hoping that he would get a new crew chief, a protoge of Chad Knaus! Eury is good, but it seems he might bring along more baggage from DEI then neccesary.

[Haulin'AssAndTurnin Left]

i think its good for jr bringing Eury with him, but the No.25 isnt the team id want to take over from, the stuff doesnt apper as solid as the 24,48 and the 5. but then again we are switching to the COT full time so all the 5's good equipment will be usless.

[BenRoethig]

i think its good for jr bringing Eury with him, but the No.25 isnt the team id want to take over from, the stuff doesnt apper as solid as the 24,48 and the 5. but then again we are switching to the COT full time so all the 5's good equipment will be usless.

It won't be Mears moving over to the 5 team as much ass the old 25 team assuming the 5 team's number.

[Haulin'AssAndTurnin Left]

i wasnt sure if it was just mears and alan gustafson moving or the whole team.

[tstran17_88]

The 25 has not been able to get results, so I think it is where Junior will end up and I think Hendrick is hoping that Eury plus Jr. will make a big difference there....#25 is doing better this year than in past years. Heck they've won just as many this year as the #5 and more than the #8. :D

[muggle not]

DEI loses another one:

Dale Earnhardt Inc. and Steve Hmiel Part Ways: Dale Earnhardt Inc. and director of competition Steve Hmiel have parted company. Hmiel’s responsibilities have been redistributed throughout the organization and his replacement will be named soon. “I have enjoyed a wonderful association with Dale Earnhardt Inc. over the past nine years,” said Hmiel. “It is time for me to pursue other endeavors and reestablish new goals for myself.”(DEI PR)(10-18-2007)
__________________

[RaceFanStan]

I wonder if Steve Hmiel will land with Hendrick MotorSports .... http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g202/gr8link/erm/6b.gif

[Sparky1329]

I wonder if Steve Hmiel will land with Hendrick MotorSports .... http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g202/gr8link/erm/6b.gif


I wouldn't bet against that.

[harvick#1]

I wonder if Steve Hmiel will land with Hendrick MotorSports .... http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g202/gr8link/erm/6b.gif

maybe he should spend some time with his son and keep him away from Drugs

[tstran17_88]

maybe he should spend some time with his son and keep him away from Drugs

You can't baby-sit the kid forever...Shane is an adult, making his own decisions, as stupid as they may be.

[muggle not]

:)
You can't baby-sit the kid forever...Shane is an adult, making his own decisions, as stupid as they may be.
Right, kids always seem to blame it on the parents. :)

[jslone]

I was kinda hoping that he would get a new crew chief, a protoge of Chad Knaus! Eury is good, but it seems he might bring along more baggage from DEI then neccesary.
What is wrong with Eury,yeah there might be some baggage,the thing is,is that Eury knows Jr very well as a driver,you get someone who does not know Jr,it might be that much longer until the combo gets it right,plus with Hendrick being the top dog,there should be no excuse for Jr to do well.

[BenRoethig]

I wonder if Steve Hmiel will land with Hendrick MotorSports .... http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g202/gr8link/erm/6b.gif

You gotta wonder with Teresa is thinking here. All the people that Dale Sr. put in place are leaving because of her.

[BobbyC]

Eury will be able to tap the advice of Chad, Steve, and Alan, and that's worth more than what he has ever learned in his career, all race winning men on the pit box.

Also Junior will have to get ready to see women on his pit box. If nothing changes, Lisa Smokstad, who had a baby last month, will be Junior's new tire specialist. Her husband Craig is the car chief on the Red Bull #83 (Brian Vickers) and that is from a long line of Minnesota short-track racers.

[ShadowCar]

Eury will be able to tap the advice of Chad, Steve, and Alan, and that's worth more than what he has ever learned in his career, all race winning men on the pit box.

Also Junior will have to get ready to see women on his pit box. If nothing changes, Lisa Smokstad, who had a baby last month, will be Junior's new tire specialist. Her husband Craig is the car chief on the Red Bull #83 (Brian Vickers) and that is from a long line of Minnesota short-track racers.

I don't think Jr. has a problem with women on his team. Amy Eury is the statistician on the 8 and I've seen a woman working on his Navy Busch team. I think the only woman in his life that Junior has problems with is TE, and she'll be a distant memory soon enough. ;)