KIDWCKED
11-25-2010, 12:41 AM
c/p from tsn by Terry Blount.
Make no mistake. The clear winner in the surprising Hendrick Motorsports triple swap is Jeff Gordon.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. getting a new crew chief will receive most of the attention, as always is the case with anything Junior.
Gordon getting a new crew chief will make the biggest difference, though. A huge difference. So huge that a fifth championship is possible after all.
Class is in session, gang. Here are your grades for the new crew chief alignment at Hendrick:
• Alan Gustafson to Gordon -- A+
• Steve Letarte to Earnhardt Jr. -- B-
• Lance McGrew to Mark Martin -- C-
Gustafson, possibly the second-most talented crew chief in Sprint Cup behind only five-time champ Chad Knaus, is exactly what Gordon needs for a shot at title No. 5.
Consider Alan Gustafson, left, and Jeff Gordon a championship threat in 2011.
Letarte draws the short stick here. You have to wonder whether he looked in the mirror privately and said: "Why me?"
Crew chiefing for the most popular driver in NASCAR, one who has greatly underachieved at Hendrick, is no picnic. But Letarte is a great communicator and a true optimist. He might be what Earnhardt needs to climb out of the abyss.
And McGrew, an all-business type guy, goes to all-business Martin in a one-off before that team moves to Kasey Kahne in 2012.
Rick Hendrick talked with reporters via a pre-Thanksgiving conference call Wednesday to explain why he decided to boldly shake things up.
Make no mistake. The clear winner in the surprising Hendrick Motorsports triple swap is Jeff Gordon.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. getting a new crew chief will receive most of the attention, as always is the case with anything Junior.
Gordon getting a new crew chief will make the biggest difference, though. A huge difference. So huge that a fifth championship is possible after all.
Class is in session, gang. Here are your grades for the new crew chief alignment at Hendrick:
• Alan Gustafson to Gordon -- A+
• Steve Letarte to Earnhardt Jr. -- B-
• Lance McGrew to Mark Martin -- C-
Gustafson, possibly the second-most talented crew chief in Sprint Cup behind only five-time champ Chad Knaus, is exactly what Gordon needs for a shot at title No. 5.
Consider Alan Gustafson, left, and Jeff Gordon a championship threat in 2011.
Letarte draws the short stick here. You have to wonder whether he looked in the mirror privately and said: "Why me?"
Crew chiefing for the most popular driver in NASCAR, one who has greatly underachieved at Hendrick, is no picnic. But Letarte is a great communicator and a true optimist. He might be what Earnhardt needs to climb out of the abyss.
And McGrew, an all-business type guy, goes to all-business Martin in a one-off before that team moves to Kasey Kahne in 2012.
Rick Hendrick talked with reporters via a pre-Thanksgiving conference call Wednesday to explain why he decided to boldly shake things up.