RaceBud

Dale Earnhardt, Jr. – as often pointed out by his distracters – was the beneficiary of one of the greatest names in NASCAR history. And, after last year’s public tussle with stepmother Teresa, it may be that his inheritance is his name and his driving ability, along with the lessons a father hands over to his son.But, it looks a lot like he may have also inherited his father’s generosity, as well as his tendency to quietly mentor younger drivers.

We hear about JR Motorsports on a regular basis. Some of the better known:

• Rick Hendrick merged his Nationwide Series operation with JR.
• Brad Keselowski and the #88 Navy Nationwide team are making great progress.
• Jr’s. sister, Kelley, is president of JR Motorsports.
• Uncle and father-figure Tony Eury, Sr. heads up the competition at JR Motorsports.

But, we don’t hear so much about the Late Model operation at JR Motorsports. It’s where Dale Jr. runs a development program, mentoring up and coming drivers and giving them the chance to learn and grow into bigger things.

Junior cut his racing teeth in the Late Model division. It’s where he built the cars he drove, where he worked with his half-brother Kerry and drove against Kerry and sister Kelley. Continue Reading »

August 10, 2008 - Today’s win marks Kyle Busch’s eighth in his stellar 2008 season – so far. Joe Gibbs did him a huge favor by recognizing his talent and putting him with the very capable #18 team. And Kyle has responded by leaving the competition in the dirt (or wall) at every opportunity. So much so that by the third race of the season, the race media looked ready to hand him the championship trophy.

But, the season is not over just yet. Four races remain until the Chase, then 10 more to the end of the season. Kyle is sitting solidly at the top of the points standings, but there’s more to prove before claiming the big trophy. In fact, there are plenty of reasons why he may not even get a close look at it – and here are the top five:

#5) The competition. Other top drivers are closing the points gap on Kyle – and they ARE top drivers. The biggest names in the sport are not likely to lie still and wait for their whipping from Busch. They are fierce competitors with championship trophies of their own – the likes of Gordon, Johnson and Stewart. They have sponsors, owners and crew chiefs who want the best from them, and they will do their best to deliver. Continue Reading »