Hendrick Motorsports team owner Rick Hendrick isn’t anticipating any changes atop his No. 88 team’s pit box.
Rick Hendrick Plans On Keeping Dale Earnhardt Jr., Lance McGrew Together
Hendrick said Saturday afternoon that his plan is to keep crew chief Lance McGrew and Dale Earnhardt Jr. paired together heading into the Chase and beyond.
“We make decisions as things develop during the season and at the end of the season, and right now we’ve got a game plan and we’re sticking to it,” Hendrick told a group of reporters. “... Our plan is for those two guys to be together.”
McGrew has come under fire from Earnhardt Jr. fans eager to place blame for the source of their driver’s struggles, which will result in him missing the Chase for the second straight season.
Some fans who listen to the radio chatter between Earnhardt Jr. and McGrew believe the driver-crew chief relationship isn’t healthy based on sometimes acrimonious back-and-forth.
But Hendrick said he feels the two are getting along just fine based on what he’s seen behind the scenes.
"I'm actually pretty happy with the chemistry there now," he said. "Maybe some of you guys don't agree. But I'm around them in the shop every week, I'm in the Tuesday (debrief) meetings, I talk to Dale and I talk to Lance and I've talked to them both after they've been testing."
Earnhardt Jr. agreed with the team owner.
“No, I don’t think that’s something we need to be discussing at this point,” he said of a possible change. “... I’d rather stay out of that argument, myself. It’s never a fun situation. I like working with Lance.”
Earnhardt Jr. said the chemistry with his crew chief is “good,” but acknowledged the team needs to improve its performance.
“We need to start producing some speed really quickly,” he said. “...We’ve been testing trying to get better for Richmond and a couple other places coming up.”
Hendrick categorized a possible crew chief change as unwise at a time when the entire organization isn’t up to speed and the problem can’t be pinned on a single individual.
“If you miss the Chase and just decide that you’re going to change something just to change it, then I think that’s a mistake,” he said. “I’ve never tried to do that. I keep my options open, but at the same time, if the driver and the crew chief are getting along and they’re working together and they’re trying, that’s all I can ask for.”
Hendrick said his four teams are trying very different setups this weekend in an attempt to hit on something for the Chase (only two of his four cars – Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson – will likely make NASCAR’s playoff this year).
The owner said he wanted to be winning races and dominating again, but the lack of results showed how competitive NASCAR is.
“We’re not happy with where we are as an organization, but we’re working on it,” he said. “Nobody’s blaming anybody and nobody’s giving up.”
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