Hendrick Motorsports Drivers React To Crew Chief Swap For Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Gordon, Mark Martin

Dale Earnhardt Jr. asked Hendrick Motorsports officials to keep him out of the decision-making process when it came to offseason personnel changes.

But after being told last week he’ll now be driving for crew chief Steve Letarte and working with the former No. 24 team, Earnhardt Jr. said he’s bursting with excitement about 2011.

Jeff Gordon applauded the changes made at Hendrick Motorsports last week, which left him paired with crew chief Alan Gustafson (formerly with Mark Martin) and sent Steve Letarte to Dale Earnhardt Jr.

That team owner Rick Hendrick was willing to make the sweeping changes in the first place, Gordon said, was a sign of what made Hendrick such a great leader.

On the scale of NASCAR personnel changes, this is about as big as it gets.

Hendrick Motorsports not only switched the crew chiefs for Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Gordon and Mark Martin, but it rearranged its race shops to pair Gordon with Martin and Earnhardt Jr. with Jimmie Johnson.

Hendrick Motorsports made sweeping personnel changes in a stunning move announced Tuesday evening, swapping crew chiefs for Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Gordon and Mark Martin.

In addition, Hendrick announced that Earnhardt Jr.‘s cars will now be fielded out of the same building as five-time champion Jimmie Johnson’s. That means Earnhardt Jr. will be driving the same cars Johnson does.