NASCAR Pocono 2014: Dale Earnhardt Jr. seeking Pocono sweep

Dale Earnhardt Jr. is brimming with confidence this weekend at Pocono Raceway, and with good reason.

Foremost, the 2.5-mile track was the site of Earnhardt’s last victory, which came in June when Earnhardt passed Brad Keselowski with five laps to go. A win in the GoBowling.com 400 Sunday would give him a clean sweep of the twin Pocono races, something Earnhardt hasn’t done anywhere since 2002 when he took both Talladega races.

Then there is the matter of the now-resolved issue that hung collectively over the heads of the No. 88 team: Who would replace crew chief Steve Letarte next season? Letarte is headed to the NBC broadcast booth in 2015 and his impending departure has created much speculation since January.

In a move announced Wednesday, filling Letarte’s role is Greg Ives, currently a crew chief in the Nationwide Series for a team co-owned by Earnhardt and Rick Hendrick. A former engineer on Jimmie Johnson’s team, Ives shares a great rapport with Chad Knaus, who played a part in tabbing Ives to take over the No. 88 team. It was a choice that was met with great acclaim by those within Hendrick Motorsports, particularly from Earnhardt, who was effusive in his praise.

“It was great to hear how confident Rick and Doug (Duchardt, team manager) and Chad and all them were in this particular choice,” Earnhardt said. “That gets me excited. I can get right behind that. I already know how good Greg is, but just knowing that Chad and everybody believes in that decision and thinks that we will be even better off than we are today.”

That the announcement came now was critical as it puts an end to the question which has nagged Earnhardt since Letarte said he was leaving.

Being devoid of distractions is a key for Earnhardt. Sitting second in points, he is in the midst of a season that has seen him win twice and rack up 14 top-10s in 20 starts, making a championship a real possibility. With the Chase for the Sprint Cup beginning in seven weeks, he can now focus solely on the pursuit of a first title and nothing else.

“It’s a big relief to get it off my shoulders and not worry about who we are going to be working with,” Earnhardt said. “What kind of personality he is going to be and whether or not we are going to get along or whether he is going to work and whether the chemistry is going to be good and the cars will be fast. I don’t have to worry about that. I feel good about it.”

As Earnhardt is excited for what his future with Ives holds, he’s equally enthused about the present. He’s running up front with more consistency than any time since 2004 when he won six races and was in championship contention all the way to the final race of the year.

Earnhardt’s zeal is only tempered by the knowledge that his time with Letarte is coming to an end. The two share a special bond, with Earnhardt openly crediting Letarte for reviving what was a once sagging career. Before Letarte’s arrival in 2011, Earnhardt missed the Chase in consecutive years, and was known more for having a famous last name than anything recently done on the track.

The perpetually positive Letarte worked to restore Earnhardt’s confidence while also demanding more from him as a driver. Team meetings and not sponsor obligations became the No. 1 priority, something that wasn’t the case before Letarte’s arrival.

The results came almost overnight. Earnhardt has been a Chase qualifier every season, and last year set a personal best with 16 top-10s en route to a fifth-place finish in points.

It’s a relationship that has also evolved beyond work and into a deep friendship.

“There is a lot of emotion,” Earnhardt said. “Every race gets a little bit harder knowing this is Steve’s last year. I know that winding down into the Chase is going to get pretty emotional for both of us.”