Was Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s win a fluke?

The hype that is NASCAR moved into over-hype late yesterday (Sunday) when Dale Earnhardt Jr. finished first in a race for the first time in four years.

You would have thought it was the second coming the way everybody reacted when he won the Sprint Cup race at Michigan International Speedway.

The fans went nuts, which is fine.

But the announcers also went nuts - please - and SPEED Channel publicists quickly sent out a media release with supplied quotes from eight – count ‘em, eight – analysts and commentators ranging from Dave Despain, Darrell Waltrip and Larry McReynolds to Bob Dilner and Kenny Wallace all saying what a wonderful thing this victory was.

You'd have thought he'd cured cancer.

Tony Stewart – God love him – was the only driver with any sense. "National holiday tomorrow," he quipped when Little E crossed the finish line.

Greg Biffle, Jimmy Johnson, Jeff Gordon – to a man – all said how happy they all were for "Junior" but Stewart said he sure wasn’t because he’d wanted to win the race.

"Just because NASCAR wants him to win a race doesn’t mean the rest of us have to roll over for him," Stewart said.

If I’d been asked, I’d have wondered out loud how a guy could possibly drive for Rick Hendrick and have that equipment and that crew chief and that pit crew and not win a race for four – count ‘em, four – years.

I’d have wondered out loud about his talent and commitment. Yes, I would most certainly have been in the minority, and maybe not even believed some of the stuff I was saying, but they are questions that should have been asked – have to be asked – in a situation like that one.

They say that if you sit a thousand monkeys down in front of a thousand typewriters that one of them will write a best-seller. It’s a law-of-averages thing.

So I maintain that some beer league hockey player could score at least 10 goals in the NHL if a team let him play three shifts in every period of every game all season. Ditto with hitting a baseball at the Major League level: make some amateur the DH for a team in the American League and let him go up to the plate a minimum of three times a game every game all season and I guarantee you he will hit .200 with a dozen home runs.

The preceding paragraph was a warmup for this one: most of the drivers in the Nationwide Series, or even the trucks, could have done better than Dale Jr. these past 48 months if sent out to do battle 36 times a season in a Rick Hendrick-prepared race car with a Rick Hendrick crew and crew chief in support.

So how did Dale Earnhardt Jr. manage not to win?

Those are the questions the high–priced help on television should have been asking instead of gushing all over what might be, could be, may have been . . . a fluke.

I mean, if he wins again next weekend, then maybe the world will sit up and take notice.

Otherwise, the counting up of his losses will start all over again.

Full NASCAR results here

Okay, here are some other questions after a weekend of racing:

– For the second consecutive year, a "gentleman" racer nearly killed a top professional during the running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

In 2011, Mike Rockenfeller was driving the No. 1 Audi and passing a GT class Ferrari driven by Robert Kaufmann when Kaufmann moved into his lane. How Rockenfeller survived that accident is still a mystery.

On Saturday, ex-F1 driver Anthony Davidson, piloting a Toyota hybrid, was passing a – What? Again? – GT class Ferrari driven by Piergiussepe Perazzini when Perazinni turned into Davidson and sent his car somersaulting down the track.

Davidson suffered a broken back and remains in hospital. Perazzini wasn’t injured.

Two close calls in two years. One of these days, Alice . . .

Meantime, Audi became the first manufacturer to win the Le Mans 24 using hybrid technology. Andrew Lottere, Marcel Fassler and Benoit Treluyer drove to their second straight Le Mans win in Audi’s R18 e-tron quattro diesel-powered, flywheel-based hybrid car.

And race engineer Leena Gade, who became the first woman race engineer to win Le Mans in 2011, was the engineer on this team too.

Le Mans results here

– Why is the IZOD IndyCar Series running heats to set the field for next weekend’s race at Iowa Speedway? Don’t those people ever learn?

Last year, they had a lottery to determine the starting field for the second of "twin" features at Texas Motors Speedway. It didn’t work well and the drivers hated it. So they scrapped it for this year.

Now they want to hold three heat races at Iowa next Friday night (lineups for those will depend on practice times) to set the field for the race itself next Saturday night.

What if there are accidents and cars are destroyed? What if a driver in the top five in the standings can’t race or isn’t competitive because of something untoward happening in one of those heats?

If you thought the drivers bitched about the lottery at Texas, wait till you hear the reaction after one of them finds out they’re starting 17^th after winning the third heat. And so on.

Oval track time trials are fair and they’ve worked for a century. Why does the IndyCar series think it has to manufacturer excitement?

If the product is good enough, people will buy it. NASCAR plays around with the All-Star race but it doesn’t matter because it isn’t a points race. I don’t think NASCAR would mess around with a points race; F1 sure doesn’t and IndyCar shouldn’t either.

This new leadership was supposed to be enlightened. The jury remains out on that one.

The race at Milwaukee this weekend, won by Ryan Hunter-Reay with Tony Kanaan second, was so-so. James Hinchcliffe of Oakville finished third and is now second in the standings behind Will Power. He could be leading the standings when the series heads for Toronto in three weeks.

I suggest it will be time to get excited about this very soon.

Full IndyCar results here

– How come the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series attracts 27 cars for its first road race of the season (Canadian Tire Motorsport Park) and 29 for its second (Circuit ICAR) and only 21 for its first oval race of the season (CTMP)?

I always figure that if you support a series, you show up – regardless if the type of racing isn’t your particular cup of tea.

Once upon a time, when national stock car racing was made up mostly of ovals, what would have happened at the one or two road-racing venues if half the oval guys had said the hell with it, as a half-dozen or more road racers are now saying to oval racing?

Maybe the NASCAR Canada people should start applying some pressure to some of these "occasional " racers.

Or, when they all show up at Montreal for the glamour–puss event at the end of August, which they surely will, they be told they’re welcome to race but that they’ll have to start behind the 20 or so cars that have run every event to date.

Seems fair to me.

Meantime, D.J. Kennington of St. Thomas won his first race of the season at the oval at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park Saturday night, with first-time-out-in-2012-driver Mark Dilley of Barrie in second place and J.R. Fitzpatrick of Cambridge in third.

Pole-sitter Peter Shepherd III, also making his first start of the season, broke an axle and finished 16^th.

Fitzpatrick leads the standings, followed closely by Kennington with Andrew Ranger of Roxton Pond, Que., in third place. The next race will be held this coming Saturday night at Delaware Speedway outside London, Ont.

Full NASCAR Canadian Tire Series results here

Comments

[Corey]

Have you even watch NASCAR this season? What a hater.

[I luv chicken]

You also have to look at the facility when wondering why the stock car numbers dwindled this past weekend, at Mosport. Some teams recognise the track for what it is. It's too rough, not fan friendly, and not acceptable to showcase for sponsors. It really needs to be bulldozed.
For all the improvements next door, this place really is the outhouse portion of the complex.

[Tntsdao]

Just for the record! Junior has NOT had the same crew chief for four years! The first three were NOT doing the job! So last year he was given LeTarte and made the chase (even led the point for a few weeks) He is NOT a fluke. Two Championships in Busch, 19 BIG races, One of THE BEST plate drivers outthere. What have you ever one? Ask Kyle Petty if 4 or 5 or 6 or 10 years running every race can make you win?, Or Jeff Burton? These guys HAVE won in the past but it does not translate just because you show up, you have to be on your game and that's exactly where Junior is at. Way to go Junior professionally and personally........ always improving. God Bless Junior. Fluke? This artice was a fluke.

[Jamie]

Jr. will never win in the court of public opinion. When he wins, he should've won more or it was "fixed." When he loses, he's overrated.

Watching haters try to discredit yesterday's win is almost as fun as watching him dominate the race.

[Steve]

The idea that you think some average guy could hit .200 and a dozen homeruns against MLB pitching shows that you have no business commenting on sports in general.

[user@godaddy.com]

Nascar is a dying sport. The media, drivers, workers all know it. Earnhardt winning one race every four years may just keep 'em afloat.

[Larr]

A win, 6 top fives and 12 top-10 in 15 races this year. No races outside the top-20 this year, has led 218 laps and has completed every lap of every race this year. This guy's whole beef seems to be with the Speed bubbas reaction, and his apparent dislike of Junyer. I'll concede though, that Derrick Cope winning the Daytona 500 was a fluke.

[Jim Davidson]

Sour grapes Mr. McDonald? Great job Junior...keep the "big Mo" rolling!

[NASCARfanCanada]

Have you even been watching NASCAR for the past 4 years?? Two words -Lance McGrew. Once Tony Jr was let go it all went to hell in 09/10. I listened to every race on the scanner and McGrew couldn't or wouldn't adjust the car and ignored Jr's feedback but then blamed him for not communicating properly, if Lance couldn't understand Jr he should have said so instead of saying "we'll fix you up Bud" and then adjusted whatever he wanted or did nothing at all. Which he also said to Mark Martin and funny, Mark didn't win with McGrew as a CC either. Mark went from winning races and making the chase with Alan Gustafson to finishing 22nd in points with McGrew. And where is McGrew working now the K&N Series - what a CC! Now when Steve became CC Jr made the chase and had a shot at winning 7 different races. Steve listened to Jr and adjusted the car to Jr's liking and now the 88 team is second in points Maybe you should check your facts before running off at the mouth. BTW where is your story on Jeff Burton not winning and Carl Edwards only wining once in the last 2 seasons or Harvick not wining one yet this year? Oh that's right only Dale Earnhardt Jr gets the readers might as well stir the pot while you can.

[Tom]

While the non-haters are celebrating Junior's win, they need to know that the series is heading to Sonoma this weekend.
Like it or not, road-course racing, especially at Sonoma, has always been Junior's kryptonite.
In 13 career starts in Northern California, Junior has ZERO top 10s. His best finish is 11th (twice), and he was 41st last year.
Time to start counting a new losing streak.

[NASCARfanCanada]

Why didn't Kyle Busch win very much when he drove for HMS? His major wins didn't come until he went to JGR where he won multiple times every year. So there's a question you can ask, how come a driver like Kyle Busch couldn't get it done at HMS but can at JGR?

[Brian]

Interesting. You're saying he can't drive. I say look at his restrictor plate race record, Martinsville. I view those 3 tracks as the hardest on the circuit. And Jr exceeds at all 3. His issues haven't been talent related. they have been confidence issues. It's been in his head. There is no fluke. If you put some thought into it, you would have come up w/ a completely different conclusion. the fact that you want to discredit what he accomplished yesterday says you have it out for him. Nothing he can do will change your opinion, which, in my view, destroys your credibility

[Randall Gough]

Jr has had some good finishes as a Hendrick driver but just doesn't seem to be a "closer". Kudos to him for bringing in a win but Lord knows he should have had many more given the equipment and team. I attended the Southern 500 this year and let me tell you the fans just love Jr.

[Dwayne]

Oh boy Norris dumping on Jr. yer gonna git it now...lol

[mike]

I agree with I luv chicken. That was a great race yesterday. Junior had the best car leading almost 1/2 the race. He is doing so much better this year personally and professionally. That crew chief swap was what he needed. Lance and Tony Jr could not do what Steve has done with Jr and the entire 88 team. That car has run the best it ever has since that team was the 25 running Jerry Nadeau. This win was not a fluke especially with how theyve been running this year. Sonoma this week hasn't been his best track but neither has pocono and look what he did there. So hopefully they can find the success they need this week and bring home another top 5 if not a victory.

[Overra88ted]

Of couese it was, Jr. got to keep the original tires Crapyear brought.

[Larry]

The thing about it is having the right crew chief. Sure, you can be a good driver, pit crew, have great equipment but you got to have a good crew chief. Look at Dale Jarrett, he only had one crew chief that he could win with-Todd Parrot. Look at Jeff Gordon. Sure, Jeff has had some success but nothing like he had with Everham. And, take Jimmy Johnson. If Chad Knaus left do you think he would be near as successful as he has been? I have serious doubts. But again, I see what you are saying about equipment and all but bottom line is you have to have a crew and crew chief who you have chemistry with and can communicate with. And, that seems to be working for Jr. and I believe he will wins some more races. And another thing, you doubters and Jr. Haters, go check the all time win records of Nascar Drivers. A lot of "name" drivers don't have 19 cup wins, two nationwide championships, A Daytona 500 win, an all star race win, etc. Check it out. I know a lot of people say hes not his daddy and doesn't have his daddy's talent but again how many drivers in the field have his daddy's talent either. I certainly never expected Jr. to be his daddy and win nearly eighty races and seven championships but Jr. is still a good driver or else he wouldn't have the resume he has. Again, check the records and you will see Jr. has a pretty good resume already and unless he gets injured or something he will win some more races.

[Akgilbert]

Did this guy really mention monkeys with typewriters in this article?.....Or did I just dream that?