A
abooja
Guest
After reading this article, I got to thinking:
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/motor/nasca...-13-waltrip.htm
In it is this disturbing (and embarrassing) quote from Dale Jr. I'll put it in context:
"I do have, every now and then, regrets about Daytona," Waltrip says. "I could have drove up beside him. I know I could have. But you know, teammates work together occasionally. If I had to do it over, I would have driven up beside of him at Daytona in July and said, 'OK, let's see what happens.' "
That's news to Junior: "If he'd have raced me, I don't know how good of a teammate he'd have been. I can honestly tell you that if it was me behind him with 15, 10 laps to go, that's where I would have stayed. And if I'm willing to be that devoted to my teammate, I expect the same out of him. If he ain't willing to do what's right for DEI, he needs my foot in his (tail)."
Couldn't believe he actually said that. And I do believe that this is the way he truly feels, despite his behavior late in the race Saturday night. He didn't want to try for that win at Daytona. He was more interested in being a good teammate and, by extension, a good "employee" for DEI.
And that's the inherent problem. He's so caught up in the day to day operations at DEI now that his father is gone, that it seems to be interfering with, not only his performance, but his approach to racing. I mean, how competetive can you be when you think of yourself as just a piece in a corporate jigsaw puzzle? He wasn't as involved last year, plus he had lots to prove given his father's sudden death, so he was more successful.
I think he may need to go racing for another team, or just become less involved with DEI. Personally, I think he should do what his daddy did and drive for Richard Childress. He's had about as much success with Richard's cars as DEI's this year, so why not? It worked for Dale Sr.
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/motor/nasca...-13-waltrip.htm
In it is this disturbing (and embarrassing) quote from Dale Jr. I'll put it in context:
"I do have, every now and then, regrets about Daytona," Waltrip says. "I could have drove up beside him. I know I could have. But you know, teammates work together occasionally. If I had to do it over, I would have driven up beside of him at Daytona in July and said, 'OK, let's see what happens.' "
That's news to Junior: "If he'd have raced me, I don't know how good of a teammate he'd have been. I can honestly tell you that if it was me behind him with 15, 10 laps to go, that's where I would have stayed. And if I'm willing to be that devoted to my teammate, I expect the same out of him. If he ain't willing to do what's right for DEI, he needs my foot in his (tail)."
Couldn't believe he actually said that. And I do believe that this is the way he truly feels, despite his behavior late in the race Saturday night. He didn't want to try for that win at Daytona. He was more interested in being a good teammate and, by extension, a good "employee" for DEI.
And that's the inherent problem. He's so caught up in the day to day operations at DEI now that his father is gone, that it seems to be interfering with, not only his performance, but his approach to racing. I mean, how competetive can you be when you think of yourself as just a piece in a corporate jigsaw puzzle? He wasn't as involved last year, plus he had lots to prove given his father's sudden death, so he was more successful.
I think he may need to go racing for another team, or just become less involved with DEI. Personally, I think he should do what his daddy did and drive for Richard Childress. He's had about as much success with Richard's cars as DEI's this year, so why not? It worked for Dale Sr.