DEI Director of Motorsports Richie Gilmore pooh-poohed the idea of reuniting Earnhardt Jr. with Tony Eury Jr. if the #8 Chevrolet were to qualify for the Chase for the Nextel Cup. Earnhardt won a career-high six races last year with Eury as car chief. An offseason shake-up moved Eury to Waltrip’s team as crew chief this year. “I would say that scenario would take away from both teams, so we wouldn’t even look at that,” Gilmore said. “That would affect both teams in a negative [way].” Gilmore said the possibility of naming Eury as Earnhardt’s crew chief for next season hadn’t been discussed much. “It’s still too early,” he said. “There’s been a lot of talk outside of DEI but not at our company.”(Richmond Times Dispatch)(8-5-2005)
UPDATE: Earnhardt said his own team is facing a post-season shakeup, with crew chief Steve Hmiel expected to return to technical director and with a new boss coming in. But Earnhardt said he’s trying not to upset his own team right now: “For example, if we said Tony Eury Jr. was coming back to run our team, then our team right now might implode the rest of the year. “We definitely have to make some changes at the end of the season. But I don’t have an answer to what we’re going to do. I do want to work with Tony Jr. again. But personally I think we’re both immature for our age… and the more mature we get, the easier it will be for us to work together.”(Winston Salem Journal)(8-6-2005)
UPDATE 2: Dale Earnhardt Jr. and former car chief Tony Eury Jr. are making plans to reunite in 2006, with Eury taking over as the crew chief for NASCARs most popular driver. Me and Dale Jr. are pushing pretty hard for it, Eury said Friday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, where practice for Sundays AllState 400 was washed out. The people upstairs are the ones that have a problem with it. Were trying to sort through that now. Me and him are gung-ho ready to go. Eury, who was moved from car chief of Earnhardts car to crew chief of Michael Waltrips #15 car during the offseason after helping Earnhardt to six wins and a fifth-place finish in the championship chase, said a decision could be finalized in the next few weeks. Waltrip has announced he will leave Dale Earnhardt Inc. after this season because the organization would not assure him that Eury would be his crew chief next year. Earnhardt has been looking for a full-time crew chief since Pete Rondeau, who began the season with him, was replaced by interim crew chief Steve Hmiel in May. Were supposed to have several meetings this week, Eury said. Id say the next few weeks they ought to really know something about who is going where. Were kind of waiting on NAPA (sponsor for Waltrips car) to tell us what they want to do, whether they want us to have a third car at our place.(The State)(8-6-2005)
