Respect for Joe Gibbs pushed Tony Stewart to team ownership; Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s legacy involves more than just driving; Short Strokes. In what remains one of the most surprising decisions in NASCAR racing in the 21st century, Stewart announced in July 2008 that he was leaving JGR to partner with Gene Haas, whose Haas CNC Racing team had been an also-ran since its inception. We all know the rest of the story. The partnership that formed Stewart-Haas Racing transformed the team into a perennial title contender. Stewart won the Monster Energy Cup Series championship in 2011, winning five times during the Playoff and beating Carl Edwards on a tiebreaker.
When the checkered flag waves on Sunday evening at Homestead-Miami Speedway, Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series career in then #88 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet will be over.
And though Earnhardt says he will run two or three NASCAR XFINITY Series races for his JR Motorsports team next season, his appearances behind the wheel will be few and far between.
Short Tracks Early in Friday’s opening Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series practice, Dale Earnhardt Jr. informed his crew via radio that something had broken in the engine of his #88 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet. The issue necessitated an engine change, and Earnhardt will start his final race in the No. 88 from the rear of the field under NASCAR’s one-engine rule.(NASCAR Wire Service)[Read More Here]
