Dale Jr. Could Take a Lesson From Playbook of Stewart and Kahne

After witnessing what some have dubbed Black Sunday, fans of Dale Earnhardt Jr. are understandably discouraged.

For the No. 88 team, the entire weekend was a bust. A big ugly bust.

It only takes a few minutes of reading post-Dover comments to realize that Junior Nation is also angry.  Some are calling for the head of crew chief Lance McGrew on a platter.  Others are casting aspersions upon team owner Rick Hendrick.  A superstitious few are even claiming that if Junior had kept his beard, he wouldn't have suffered such a disappointing setback.

Well, in the words of The Office's, Michael Scott, "I'm not superstitious, I'm just a little stitious."  And I doubt Junior's beard had anything to do with it.

Yes, Dover was dismal.  Yes, Junior hasn't won a race since 2008. But on the flip side, it only takes one good night to build season-changing momentum.

Look at Tony Stewart.

Last year about this time, Stewart hadn't won yet.  In fact, his year started with crashing his new teammate during Daytona 500 practice. But Smoke's emotional victory at the All-Star race became the key to propelling his fledgling team to four more wins - all for points.

And then there's Kasey Kahne.  In 2007, Kahne was winless.  His 2008 season didn't start out so hot either.  But winning the 2008 All-Star contest flipped a switch.  He smoked the very next race at Charlotte. Then he won again at Pocono.

In fact, four of the last five All-Star champs have proceeded to win at least one more race in the same season.

And, this may be woefully oversimpified, but that's all Junior's fans are asking for. A win. Points would be great, but seeing the No. 88 car in Victory Lane Saturday night would do much to soothe the restless Nation.

Not to mention, the timing couldn't be better. Saturday marks the 10th anniversary of Junior's memorable rookie season All-Star win in 2000.  It's also the eve of Dale Earnhardt's induction into the NASCAR Hall of Fame.

If you're Dale Jr. there would be no better way to pump up your fan base than by taking the checkers this weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway. And if history is any indication, a win there could mean the start of a beautiful season.

How's that for positive thinking?

"Who Wouldda Thunk It?" Only Anyone Who's Been Paying Attention...

Tony Stewart smoked the All-Star race Saturday night taking the #14 car to Victory Lane for the first time since making the switch from driver to driver/owner.

But seriously...was it really that much of a surprise? Darrell Waltrip and the folks on Speed TV seemed to think so. Waltrip even seemed mildly shocked that his personal Mini-Me Kyle Busch didn't leave the track with a runaway victory. "Who Woulda Thunk It?," was DW's exact quote, when Stewart crossed the finish line first.

Actually Darrell, all of us who have been monitoring Stewart-Haas' continued improvement over the last several races "thunk it" indeed. With the kind of progress Stewart-Haas has been making and the talented moxy that Stewart possesses, we all knew it was just a matter of time before he took the checkered flag in 2009.

Stewart's performance Saturday night was a welcome reminder that Rowdy isn't the only driver in the field who knows how to handle a stock car. From Stewart's almost-pass-in-the-grass to his slick moves late in the race, it's clear that Stewart's still got it--and he's got it in spades.

Methinks I See a Theme Emerging...

With the naming of former pro wrestler Ric Flair as grand marshall and the promoting of this year's All-Star race with kitschy posters (like the one on your left), I'm sensing the folks at Lowe's Motor Speedway will be playing up a certain theme during the event on May 16.

Speedway officials have already announced that there will be changes to the race format itself. But, given Lowe's history of over-the-top promotions (remember the re-enactment of the Grenada invasion?) I wouldn't be surprised if they go all out with the whole slugfest motif.

Picture this: the infield is obscured in darkness, until a few rotating spotlights illuminate an empty ring. Out of the silence, the booming voice of the announcer begins driver introductions. Then, as each driver is introduced, he bounds into the ring like a prize fighter wearing a satin cape, boxing trunks and even a big gold belt. Or, maybe the this year's trophy will actually be a championship belt for the winning driver.

I foresee pre-race trash talking, illegal holds and maybe even some helmet throwing. But if the night turns into an all-out smackdown, my money is on Kevin "Happy" Harvick.