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Topic: Quick Kyle Larson question
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Page 3 of 3 of 41 replies
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August 02, 2020 at
10:40:30 PM
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02/20/2005
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493
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Reply to:
Posted By: Nick14 on August 02 2020 at 02:18:51 PM
Agree there have been several drivers not perform well with powerhouse teams at the time, which I think is a problem with Nascar as well. I'll give Dale jr and Newman the benefit of the doubt as Jr did do well comparative to how most individuals do their first few years and so did Newman. Jr's problem was his head getting too big and getting rid of Tony Eury SR (which Dale even has admitted to during his podcast) because Tony would ride his ass about getting better. I think of people like Brian Vickers, Kenny Irwin, McMurray, Casey Atwood, Casey Mears, Jason Leffler, JJ Yeley, etc who got into top rides immediately and expected to get wins right away. Then you go to the opposite and think of guys like Mark Martin, Dale Jarrett, Bobby Labonte, Terry Labonte, Ricky Rudd, etc who had to drive crap first in order to get a shot in Nascar. Then Hendrick caught lightning in a bottle with Jeff Gordon and people have tried to follow that blueprint ever since.
Not sure if it would have or will for Larson either but I would have felt better had he gone to SHR, Penske, or even Gibbs versus Hendrick. As we have seen with a number of drivers just because you go to Hendrick does not equal success. Gordon & Johnson have a lot of wins for that organization as did Terry Labonte consistently but outside of that, no one really set the world on fire. Seems other organizations recently have had better and more consisten results
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Hendrick is strange, like you say there are only a few drivers who have dominated. People often forget that Hendrick was not the powerhouse that they were 5 years ago when Jeff Gordon started there. I don't know this but from hearing different interviews I get the impression that Ray Evernham and Chad Knaus were given a whole bunch more freedom to do what they wanted as far as building cars but I haven't heard that with anyone else, I remember hearing Jr and Kasey Kahne both talking about being excited to see the "Hendrick way" and I'm not sure how much they really contributed. As for Jr. and Eury, I got the opposite impression. In an interview I saw he said they definately would bicker on the radio but they never held him accountable. He talked about how he would be playing video games in his motor home and walk in the garage for practice just as the other cars were getting on the track. He said Steve Letarte was the first one that held him accountable and told him, if you're going to drive my car your going to be in the garage an hour before practice and 2 hours after, if I need to talk to you I'm not going to look for you, you're going to be there. They had a good combination and then he retired and the concussion issues happened for Jr.
I know this won't be the popular opinion but I don't think SHR is the powerhouse team that many think it is. I saw someone else on here said Larson would be an automatic championship contender if he drove for SHR, I disagree with that. If you take away Kevin Harvick SHR is pretty mediocre too. I do think Kevin Harvick is that good. Kurt Busch and Kyle Larson had real similar stats last year. Kurt Busch also drove for SHR and he's run pretty similar to how he has with Ganassi.
I want to be very clear when I say this, I do think Larson is talented but I don't believe he's on the level of the top drivers in NASCAR, and I don't believe it's all about equipment. However at this point no one knows, I do hope that we find out though. I will add this, I don't know how serious he was taking NASCAR, maybe it was a thing like with Jr. in his early years? I'll admit I'm basing this on comments he made about dirt racing. But maybe now that NASCAR has been taken away from him he'll focus on it more when he gets back?
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August 03, 2020 at
06:23:55 AM
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08/16/2009
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Reply to:
Posted By: Nick14 on August 02 2020 at 08:03:47 PM
The last winged nation interview he had, I do not remember the exact quote word for word, but my take from it was basically unless he would get a competitive ride he is not going to return. Meaning, he is not going to take a ride from the Start and Parkers like the 15, 53, 66, etc that hang out at the back.
The sponsor dynamic of Nascar is what really makes things different. Tony is the one I have felt that may hire him just based on that part interest that he owns in Rush Truck Centers and the Haas factor which is more than any other team. Gibbs, Hendrick, Penske,etc would have to go out and find sponsors to really take a risk for the whole season which I do not see happening in the next 1-2yrs. Already having some sponsorship in your owners back pocket will help but as you said, the pissing match that will happen. The best thing Larson can do is keep running like he is, stay out of trouble, do the good deeds that he has been doing, and stay off social media.
I would like to see him back in Nascar and I am not anti-Nascar as some are on this page although my interest has gone down just from what they have done from the a product standpoint. But I would like to see him get redemption and complete some unfinished business and show everyone he is a quality individual dispite some of the things said about him earlier this year. That however may take some time.
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Agree Tony is the best shot. He will just have to get the blessing of the sponsors of his other rides before making the move. And I don't think he will get it---at least not for a while. JMO though
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