Steve Hmiel (left) may become Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s permament crew chief. Credit: Autostock

DEI: Lack of chemistry necessitated change

CONCORD, N.C. -- Steve Hmiel's appointment to crew chief of the No. 8 Chevrolet was the result of a lack of team chemistry between driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. and former crew chief Pete Rondeau, team officials said.

The pair of Earnhardt Jr. (left) and Pete Rondeau (right) lasted just 11 races. Credit: Autostock

Rondeau will remain with the organization, though his new role hasn't yet been determined.

"There was no chemistry, the signs were there," said Dale Earnhardt, Inc. motorsports director Richie Gilmore.

"It's important to have chemistry with the communication between the crew chief and driver. That communication needed to be better, and I felt like it wasn't there."

Dale Earnhardt Jr. •   Driver Page •   2005 Stats •   Merchandise •   Article Archive

Gilmore said the decision was ultimately his, though several Dale Earnhardt, Inc. executives weighed in. That includes Junior, who said in today's NASCAR, 11 races is ample time to evaluate progress.

"It's definitely enough time to know if it would work out or not, especially with testing and time at the shop," Earnhardt said. "We look for results now.

"We struggled with improving the car in practice and throughout the race, and we struggled with having a formidable game plan. We were out of touch during the race.

NASCAR TodayDale Earnhardt Jr. talks about the team's crew chief change Sign up for TrackPass now BUY YOUR NEXTEL DRIVER PHONE

"Sometimes you've got to face things head-on. With this decision, I knew it would be high profile in the media so I had to be part of it."

Enter Hmiel, who served as Earnhardt's spotter prior to assuming the interim crew chief role.

Gilmore said there is no specific timetable for finding a permanent replacement, to which Earnhardt added that no thought was given to bringing Tony Eury, Jr. back to the Bud team.

Earnhardt Jr.: "We're on the brink of true success." Credit: Autostock

And if Hmiel lights a fire under the team?

"We might even talk Steve into doing it forever," Gilmore said.

Hmiel knows he's just entered a pressure-cooker. Few positions in the garage carry the extraneous pressure that Earnhardt's crew chief must endure.

Hmiel hopes to corral the Nos. 8 and 15 teams into a single-minded unit, which judging by the comments made Thursday isn't currently the dynamic at the shop.

"There will be different methodology with the way I do things," Hmiel said. "We'll have an open-book policy. It will be more similar to what the teams winning all the races are doing.

"If it fails, I didn't use all the people (at DEI). If it's successful, it's the result of all the people there working together."

The goal is simple: make the Chase for the Nextel Cup.

"I don't rule out any success with this company," Earnhardt said. "We're on the brink of true success. We've never had a grasp of being a dominant team (but) we're right around the corner from going to the track every week good right off the truck."

Earnhardt is currently 11th in the Nextel Cup Series point standings, 11 points outside the top-10.

"We've got a good enough team to make (the Chase), and I feel real comfortable in Steve's ability to help us maintain the level we're at and get into the Chase," Earnhardt said. "By that point, hopefully we'll be a strong enough team to go ahead and fight for (the championship)."