Elder Eury takes leadership post at JR Motorsports (cont'd)

As a crew chief at DEI, Eury worked with a vast assortment of drivers who took turns driving Earnhardt's Busch Series entry, including Neil Bonnett, David Bonnett, Bobby Hillin, Ben Hess, Jody Ridley, Michael Waltrip, Steve Park, and, of course, Earnhardt himself. His biggest challenge, however, came prior to the 1998 season when he was asked to mold an up-and-coming driver that had very little professional stock-car racing experience.

"I remember Dale coming up to me and asking if I could make a driver out of Dale Jr.," Eury said. "My remark to him was I don't know why we can't. Why would you want to spend money on someone else's kid when you can spend money on your own kid?"

The partnership produced immediate results. With Eury as crew chief, Earnhardt Jr. collected 13 wins, 34 top-five finishes and back-to-back Busch Series championships in 1998 and 1999. The pair made the inevitable leap to the Nextel Cup Series, starting with a limited five-race schedule in 1999 and then the full slate in 2000. Eury remained Earnhardt Jr.'s crew chief through 2004, winning 15 races, the All-Star race and the Daytona 500 before turning the reigns over to his son, Tony Eury Jr.

"Pops and I have a long history together, and I'm excited to see what he can bring to this company," Earnhardt said. "We've worked really hard to build JR Motorsports to what it is today, but it's time we take it to the next level. There is nobody that can motivate a group of people better than Pops. I think his leadership and knowledge of racecars will benefit all the teams and employees at JR Motorsports."