Domination by Hendrick a good thing for NASCAR (cont'd)

From Rusty in Charleston, S.C.
In this fan's mind jeff will never be DALE. He'll never have that thing that DALE had -- that thing inside that made him the best ever. Go back and look at what Mike Helton said the day we lost DALE -- " NASCAR has lost it's greatest driver ever!!!!!!!!!!"

Notice the type on Jeff and Dale's name. That is the work of Rusty, not me. Trust me, if Earnhardt had run for president in 2000, he would have carried the Carolinas. I now know there are Red States, Blue States and a new designation -- "3" States.

HMS a dynasty?

In American sports, nothing galvanizes a fan base like a dynasty. David Caraviello says that's what Hendrick Motorsports is working on.

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From Earl in Berwick, N.S., Canada
I was in awe whenever I saw Dale Sr. being interviewed alongside Jeff Gordon during rain delays. They were friends, it was so clear. Jeff idolized Dale, his mentor; and I will never forget Dale's description of Jeff, as he called him so many times ..."Boy Wonder."

In time, I hope this angle of the story gets its fair share of press. Most athletes at the top of their games respect and enjoy the talents of their top rivals.

From J.R. in Montgomery, N.Y.
Earnhardt won his last two championships in '93 and '94. After that it was Gordon who was the star. People "hate" Jeff Gordon because he is good, and because it seems through history, he has bested the Intimidator. As you say, a tough pill to swallow.

As it pertains to wins, there is no doubt that Jeff Gordon has passed the great Dale Earnhardt. It seems fair to mention at this point though that the 3 team might have accumulated many more wins had the tragedy not happened in Daytona. If I had a dollar for every e-mail mentioning that I would own a team of my own.

Erik from Tennessee
I have a question. Since when do victories outweigh championships? Championships mean you were the best and/or most consistent driver throughout that particular season.

How many times do I have to say it? I think (my opinion here) the points race is contrived. I'd prefer to see a driver finish first, first and 41st crashing out while trying for first over finishing second every week.

Remember again that these are races, much more than a season-long 'see who can finish safely in the top 10' contest. Do any of you think Earnhardt was ever happy finishing in second? As I outlined above, the HMS run for historic winning in a season is a "chase" I can get interested in.

Below is the best of the best from a raucous week on the Jack Daniel's Post-Race Show ...

From Tom in Kissimmee, Fla.
Does Hendrick Motorsports sell stock?

If so Tom, even the most loyal DEI and Roush Fenway supporters would be lining up with a fistful of cash.

From Bill in Pittsburgh
My whole opinion on Michael Waltrip and the Toyota thing is that Michael should step away from racing and focus on his two drivers.

Sadly, Bill, in effect he has.

From Louis in Rhode Island
Well Beau you were right about a Hendrick car winning the next Car of Tomorrow race.

I'm also able to tell you Louis, that tomorrow the sun will rise in the east and set in the west.

Finally, a couple of quick nuggets on the race ...

• My selection of Carl Edwards was met with much derision in the chat room. What gives people? Carl got a top-10 in his first two starts at Darlington and had engine trouble last year in his third race at the track. Considering the fact that I didn't allow myself to select any HMS drivers (too easy), I could have done worse.

• With a nickname like "The Lady in Black," a title like "Too Tough to Tame" and a unique egg-shaped design due to a farmer's wish to save a minnow pond -- is there any doubt that NASCAR needs to keep coming back to this small town in South Carolina for years to come?

Enjoy the race everybody.

The opinions expressed are solely those of the writer.