SPENCER: If Dale Was Here
Written by: Jimmy Spencer
12/10/2008 - 10:34 AM
http://nascar.speedtv.com/article/spencer-if-dale-was-here
I took an inadvertent trip down memory lane last week that left me wishing we could turn back the clock on this disaster.
When I drove past Dale Earnhardt Inc., or what used to be Dale Earnhardt Inc., a few days ago, I got a lump in my throat and a terrible feeling in the pit of my stomach. In a matter of seconds, images flashed through my mind of what DEI was under Dale Earnhardt Sr.’s leadership, but I was immediately smacked with the harsh reality of what has become of his company since his death. Old Man Earnhardt never would have let DEI meet the fate it has suffered the past couple of years.
Anyone who knows me or has watched me over the years knows how much I loved and respected Earnhardt, and despite your opinion of me, you cannot deny my admiration for the man I considered a great person and the best race car driver ever.
My impromptu trip past DEI greatly disturbed me and has been eating at me ever since. NASCAR has changed so much in the almost eight years since we lost Earnhardt, and judging by events in recent months, it certainly wasn’t
all for the better.
If only Dale was still here. He was the fearless leader of the garage and the man who could mobilize the drivers, represent them and their car owners, stand up to NASCAR and make things happen.
But now we are without a leader who wields the influence and respect Earnhardt did. For a while, people thought that mantle had passed to Jeff Gordon or Jeff Burton whether they wanted it or not Both men are greatly respected but they’re not Earnhardt and don’t command the admiration and audience he did. Earnhardt’s death left a void in driver and owner representation and I think this is where many of our sport’s current problems lie.
People listened to Earnhardt. Even NASCAR listened to him. On the flip side, how many times this year did someone say NASCAR doesn’t listen to anyone? Probably several. You don’t recall hearing that about Earnhardt, do you? Ever heard stories about NASCAR doing whatever necessary to finish races amidst rain conditions because Earnhardt had plans the next day?
I cannot believe that in barely eight years, Earnhardt’s vision for his company and his legacy is no more. Having known him as well as I did, I am disturbed that people’s egos and pride interfered and allowed DEI to crumble in this manner. The parties involved didn’t consider or appreciate who they were working for and who built the organization, and look what has become of what he entrusted to them. It’s a travesty that DEI is a shell of its former self. Sure, the organization is still in operation but now finds itself amidst significant layoffs and a merger with Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates.
When Dale Earnhardt’s company merges to survive while the Petty family also faces the same move, what’s left of the sport?
If Earnhardt was still around and running his company, do you think DEI would be without sponsors and facing layoffs? Do you think Dale Jr. would have left? Hell no.
I can almost guarantee Earnhardt wouldn’t have merged with Chip Ganassi or anybody else. Earnhardt was a savvy enough businessman and racer to anticipate the direction in which the sport was headed and meet with the owners to formulate a plan to prevent potential problems he saw on the horizon for them and the sport. But there is no owner today willing to step up to the plate in the capacity Earnhardt did.
If it wasn’t for Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt, we wouldn’t be where we are today. We wouldn’t be racing. Unfortunately, The Intimidator is gone and we’ve forced to forge through without him. But we could at least try to figure out what he might have done in these situations, although with Earnhardt, we might not be in this gargantuan mess to begin with.
I wonder, never really thought I’d see Petty doing what they’re doing.
It’s going to be a very hard year on a lot of people, but don’t worry, Obama will fix everything.
Spencer sure hit the nail on the head with that. And left my eyeballs leaking a bit. He succinctly described the situation I was thinking of the other day when I posted rambling speculation about whether Jr. would want to try and buy DEI if it's available.
It's pretty emotional to think of DEI failing after being an Earnhardt fan for almost 30 years now. The man Spencer is describing as such a leader and businessman, to whom NASCAR would listen, is exactly the reason that his company folding provokes a gut wrenching reaction for many of us. Back in the 80's my fanship switched from Yarborough/Petty to Earnhardt, but there's just not a driver that equals that driven personality to me since Dale Sr.'s gone on. Well, Jimmy Spencer just captured a lot of my feelings about it in what he wrote.