Will Junior win a Cup title?

Dale Earnhardt Jr. has won only once in 40 starts with Hendrick. He's qualified worse than teammates Jimmie Johnson, Mark Martin, Jeff Gordon and Casey Mears in all four races this season. His best finish has been 10th at Las Vegas. He's 24th in the points standings. Earnhardt Jr.'s first season with Hendrick (one win, 12th in points) was at least acceptable because it was a period of adaptation and adjustment. That's not the case this season. Several reasons why Earnhardt Jr. has not reached the achievement level expected of him have been voiced. Among them: He's not focused. He has far too many outside interests that absorb his time and attention. They include his television shows, his broadcast production company, his JR Motorsports Nationwide Series team, his DEJ Realty firm (with the housing market bottoming out, it doesn't seem to be a good time to be in real estate), his Whisky River nightclub – and more. He's being pulled in so many directions it distracts from racing. And then there's Tony Eury Jr., the crew chief. It's been said — often, by the way — that he's the root of the problem. He's a capable pit boss, but not with Earnhardt Jr., his cousin. In the past, Eury Jr. has been criticized for making adjustments during a race that made Earnhardt Jr.'s car worse rather than better. This year, there have been bad breaks. Sure, Earnhardt Jr. didn't have his head in the game at Daytona, but then, there was an engine problem at California and the lost lap at Atlanta – after a green-flag pit stop — when the yellow flag flew after JTG Daugherty crewman Jimmy Watts decided to dash into the front infield to retrieve an errant tire. SceneDaily.com