'Change of pace' helps to pick up the pace for Hendrick Motorsports' Dale Earnhardt Jr.

DOVER, Del. – Dale Earnhardt Jr. sounded as relieved as anything else that his first outing with new crew chief Lance McGrew went well. The pair netted a 12th-place finish in Sunday's NASCAR Sprint Cup Autism Speaks 400 at Dover International Speedway, the first finish inside the top 25 for the No. 88 team in four weeks.
 
Hendrick Motorsports officials announced Thursday that Earnhardt Jr. and longtime crew chief Tony Eury Jr. would cease to work together, putting McGrew in the role on an interim basis. He was slated to begin his role at Pocono Raceway next weekend, but when Hendrick's Brad Keselowski missed the race, a race-day decision was made to put McGrew on the pit box making the calls for Earnhardt Jr. Sunday. Engineers Rex Stump and Brian Whitesell also worked with the team.
 
The result was not only the finish and a one-position gain to 18th in the standings, but also a chance for McGrew and the driver to learn they understood one another's lingo and to begin developing that communication that is so crucial in a crew chief-driver relationship.
 
Earnhardt Jr. said having McGrew in his ear during the race was "a change of pace," and was cautious when it came to making predictions about the developing relationship.
 
"We didn't right click yet, but we definitely doing OK," he said. "We've got a lot to learn about each other, obviously, and the more we know and understand each other I think the better we will be. Hopefully we get that opportunity. We're just taking it one step at a time. This was one race.

"We came in and we were conservative throughout the weekend … and we just wanted to try to improve one what we've been doing, come out of here with a feeling that this might work and give that to the team. They need it more than I do because everybody's working hard and we had a great amount of support all weekend from Brian Whitesell and Rex, those guys were amazing. Lance called a pretty good race and I felt like that he was saying all the right things and keeping me and the team on the same page.

"One of the things I liked about Lance was I felt like I was in the pit box with him all day and I felt like that he was riding with me all day, and that was a good feeling and hopefully we can keep that up."
 
Earnhardt Jr. said the race was a chance for them to assess their communication, but pointed out that the pair have a lot of learning to do about one another.
 
From his standpoint, he's committed to doing whatever it takes to make the relationship successful.
 
"I'm just going to work really hard on being mature and trying to maintain my end of the bargain and be ready to work for this whole team, be ready to work hard and be dedicated to turning ourselves around and this is a very, very very small step in that direction," he said.
 
McGrew seemed impressed with his driver, particularly his ability to communicate no matter where he was on the track. The crew chief said some drivers only want to talk when they are on the frontstretch, but that Earnhardt Jr. can discuss his car as he tears through a turn.
 
"I think he's doing a fantastic job," McGrew said. "He explained everything I asked him to explain and he can do it in the middle of the corner running 165 miles an hour, which is pretty amazing. I think it was great."
 
McGrew, who refuses to speculate on how many races the two need together before they feel they truly know one another, said that racing is all about communication and that the only way to develop that is to work together in the heat of a race.
 
Asked if he would need to bring out a reticent Earnhardt Jr. when it comes to discussing issues with the car, McGrew said he felt it was just the opposite - that Earnhardt Jr. likes to talk.
 
He added that he believes that once they have worked together for a while, that the input will grow in scope.
 
"When Junior and I get 100 percent the same page on everything, we'll have that same kind of lingo. … I've heard that he's been really descriptive, I just haven't seen that," McGrew said.
 
Earnhardt Jr. seemed to agree.
 
The driver pointed out that, for whatever reason, that in-depth kind of radio conversation hasn't been part of his season. Now, he's hoping that is changing. He said that he's talked with team owner Rick Hendrick and others and gotten the advice from all - now he hopes to put it into action.
 
"They told me that I need to give them a lot and I took it upon myself to do that," Earnhardt Jr. said. "And it was really hard to be that way with Tony Jr., and it wasn't his fault, maybe it's my personal own fault. But me and him couldn't ever, me and him were too cool to talk that much to each other. Too much pride, I guess, between me and him. I don't know how you love somebody so much and carry so much pride around them, but that's the way we were.
 
"And it's really good to talk to Lance. He's taking it all in, he's a sponge, he's taking all that information in. Like I said, it's only one race. We'll see how we communicate in two months. We'll see if we're at each others throats then or not. I think this is a good start. We keep this type of attitude and we keep working hard and maintain our expectations, we'll be all right."
 
Especially if they keep building and continue to gain confidence through solid performances on the track.
 
"I think that any time you work with new people, you definitely have to be flexible," Earnhardt Jr. said. "I don't know really what I'm going to need to change directly, but when someone new comes into an environment, especially if it's a professional workplace, you've got to be flexible and open minded to what, how that changes your situation. I told Lance, I'm ready to work, I'll do whatever y'all say, you tell me what I need to do better, different, whatever, I'm ready to work.'
 
"I've always felt that way, we just got so beaten up at the end of the deal with Tony Jr., me and him both were at the bottom and we couldn't help each other. I'm willing to do whatever it takes. My attitude is better this week and this helps a little bit. Hopefully we can build on it. In this sport, you're a hero one week and a zero the next. It can humble you just as quickly as it can put you on top of the world. So we just have to measure our expectations and be smart about our decisions during the weekend."