Does Earnhardt Jr.'s name override his Talent? Another Kyle Petty? Most father son racers do not do well?

Question

Other than Bobby and Davey Allison, Ned and Dale Jarrett what other father son combos have done really well?

Answer 1

Very interesting angle.
It is possible that Junior could end up as Kyle Petty has,but he has the chance to pick his ride and his deal.Junior is a marquee name,Kyle tried singing and other projects and racing took second place until it was too late.
As for father and sons,here are some examples;
Dale Jarrett's son Jason.Good Late model driver,Fair ARCA driver,cold NASCAR driver.
Terry Labontes son Justin,Drove very good one year,poor the next no sponsor or ride the next.
Bobby Allison son Cliford,Died too early,could have been a better driver than Davy.
Ned Jarrett son Glenn,Fair racerbetter broadcaster.
Kyle Petty son Adam,Died too soon to show his stuff.

Answer 2

Deffinetly the name is important & that helps. The whole thing & I don't want to piss anybody off is Death. If SR. didn't pass away blocking for his son on the track then this would be a completly different topic. Jr would not have 1/2 the admirers he does now. Because he hasn't shown it on the track. But because of the way it all came down he gain more fans. Petty also doesn't have the cars. Since the shock of Adams death wore off he has just been another field filler. He has been around so long that only die hards or women who still think he's cute care anymore.

I'm sorry but thats how I feel...

Answer 3

I see your point with Petty but I don't think that is the case for Earnhardt Jr. He actually shows some talent and GUTS to stick that car in tight spots. Petty is more content to ride around these days. Also the quality of the equipment does hurt a driver so Petty may not benefit here as Jr. for the most part has had decent equipment but is looking for a team that will give him the opportunity to win championships with great equipment.

Answer 4

The hype around Dale Jr. is far bigger then his talent; but then again he is a real nice guy, very down to earth, and is the kind of Driver many NASCAR Fans can relate to. He is the most popular Driver in the history of Motorsports to never have won a Championship.

In a way he and Kyle are very much alike; their personalities have attracted more Fans then their racing has. Their Fathers both defined an Era in Racing that no one could match. I think both Jr and Kyle are at peace with that and doing all that they can to be their own man.

Now DJ and DA that is a different story; then again DA was taken from us far too soon to tell if he would ever match his Father's greatness.

Answer 5

You can't compare father and son's record.
They race in difference cars and competitors.
I think Jr. did a good job with the team he is in.

Kyle Petty is the only one that shouldn't be racing.
Everyweek, he is near the bottom or at the bottom.
With all his father's talent, they can't get the teams to be competitive.
Kyle Petty should lease their engine from Hendrick like what Ginn Racing is doing.
If Kyle Petty still does not win or place in the top 10 with Hendrick motor, he should retire.
Take your lose and move on, that's the best business model.

NASCAR should change the qualifying format to ripe of poor teams.

Answer 6

Jr will never win 7 championships like Big E, but noone else will either including Gordon. All of the drivers have talent or they wouldn't have made it this far. Teresa Earnhardt ran DEI as a business--not a race team and I think that was Jr's reason for wanting control of the team. He wanted to steer it in a different direction than it was going,which would have been better for the whole company. She was scared he would fire here I think.

Answer 7

none and if you truly look at it whether someone is a driver, or any performer, they are always held up to what the father did and "is he as good?" what a terrible thing to have happen. I dont think anyone would want to live in the shadow. We are all individuals and should be treated as such.
Things were so different when Sr ran races and now when JR is...time will tell, but I think for the earnhardts and the pettys and all the familys in racing...just go do your best and dont worry about the rest.

Answer 8

Petty and Earnhardt along with Michael Waltrip prove that racing is NOT genetic. It takes years of experience to achieve greatness, but with the modern era of pushing kids into the sport because they look good on TV, we will never see the likes of a Darrell Waltrip, Bobby Allison, Dale Sr. or The King ever again. Thanks to NASCAR for only looking out for their own financial interests and not in the purity of the sport.

Being in the south, I know that a lot of Fans have decided to turn their back on NASCAR thinking that it has become a California sport now, and you know how we hate wine and cheese down here in Dixie.

Answer 9

You THINK? It's as if you knew the answer before you ever asked the question. He is a very good driver, top 10 or so (right now), but certainly not anywhere near the bar that his father set higher than he can ever hope to each.

Sorry shag and SnS. I don't dislike Jr it's just that he started off quick and has obviously stagnated at DEI. At least there is hope for him to contend somewhere else next year.

SnS: A Waltrip car? C'mon, at least let him (Jimmie) drive a Haas or Ginn car, something Chevy. Give him a chance to qualify anyway : )

Answer 10

Unlike Kyle, Junior has actually won a few races and a couple of Busch Championships. I always wondered how Kyle got the vote for last year's All-Star race. Junior's not a bad driver, he just has some bad luck along the way. I'm curious to see who he signs with and what he'll do next year.