Nothing less than success for Dale Jr. in 2006.

The finish of the 2005 season was welcomed by Dale Earnhardt Jr. and the #8 team. By all accounts, 2005 was the worst possible scenario for the team when it comes to competing in a season. First it started when the team wanted to shake things up by giving Jr. a new crew chief and switching equipment with Michael Waltrip. Well....that turned out to be the bonehead move of the year, resulting in Dale Jr. (the star of NASCAR) missing the chase and finishing a disappointing 19th in the final standing. He did win a race in 2005 but that was only made possible by pit strategy, that put him out front late. Now there should be no excuses for failure in 2006, as Jr. has been reunited with his cousin Tony Eury Jr. and he gets his equipment back...So?? Will Dale Jr. jump back into the chase or will his fans be forced to root on Tony Stewart again in 2006?

Team: Dale Earnhardt Inc. Sponsor: Budweiser Crew Chief: Tony Eury Jr.

2005 Stats:

1 Win (USG Sheetrock 400, Chicagoland Speedway)
0 Poles
7 Top Fives
13 Top Tens
19th in Final Standings

Will Dale Jr. rebound? I believe he has a good chance too. No one expected him to have that poor of a year, so I'm sure DEI have been working extremely long hours to get Jr. back to running strong. Dale Jr. should, once again, be strong at resrictor plate tracks and short tracks, but it will those mile and half tracks that will determine whether he will be a real contender. It also helps that he has pupil and buddy Martin Truex Jr. as his partner. No doubt, everyone will have their eyes on the #8 car (like or dislike) in 2006.