Hendrick Motorsports takes measured approach to replacing Dale Earnhardt Jr.
TALLADEGA, Ala. — Hendrick Motorsports general manager Doug Duchardt said the organization has not contacted Carl Edwards about replacing Dale Earnhardt Jr. in the No. 88 Chevrolet next year.
Earnhardt, who started second then ran as high as third Sunday at Talladega Superspeedway until being relegated to a 22nd-place finish because of a loose wheel, announced on April 25 that he would retire after this season, his 19th in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series.
Divulging his decision to owner Rick Hendrick in late March gave the team copious time to fill what would be considered one of the most coveted jobs in the sport. Hendrick Motorsports, a four-car operation, has won 12 championships at NASCAR’s highest level.
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Edwards announced his unexpected departure from Joe Gibbs Racing’s No. 19 Toyota in January and was replaced by rookie Daniel Suarez. Edwards, 37, who has finished second in points twice and won 28 Cup races over 13 seasons, has avoided deeming himself retired. His unexpected decision and coyness with his future plans — he’s openly humored entering politics — has made him fodder for discussion about a return to NASCAR.
Duchardt would not discuss if the organization has contacted any other driver or who it would in the future.
Duchardt said there is no template for the type of driver Hendrick seeks. Winning in the past or the prospect of doing so soon would certainly be a must, and the organization tabbed both types of drivers in Kyle Busch in 2003 and his replacement, Earnhardt in 2008. Busch, then 18, came with high potential he converted into a Cup title in 2015. Earnhardt made a few compromises in conforming to the more understated Hendrick model — flipping his cap forward among them — but otherwise was allowed to be himself.
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Chase Elliott, who replaced retired four-time series champion Jeff Gordon last season, was a mega-prospect with a racing lineage from father and former series champion Bill Elliott and has slowly developed into his expected role as a competitor and personality.
“If you look at our drivers now, each of them is their own individual and how they approach their job,” Duchardt told USA TODAY Sports. “If there’s one thing for sure, you have to be a good teammate, you have to be willing to work together and work hard to be competitive.”
Duchardt said whether the team seeks a veteran as it did with Earnhardt or a prospect as with Elliott “depends on the situation and what makes sense. We’ll see. Each person will bring their own pros and cons and you just look at those and weigh it all out.”
Sponsors Axalta and Mountain Dew have commitments to Hendrick beyond this season while Nationwide is on the final year of a three-year extension.
HMS has in-house options in William Byron, 19, who last year set a record for first-year drivers with seven wins in the Camping World Truck Series driving for Kyle Busch Motorsports. Hendrick signed Byron and stationed him with JR Motorsports, which he co-owns with Earnhardt and his sister, Kelley Earnhardt-Miller. Byron is third in Xfinity Series points with two top-five finishes in nine races this season.
Earnhardt, 42, could be among numerous persons with input on the decision.
“I think in any decision like this you get input from all the people you respect,” Duchardt said. “And fortunately, we have a lot of good people with a lot of success around us.”
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