Who'll win it all in '06? Who'll bomb out? What's the next big thing? NASCAR's
supercharged swami, the Amazing DW, sees all and tells all
by Darrell Waltrip. SI.com
1 December 2005
[Excerpt]
SI: Do you think Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt Jr. can rebound from their
struggles of '05?
DW: To me Gordon is like Tiger Woods. Even when Gordon's not at his best, he
still wins. But man, Gordon cannot run a lick unless he's in front. In traffic
he's dogmeat. He's certainly got the ability to turn it around, but that team
has got to figure out the car's setup better.
Dale Jr. and his team need to catch up in every area of their company -- in the
motor department, the aero department and the chassis department. They've got a
ton of work to do this off-season. It'll help that Junior is buds with Martin
Truex Jr., who'll be his teammate. For whatever reason, Dale Jr. and Michael
[Waltrip]'s relationship went sour, and they weren't helpful with one another.
Martin and Junior will help each other, but I doubt Junior will be a contender
in 2006. He just hasn't shown me anything in a long time.
