[Wolfstar]

Leaving it all up to Rick with “free the 8” petitions? Hah! Trust me, the miniscule fraction of 24 fans who may post on Junior forums do not represent all 24 fans. There is too much long-standing anger at the way Earnhardt fans have treated Jeff, HMS, and most especially 24 fans for there ever to be any genuine embrace of Earnhardt Nation on the part of Gordon Nation. Junior, himself, is a different story, because most 24 fans I know like him as a person. And there is plenty of resentment among 24 fans over seeing Alan Gustafson get shunted aside, plus maybe losing the 5 or 25 numbers. I’m reporting to you what I hear and see among 24 fans, and also making sure the other side of the “free the 8” thing is represented. As for Eury Jr going to HMS, I’d say probably 98% of 24 fans think it’s a lousy idea. Or maybe to put it the other way around, one wag on the private JG forum I’m a member of said he’s glad Eury is coming, because he and Junior haven’t done all that much and he doesn’t think going to HMS will make a difference.

[fideist]

Alan Gustafson is an INCREDIBLE young talent. This is one of the stories no one is paying much attention to. He says he would “rather sweep floors for Hendrick than go be CC somewhere else.” Yet, if Eury, Jr. does go to HMS, there appears to me to be no place for Gustafson as CC, at least on Cup level.

If he had any sense, he would follow Shrub. They are an incredible team (at least on the surface). But his loyalties to Hendrick seem to be his biggest influence.

[fideist]

RE: Junior Nation and Gordon

I was watching Race Day from Infineon and was quite surprised. It has been what, almost two weeks since the announcement of Junior to HMS? Yet the Junior fans were still booing Flash.

[vox_freedom]

There is too much long-standing anger at the way Earnhardt fans have treated Jeff, HMS, and most especially 24 fans for there ever to be any genuine embrace of Earnhardt Nation on the part of Gordon Nation.

Thanks for the generalization. That type of perspective is what has gotten Jeff and his fans into the situation they are in.
Re: the second part of your postit: so what?
Does it really matter if they/we get along?

[Sunnyflorida]

Wolf, you said it better than I, thanks. IMHO, race fans generally like all the good drivers including Jeff and JR. What is hard to take is the stridency of the JR fanatics and people that hate HMS. I cannot imagine how a race fan could not appreciate the skills and team work of the 48 and 24 teams and still see the admirable qualities of JR.