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Hmiel named interim crew chief of No. 8 car
Rondeau out after 11 races, 11th-place showing in point standings
NASCAR.COM Staff Report
May 24, 2005
04:23 PM EDT (20:23 GMT)
MOORESVILLE, N.C. -- Dale Earnhardt Inc. announced Tuesday, effective immediately, that Steve Hmiel will serve as interim crew chief on the No. 8 Budweiser Chevrolet driven by Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Hmiel, who is the technical director at DEI, replaces Pete Rondeau after only 11 races.
"We are capable of consistently winning and are focused on that as a company. We are going to concentrate our efforts on improved results with the No. 8 car," said Richie Gilmore, vice president of motorsports for DEI.
"Pete is a valuable asset and has brought a number of innovations to our organization. He will continue to do that in a different capacity and we're happy that Pete is so strongly dedicated to Dale Earnhardt Incorporated and its success," Gilmore said.
Earnhardt has struggled this season, posting five top-10 finishes. He is currently 11th in the point standings, 229 behind leader Jimmie Johnson.
After finishing third in the season-opening Daytona 500, Earnhardt scored three consecutive finishes outside the top 20. However, in the past seven races he hasn't finished worse than 15th.
"We have high expectations of how our teams are to perform and we will utilize every resource we have to win races," Gilmore said. "Our primary objective is to get the 8 and the 15 [Michael Waltrip] solidly into the Chase for the Championship and as a company, we're focusing everything we have at that goal."
Rondeau started with Jasper Motorsports, serving as car chief for the No. 77 team before moving to DEI in 2002 to work as Waltrip's car chief. Last October, in a shakeup with Waltrip's team, Rondeau replaced Slugger Labbe as crew chief.
But more shakeups were on the way when the No. 8 and No. 15 teams essentially swapped crews.
Tony Eury Sr. was promoted from crew chief of the No. 8 to director of competition for DEI, while Hmiel, the previous director of competition, was named the company's technical director.
At the same time, Rondeau was named crew chief of the No. 8 team, and Tony Eury Jr. moved over to crew chief for the No. 15. The core members of the Nos. 8 and 15 teams collectively transfered intact with the promotions of Rondeau and Eury Jr.
Rondeau out after 11 races, 11th-place showing in point standings
NASCAR.COM Staff Report
May 24, 2005
04:23 PM EDT (20:23 GMT)
MOORESVILLE, N.C. -- Dale Earnhardt Inc. announced Tuesday, effective immediately, that Steve Hmiel will serve as interim crew chief on the No. 8 Budweiser Chevrolet driven by Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Hmiel, who is the technical director at DEI, replaces Pete Rondeau after only 11 races.
"We are capable of consistently winning and are focused on that as a company. We are going to concentrate our efforts on improved results with the No. 8 car," said Richie Gilmore, vice president of motorsports for DEI.
"Pete is a valuable asset and has brought a number of innovations to our organization. He will continue to do that in a different capacity and we're happy that Pete is so strongly dedicated to Dale Earnhardt Incorporated and its success," Gilmore said.
Earnhardt has struggled this season, posting five top-10 finishes. He is currently 11th in the point standings, 229 behind leader Jimmie Johnson.
After finishing third in the season-opening Daytona 500, Earnhardt scored three consecutive finishes outside the top 20. However, in the past seven races he hasn't finished worse than 15th.
"We have high expectations of how our teams are to perform and we will utilize every resource we have to win races," Gilmore said. "Our primary objective is to get the 8 and the 15 [Michael Waltrip] solidly into the Chase for the Championship and as a company, we're focusing everything we have at that goal."
Rondeau started with Jasper Motorsports, serving as car chief for the No. 77 team before moving to DEI in 2002 to work as Waltrip's car chief. Last October, in a shakeup with Waltrip's team, Rondeau replaced Slugger Labbe as crew chief.
But more shakeups were on the way when the No. 8 and No. 15 teams essentially swapped crews.
Tony Eury Sr. was promoted from crew chief of the No. 8 to director of competition for DEI, while Hmiel, the previous director of competition, was named the company's technical director.
At the same time, Rondeau was named crew chief of the No. 8 team, and Tony Eury Jr. moved over to crew chief for the No. 15. The core members of the Nos. 8 and 15 teams collectively transfered intact with the promotions of Rondeau and Eury Jr.
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