Ganassi, Learn From DEI's Mistake

(Originally published on May 30, 2008)

Let's play "Name That Driver."

Early 30s.

Resume flush with success, but still possessing an upside.

Charisma and name cache that guarantee overflowing sponsorship.

And yet, owner gives driver little say in how the team will progress, even though said owner's recent track record would suggest that taking advice would be worthwhile.

Someone please tell me how that description differs at all between Dale Earnhardt Jr. in January of 2007 and Juan Pablo Montoya right now.

Whoever is subliminally feeding the Teresa Earnhardt playbook to Chip Ganassi while he's sleeping needs to realize that this sick joke has gone way too far. As Teresa would tell Ganassi, it's all fun and games until somebody loses a meal ticket.

Actually, the descriptions do differ in one way: Montoya doesn't have the inner turmoil that Junior did at the thought of leaving the family business. He's already made it clear that he won't do the often-silent slow burn that Dale Jr. did for years as things disintegrated around him.

Montoya took a pretty hefty pay cut to work a NASCAR schedule twice as long as the F1 calendar. He said he didn't care as long as he was happy. Now he's not, after Ganassi axed crew chief Jimmy Elledge without even giving Montoya the benefit of being in on the decision.

You could make the argument that Montoya, still a relative NASCAR newbie, should just shut up and drive. Only problem is, when you compare what he's done compared to the other Ganassi teams, it would be fair to say that he is making the most of modest equipment and therefore deserves a say.

Ganassi can't screw this up because whispers that Montoya could find a home with Joe Gibbs Racing after Tony Stewart departs make too much sense. When you get a chance to immediately strap into championship equipment AND receive the respect you deserve, you get...everything Junior got when he left DEI for Hendrick Motorsports.

Heck, this may already be a foregone conclusion.