What an Earnhardt win would mean for NASCAR, and for Jr.

The Coca~Cola 600 is running today amongst a full card in the racing world.  F1 is in Monaco for the Grand Prix, Indy is running the Indy 500 and NASCAR is running their longest endurance race of the year.  In a wo4rld full of racing how does one series find a way to make themselves stand out in the crowd?  NASCAR has seen their ratings rise and fall over the past few years and even with the tightest championship victory ever was won by Tony Stewart in the 2011 season, their ratings have not reached the pinnacle of their glory days.

So what has changed?  Well we've seen faces and names come and go, we've seen rookies winning top tier races, drivers getting their first wins at marquee events, and yet the views seem to be tuning out more and more. (Personally I blame the 4 laps of racing to 9 laps of commercials ratio... but that's just me)

Back in the glory days when it was the Dale (Earnhardt Sr.) and Dale (Jarret) show every week there were rivalries that kept the fans returning to the tracks and glued to their seats every week to see who was going to come out on top.  Fans love the rivalries, they love the drama and they love their drivers with a passion.

What NASCAR needs is something to shake things up again, something the fans can get behind, maybe even a little controversy so spice things up again.  What NASCAR needs is for Dale Earnhardt Jr. to get back to Victory Lane again.

Now don't get me wrong here, I am not saying that NASCAR need to orchestrate a win for Jr.  What they need is for Jr. to get there and stay there. 

Last weeks All Star Race showed us that Jr. still remembers how to do it.  He dominated the Showdown race to get himself into the All Star race, not wanting to depend on the fan vote, which he most assuredly would have won.  He wants to race his way in, to prove to himself and all the naysayers that he could do it.

Then as if to prove his point, he drove from the back of the field up to the front in time to win the 4th and final segment of the All Star race, giving himself position and a chance for another win.  We all saw how hard he drove that car but with older tires and a lot more wear and tear on the car from the extra 40 laps of racing he had done before the All Star race, settling for a 7th place finish was all he was able to manage.

So what would happen if Jr. were to win the Coca~Cola 600 in Charlotte?  This is his home track.  He lives barely 35 min from the track and he grew up here.  His Jr. Motorsports facility is around the corner, and Hendrick Motorsport is literally just around the corner from here.  This is home for Dale Earnhardt Jr.

A win for Jr. is a win for NASCAR.  His fans are the most loyal in NASCAR today, so getting back to Victory Lane anywhere would be good, but to do it at home, well that would be something special.  It would bring fans back to their sets for the next week to see if he could do it again, to see their drivers confidence renewed, and to see the crowds cheer him on as he takes the lead, as they cheer from their homes, everyone on their feet, all across the nation.  Jr. Nation would rise up and scream in delight as their driver shows them what they knew all along, that he is a winner.  That he didn't lay down and give up after being absent from Victory Lane for so long.  That he is able, and will continue to be able, to win races for himself, for his fans, and for his Daddy.