CUP: Biggest Busts 2000-2009

Sprint Cup

CUP: Biggest Busts 2000-2009

The top-10 driver and team moves that didn't exactly work out as planned...

SceneDaily.com | Posted December 28, 2009 Charlotte, NC

The two year run at Hendrick Motorsports for Dale Earnhardt Junior (Left) hasn't exactly worked out as NASCAR's most popular driver and team owner Rick Hendrick (Right) hoped for. (Photo: LAT Photographic)

A look at the past decade shows some drivers who made moves that might have seemed ideal at the time, but just did not or have not panned out as both fans and the teams thought.

In hindsight, one can find a host of decisions that have turned out to be somewhat questionable or disappointing in retrospect.

NASCAR Scene takes a look at the top-10 Busts of the Decade, those driver and team moves that did not pan out:

1. Hendrick Motorsports hires Dale Earnhardt Jr. The sport's now seven-time most popular driver was expected to excel after joining Hendrick, one of the premier programs in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Instead, Earnhardt Jr. has just one win in two seasons with the organization and slumped to a career-worst 25th in the standings this season.

2. Dale Earnhardt Inc. does not re-sign Dale Earnhardt Jr. In a highly publicized series of contract talks, Earnhardt Jr. spent part of 2007 in contract negotiations before announcing plans early in the year to move to Hendrick for the 2008 season. The organization, founded by Dale Earnhardt, crumbled from its original form after his departure, merging first with Ginn Racing later that season and then with Chip Ganassi Racing for the 2008 season. The new organization has not won in two seasons.

3. Mark Martin joins Ginn Racing. Martin decided to leave full-time Cup racing with Roush Fenway Racing and go part-time racing with Ginn Racing. There he could scale back while working with young drivers. But the team merged with Dale Earnhardt Inc. and the team lineup changed before Martin opted to return to full-time racing with Hendrick in 2009.

4. Hendrick releases Kyle Busch. The driver then moved to Joe Gibbs Racing and exploded into a series superstar. He won eight Cup races in 2008 and another four in 2009. His replacement at Hendrick, Earnhardt Jr., has one win in that span.

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