X,

I am not so sure his accomplishments have been over looked so much as he, perhaps inadvertently, separated himself from his own history by leaving Yates for MWR.

The die-hard DJ fans seemed really divided on this move. Yates racing is a storied team with amazing history. So though the team has been struggling for many years, and DJ was in arguably less than great equipment, his leaving was (I think) viewed as a slap in the face of a team owner that people sincerely felt charity and sympathy for.

Yates lost Davey, helped DJ get a championship, and in large part saved Ford and RFR with his engines. Yet DJ, the only true asset remaining at RYR from which the team could be resurrected, was leaving for a Toyota team under what has proven to be questionable leadership. It really is a bit sad.

I wish him all the best and he truly deserves all the accolades due a past champion. Hopefully folks, including me, can look past the move and see the man.

...oh yeah, the team change at the end was kinda weird, akin to when Bill Elliot left Ford for Evernham's Dodges at the end of his career. What you are talking about though may be more of a Blue Oval thing than a Yates thing maybe? I dunno...

His career also reminds me of Bobby Labonte's in this sense: Once he captured a Championship he seemed to lose desire. Yes, he won more races, but the desire to be at the top of his game week after week kinda fell off. So those later fans who only know him as the grey haired old guy hocking for UPS and running mid-pack may not recognize what a formidible competitor he was in his prime...

How much does the money play into this discussion? As you said X, DJ and B. Labonte both seem to be content, the desire to run hard hasn't been there for quite some time in my opinion. Although great champions and racers, I find the guys who keep digging (even with all the money they'll ever need) more impressive. Think about Sadler, is it the equipment or the fact he got the big check.

Was the question about money rhetorical?

The last fire I remember seeing in Bobby was at Charlotte a few years back when he was leading, lost the lead to Jimmy, and got out of the car and kicked it. If memory serves me, he was running the FedEx colors that race. And Bobby had not won for a while at that time.

No fire instances come to mind for DJ in recent history. He got a little pissy earlier this year when he got moved out of the way on the last lap of a race (by our favorite mover out of the way-er). But I would not classify that as a champion’s fire on the scale of kicking a car.

In either case above, it could have been frustration rather than fire. Two distinctly different things neither of which require a recent win or championship.(WARNING SHOT ACROSS THE BOW – AND MEANT IN HUMOR) And believe you me; ask any 88 fan, neither a championship nor recent win is a prerequisite to get frustrated, kick something, get pissy, throw full beer(WTF – at least drink it first then throw it)

Sadler, ooof. He is like the Michael Bolton of racing. Bolton can make any kind of music suck = Sadler can make any kind of car suck. Yes, he had poll a couple times (restrictor plate tracks) and I think won at Bristol like 4-5 years ago. But regardless of how heavy his Wallet is or how much he may or may not care to win, I just do not see the ability. He is like a Nemechek, Mayfield and Mears type. A couple good rides, maybe a win, but soon to be a hot potato.