Notes | McGrew's role not yet clear

KANSAS CITY, Kan. – Lance McGrew will have to wait another couple of weeks before learning if he'll be back as Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s crew chief.

Earnhardt has already given his endorsement of McGrew and Hendrick Motorsports owner Rick Hendrick says he plans to meet with them at the Oct. 17 race in Charlotte before deciding on their future together.

"They're doing real well," Hendrick said before Sunday's race at Kansas Speedway. "They've really clicked together and the car is running (well). He's just had some really bad luck. But I think they're gaining on it in a hurry and I'm really happy. I think by Charlotte we'll be ready to do something."

McGrew got the job in late May after Earnhardt finished 20th or worse in five of six races, replacing Tony Eury Jr., Earnhardt's cousin who had been with him since the start of his NASCAR career.

Earnhardt and McGrew, who have two top-10 finishes together, got off to a good start at Kansas, earning a spot on the front row out of qualifying then taking an early lead.

Then things got ugly.

After leading 41 of the first 58 laps, Earnhardt was black-flagged because of a missing lugnut on his left rear tire. He returned to the pits to tighten the nut and returned to the track a lap down, in 32nd.

Earnhardt dropped two laps down after another pit stop — just before a caution — and never made up the ground, his day ending when the car lost power with 33 laps left.

"It's just frustrating," Earnhardt said. "We had the bad start, we left the lugnut off on the one pit stop and lost a lap there. Then we pitted and lost a lap there, so we were two laps down all day. We had a fast enough car to finish in the top 12, I think."

VICKERS' LUCK: Brian Vickers used a late hot streak to get into the Chase for the championship.

He's been moving backward ever since.

Vickers opened the Chase with an 11th at Loudon, then was 18th at Dover. He had an even worse weekend in Kansas, spinning out early and fighting car issues all day before taking his car to the garage on Lap 217.

Vickers finished 37th and is 12th in the Chase standings, 250 points behind Mark Martin.

"I just want to get out of Kansas, to be honest with you," Vickers said. "It's been a long weekend for me. I thought we had a good car today and we started out a little tight. It got worse and worse, and (we) never could get a handle on it."

GORDON'S CHAIR: Race winner Tony Stewart left with more than a trophy and the winner's check from Kansas.

He took a chair with him, too.

Told that Jeff Gordon had sat in the chair before him, Stewart went into mock deification mode.

"Oh, my god, I'm sitting in the seat that Gordon sat in. That's awesome," Stewart said. "Can I take this home? I'm going to take this home."

Apparently, he wasn't kidding: Stewart pushed the chair down the ramp, out the door and took it to his No. 14 hauler. As of late Sunday, it was still there.

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