Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Jeff Gordon at Hendrick Motorsports

Updating an early post on the Dale Earnhardt Jr. bet, it looks like Junior is heading to Hendrick Motor Sports.

This is a break with Earnhardt tradition, but signing with hendrickmotorsports gives Dale Jr. the best chance to win. Why is it a break with tradition?

1. Dale Earnhardt raced with Richard Childress Racing, so many assumed that Jr. would make an alliance with his father's former car owner. The numbers seemed right, since Hendrick Motorsports already had four drivers on their team. RCR has only three cars on the circuit, so adding a fourth would have been simple.

2. Jeff Gordon races with Hendrik Motorsports. Gordon and the Earnhardts have had a long rivalry. The move to Hendrik now casts Jeff Gordon as a teammate of Junior's, which might cause his fans to wonder whether they should cheer or jeer Gordon. From what I'm seeing, some Earnhardt fans just don't like the idea of cheering for Jeff Gordon. Since rivalries are the lifeblood of NASCAR, people don't want to see a good rivalry end.

A GOOD PLACE FOR JUNIOR

That being said, this is good news for Junior fans. this is the best move for Dale Earnhardt and his fans. The biggest reason Jr. left Dale Earnhardt Racing was because it simply didn't give him a good chance to compete. He never had the kind of funding to represent his team. That will no longer be the case.

Hendrik Motor Sports has won six NASCAR titles since 1995, helping Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson and Terry Labonte to win titles. HMS is considered the finest team in NASCAR racing. Junior will get the machine and the team he needs to win.

THE PRESSURE IS ON

Of course, that cuts both ways. If he doesn't produce, Dale Jr. has no more excuses. He'll be in the prime of his career with the best support around him. It's time to win and win big.

By the way, Kyle Busch will leave the HMS team, making way for Junior's more high profile arrival.

WHO DID YOU HAVE IN THE BET?

The Bodog odds had Hendrick Motorsports as a favorite (-130 to -110) over Richard Childress Racing. It looks like the favorite won.

I'm still saying Budweiser will sponsor Dale Jr. next year, while he likely won't be driving the #8 car.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Jeff Gordon at Hendrick Motorsports