So far, Kahne has shown signs of life. Earnhardt has not.

Kasey Kahne was the lucky driver at Richard Petty Motorsports to inherit the new Dodge R6 engine. At Dover, he proved to be a top 10 car, and appeared capable of a top 5 finish, winding up 6th at a track that he has never liked.

At Pocono, the track at which Kahne earned his most recent Cup win a year ago, he struggled early, but appeared to be the car to beat at the end of the race before he had to pit for fuel inside 15 laps to go. Still, he was poised for another top 10 before a spin on the final lap relegated him to 15th.

But while Kahne has run well and has had decent results, Earnhardt’s showed more of his same ol’ self.

With his new crew chief, Lance McGrew, Earnhardt did run in the top 5 at Dover for awhile… after a slew of cars went a lap down due to an inconvenient caution flag during a cycle of green-flag pit stops. He still struggled down the stretch of that race, and ultimately fell outside the top 10, finishing 12th.

Then came Pocono.

Another race. Another pit road miscue. And another race of mediocrity for NASCAR’s most popular driver. Earnhardt didn’t even crack the top 10, reaching as high as 12th, and ran back in the 20s virtually all day. He even managed to take out his frustration on one David Stremme, who was the only car to suffer any crash damage during the 200-lap race.

Earnhardt finished 27th.

Even still, McGrew remains optimistic. “We’re trying to build Rome here, and it won’t happen over night,” said McGrew before the race.

And he’s right. It won’t happen over night. But judging by what I have seen after two weeks, Kahne appears to be making gains, while Earnhardt still appears to be struggling.

Sure, that may all change after Michigan, where Earnhardt won last year. And one can’t help but wonder when Kahne may once again fade into oblivion.

But after two weeks, Kahne and Earnhardt have been showing very different results.

Eury will be replaced as the crew chief of NASCAR’s Most Popular Driver, Dale Earnhardt Jr. by 2003 Nationwide Series champion crew chief Lance McGrew. McGrew has been a successful crew chief in both the Nationwide Series, and the Sprint Cup Series, helping Brian Vickers win his first career Cup race at Talladega in 2006.

While McGrew should help things in the 88 camp, the change does not guarantee success by any means. And while getting rid of Eury may not have been a bad idea, Junior Nation often forgets that, if not for Eury, Earnhardt’s last win would not have been at Michigan last year, when Eury’s call atop the pit box to stretch fuel mileage earned Earnhardt his first win with Hendrick Motorsports. Nor would he have won at Richmond in 2006, when Eury’s call to take 2 tires instead of 4 put Earnhardt in the lead for good late in the race. Without Eury, Earnhardt’s last win would have come in 2005, which he also won on pit strategy.

That said, 2 races in 3 years won’t cut it. You can’t blame the 88 team. When things aren’t going well, often times the crew chief is the first person to go. McGrew is a proven crew chief, and should do a good job.

However, sometimes the driver is the first person to go. And if Earnhardt doesn’t pick up his performance with McGrew calling the shots, he may be out the door. We do know for sure, however, that McGrew will be calling the shots, as opposed to Earnhardt, who, more often than not, told Eury what he should be doing in stead of letting Eury do his job. But since McGrew is not a blood-reletive of Earnhardt, I doubt Earnhardt will talk to McGrew like that.

The change atop the pit box may help Earnhardt’s results. But if it doesn’t, Earnhardt may be the next to go.