Dale Earnhardt Inc News #8, #1, #15

[Realtree]

51% of DEI = $55 million?

Taking control of DEI, his late father's company, might come at too high a price for #8-Dale Earnhardt Jr. Last week, it was reported DEI offered Dale Earnhardt Jr. 51% ownership, which NASCAR's most popular driver quickly denied. That's not to say there weren't informal discussions, rather it could be Junior simply stopped listening once he heard the asking price.

Several people familiar with the contract negotiations told The Associated Press that DEI has not made a formal offer and that any discussions centered around the 51% ownership share came with a steep asking price - $55 million or more - that the Earnhardt Jr. camp didn't take seriously. That number would be in line with the going rate for a stake in a NASCAR team. Boston Red Sox owner John Henry is believed to have spent about $60 million in February for a minority stake in Roush Fenway Racing. Those familiar with the negotiations requested anonymity because they were not authorized to speak.

When reached Monday, Junior's sister Kelley Earnhardt Elledge declined comment, citing the reporting of inaccurate information over the weekend in her desire to refrain from commenting until a formal announcement.(Associated Press)

[Realtree]

Updated: April 26, 2007, 9:19 AM ET
A hundred million reasons to keep Dale Jr. at DEIBy Marty Smith
ESPN.com
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What is Dale Earnhardt Inc. worth without Dale Earnhardt Jr.? Not much, according to multiple sources with intimate information about the company, who spoke to ESPN.com on condition of anonymity.

"If Junior leaves, it probably devalues DEI by $100 million," one source said Wednesday. "If you look at Roush [Racing], Evernham's potential [investor buy-in] deals -- DEI with Junior is a home run, maybe worth more than 100 [million dollars]. Without him, I don't think an investor would lay down that value."

Another source said, "Without Junior, I'd say once the contracts expire, [DEI] wouldn't be nearly the team that currently exists. Over a period of time you know who you can and can't work with, and sometimes [Teresa Earnhardt's] requests and demands are not realistic.

"And the time constraints on corporations on [trademark] approvals, you have to react in a prompt, efficient, timely manner.

"So, therefore, people that have worked [at DEI] have had to stick their necks out on the line and make decisions to be sure sponsors' needs and timely decisions are met on their behalf. That's created problems internally, made for a difficult situation for both parties."

Max Siegel, the chief negotiator at DEI, declined to comment.

One example offered by sources centers on the commemorative ring awarded the 2004 Daytona 500-winning No. 8 Chevrolet team. Teresa Earnhardt, sources said, had to approve the marks on the ring before they could be created and bestowed upon the team. It took two years.

The team grew so frustrated, sources said, that crew members made preparations to design, order and pay for their own Daytona 500 rings.

Such examples, sources agreed, are why Earnhardt Jr.'s camp imposed a late-May deadline for contract talks to conclude.

If Earnhardt Jr. doesn't re-sign with DEI by the end of May, the two sides likely will be hard-pressed to get a deal done, sources said. Why? Die-cast cars and hats, partly.

"That's why there's a time frame," one source said. "If you want to have product at Daytona in February, you have to have that going to [the manufacturer in] Japan by Aug. 1 -- at the absolute latest. And probably even July. That's reason for the deadline.

"That's why this thing has to get done soon -- by the end of May. This could be a very complicated contract procedure. It could drag out. Once it's agreed in principle, that's when people get [upset] at each other over wording in a contract. If they don't have a deal done by May 31, it's going to be tough."

Sources said if Teresa Earnhardt sells majority ownership of DEI, all current sponsor contracts are voided, meaning the new ownership would either have to renegotiate them or they would simply end. Of course, if Junior were the purchaser that would be moot.

An Associated Press report Tuesday said DEI had offered Junior majority ownership of the company for more than $55 million.

Sources said the only way 51 percent of DEI would be worth that sum would be if, in context, that percentage included the real estate, the buildings, the engine department and the race teams.

Kelley Earnhardt Elledge, Earnhardt Jr.'s sister and business partner, told ESPN.com recently that securing majority ownership isn't just for her brother's benefit. It is also for Kelley and for their half-siblings, Kerry and Taylor Nicole.

"Other than loyalty of carrying on his father's vision, and the [Earnhardt] name, there is no rhyme nor reason for him to even want to do that deal," one source said. "He's got a race team, a shop.

"He could do the same thing his father did by owning his own team and driving for others, at no expense to himself. In fact it'd be a much more lucrative deal unless he can get the whole DEI [company] without investment."

Marty Smith is a contributor to ESPN's NASCAR coverage. He can be reached at ESPNsider@aol.com.


 

[rchaze60]

 
 
 
 
 TALLADEGA, Ala. - As Dale Earnhardt Jr. and DEI continue to negotiate one of the biggest contracts in NASCAR, there's another deal in the works that could have a dramatic effect upon the future of both.

Robert Yates confirmed on Saturday that talks have resumed between Robert Yates Racing and Dale Earnhardt Inc. The topic of discussion: The possible sale of RYR to DEI.
 
 
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Last year when Yates spoke of entertaining partners, a contingent from DEI expressed interest. And as expansion is on the minds of most organizations in anticipation of a four-team maximum proposed by NASCAR, a DEI acquisition of RYR is a distinct possibility.

"The deal our family needs to make is for (son) Doug and his children's future," Yates said. "They want Doug, and I don't want to be the last team standing in the garage.

"The Earnhardts are a NASCAR franchise here. I've raced against three generations of Earnhardts ? Ralph, Dale and Junior. The Earnhardts are the greatest people in the world to work with or race against."

Several scenarios ? including Dale Jr.'s future plans ? have been discussed between varieties of individuals from both companies. Certainly the structure of teams, drivers and equipment would be contingent on whether Junior remains at DEI.

Over the last few years, DEI's engine department has struggled as Richie Gilmore transitioned from chief engine builder to VP of competition. Although Gilmore has worked feverishly to rebuild DEI's engine program, he's the first to admit that someone of Doug Yates' caliber would make a tremendous difference.

"I think Doug could have a positive impact on anyone's engine shop," Gilmore said. "Doug is one of those guys who is in the top three in the industry. He's just a quality guy he has great procedures. He's put a lot of things in place with the Roush-Yates engine shop. To me he's like a Randy Dorton (who founded Hendrick Motorsports' engine dept) in the industry. He's that type of guy. He's could have a huge impact at DEI. He's a super guy all around."

With Chevrolet's roster currently up to 17 teams ? including seven of the top 10 ? it would make sense for DEI to consider aligning with Ford, a company that currently fields just nine teams in the Nextel Cup garage. With Hendrick Motorsports' dominance, Richard Childress' revival and Joe Gibbs Racing winning three of the last seven championships, DEI could easily be considered fourth in line.

Gilmore said Chevrolet has already submitted a new offer to DEI, and the company is willing to listen to offers. John Story, a DEI manager, said that three of the four manufacturers have made offers to the company.

Said Gilmore: "We look at the Chevrolet deal and with the key partners we all share a lot of resources on the engine side. Chevrolet doesn't have a pecking order. It's more of the teams themselves. I don't know how Ford does that. I've never worked with anybody in the Ford camp.

"One thing on the Ford side ? they don't have as many teams. You've got Roush. You got the Yateses. What Chevrolet has is every organization has at least three teams and they're all strong. They have all the cars in the field every week. On that side of it I'd say we'd move up in the pecking order, but Chevrolet is a strong brand and all the cars run well."

The question that has been asked during the entire Earnhardt Jr. negotiation process is whether DEI could provide the caliber of equipment necessary for Driver 8 to win championships. Kelley Earnhardt Elledge, Junior's sister and business partner, said the driver's ability to perform is an essential part of the equation.

"In the next 10 years, competition on the track is very important for Dale ? to add championships to his belt and to add wins to his belt and to do what the Earnhardts have done before him," Earnhardt Elledge said. "I want to situate the brand in the next 10 years so that after that, whether we build an automotive kingdom or restaurants or whether he's a TV personality or whatever...the brand extends beyond his career.

"It's all tied back to what these guys do every day and that's performance and they're likeability factor and their personality. Dale has all that and we have to add a real consistent performance. We have to put wins in the win column and win championships. Just ask Earnhardt Nation. It's all tied together."

Max Siegel, DEI president of Global Operations, says he feels the company is making progress on the Junior front. He and Earnhardt Elledge spent time at Talladega exhibiting a united front. But in addition to retaining Junior on the DEI roster, growing the company is on his short list. Acquiring Yates would expedite that objective.

"Our goal is to expand to four teams," Siegel said. "So I'm relying on Richie and everybody in the competition division to get there."

Yates had more than a friendly rivalry with Earnhardt Sr. Some of the best battles in NASCAR involved Dale and Dale (Jarrett, former driver of the No. 88 Ford) and the GM Goodwrench v. Ford Credit. After more than 40 years in racing he's watched a lot of teams come and go. He doesn't want to be part of that latter fraternity. But if Earnhardt Jr. stays at DEI and rebuilds the organization to the premier company his father intended it to be, walking away would be a lot easier.

"I believe Dale Senior would want Dale Junior to do what's best for him," Yates said. "But if we aligned with the Earnhardts, we're automatically going to jump up in the pecking order."

Story made it clear that lifting DEI to those heights is a top priority.

"DEI will do whatever it takes to put Dale Earnhardt and its other two drivers in a position to win races and championships," he said.

 

[Realtree]

Very interesting article Randy. I  had heard some murmurings about this mid season last year and everyone kind of shot it down as rumors but usually the rumors end up leading to something of substance eventually.

Thanks for sharing.

[Realtree]

Here's some more tidbits I picked up from a couple of my normal sources for everything NASCAR related for latest rumors and scuttlebutt.


DEI to buy RYR?: It was reported on SPEED's NASCAR Raceday that Dale Earnhardt Inc (DEI) is interested in buying Robert Yates Racing (RYR) and RYR is interested in joining forces with DEI. It was also reported that the teams would end up being in the Chevy camp.

UPDATE: In attempts to strengthen its teams and expand to four cars, Dale Earnhardt Inc. [#'s 1,8,15] has had preliminary discussions with Robert Yates Racing [#38, #88] about a partnership, as well as Ford Motor Company and another manufacturer, DEI executive team member John Story confirmed Sunday morning. While the company also is in the midst of contract negotiations with NASCAR's most popular driver, Dale Earnhardt Jr., DEI is working toward trying to solidify its future. That means getting the finances and the technological support it needs from a manufacturer and working toward fielding a fourth team by 2008 or 2009, said Story, who oversees sales, marketing and communications activities at DEI. What would be more startling would be the potential move to Ford or another manufacturer considering Chevrolet's long relationship with team founder Dale Earnhardt. The Chevrolet deal is not contingent on Earnhardt Jr. remaining at DEI, Story said. Yates said his team would remain Ford. Story said that talks with Yates could continue even if DEI remains with Chevrolet.(in part from SceneDaily.com)

UPDATE 2: With Robert Yates Racing and Dale Earnhardt, Inc. discussing a potential merger, how would that affect Yates-Roush Engines, which makes the motors that power all of the Ford NASCAR Nextel Cup teams? RYR co-owner Doug Yates was adamant that his team will not switch to Chevrolet power no matter what, and Roush Fenway Racing President Geoff Smith said he hopes any deal will build up the Ford NASCAR Nextel Cup effort. ?We?re aware that he?s marketing his teams,? Smith said of Robert Yates prior to Sunday?s Talladega race. ?We have a joint engine business that?s affected by the number of customers that we have. We want to see the Ford number of teams remain at least at its current level for the benefit of the engine business and for the competitive benefit for Ford Motor Co.?(SPEEDtv.com)

UPDATE 3: Dale Earnhardt, Inc., [DEI] will move to four Nextel Cup Series teams by 2009, be it through the acquisition of another team or the addition of a fourth team in-house, team executive John Story said Sunday at Talladega Superspeedway. Story said DEI has been in discussions with Robert Yates Racing for four-to-six weeks about a partnership, but cautioned that those talks are preliminary and that no documentation has been exchanged between the teams. If DEI were to acquire Yates, one of the two teams would have to forsake its manufacturer. Yates, a Ford flagship team for nearly two decades, would move to Chevrolet; or DEI, whose founder, Dale Earnhardt, won seven championships in Chevrolets, would move to Ford. "The only proposal we have right now for a manufacturer next year is from Chevrolet," Story said. "Teresa [Earnhardt] has been tremendously loyal to Chevrolet for a lot of years. We've had some conversation with a couple other manufacturers. They've called to inquire what our contract situation was. We told them, in fairness, we are going to sit down and exhaust our options with Chevrolet first, and if the opportunity came up we'd talk to somebody else. We haven't seen anything in writing from anybody else." RYR president Doug Yates said they'd rather stay in Fords, and that Ford Racing officials see a DEI merger as a way to get Ford back to prominence in Nextel Cup. But he didn't rule out a manufacturer switch. How this impacts Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s contract negotiations isn't known, but Story said a deal with Ford and RYR isn't contingent on Earnhardt Jr. staying at DEI. Earnhardt Jr. wants controlling interest in DEI, but Chevrolet officials want to keep him.(ESPN.com)

UPDATE 4 Toyota denies talks: Toyota?s Lee White says his company was not involved in any talks with DEI: ?We have not had any conversations with Dale Earnhardt Jr. ?There is a tremendous amount of both equity and liability involved with Dale Earnhardt Incorporated and Dale Earnhardt Jr. Chevrolet has such equity built into Dale Earnhardt Jr. and that particular race team - that equity is great for the bigger picture and the health of our sport. Right now Toyota is not ready to take on the liability that would come with that scenario.?(Winston Salem Journal)

[rchaze60]

VERY VERY INTERESTING........  gonna be interesting on how all this falls into place

[Realtree]

Some new info from the Ford camp re: talks with DEI and RYR

Ford Racing Aware of DEI-RYR Merger Talk: In response to media reports from this past weekend, Ford Racing confirmed it is fully aware of merger talks that have taken place between Dale Earnhardt Inc. (DEI) and Robert Yates Racing (RYR) officials.

?Ford is fully committed to Robert Yates Racing for the long-term, and they have assured us that are similarly committed to Ford,? said Kevin Kennedy, Ford Racing Technology Communications Manager. ?Robert and Doug have been in contact with Ford about the nature of the discussions. We have a valued partnership with them, and they are keeping us informed of those discussions like a true partner would. We fully expect they will remain with Ford for many, many years.? Robert Yates Racing and Ford have a relationship that goes back to the formation of the race team in the late 1980s, and Dan Davis, director of Ford Racing Technology, has repeatedly stated that the manufacturer is fully committed to bringing RYR back to the top of the field.

Media reports this past weekend also stated that Ford had been in discussions with DEI about a switch from Chevrolet to Ford for the 2008 season. Davis has repeatedly said that Ford is interested in adding championship-level teams to its Cup roster. ?We definitely have been talking with DEI. Truthfully, we?ve been having informal talks with them for several years,? said Kennedy. ?We have not yet made a formal offer to them, but we know that their GM contract is up at the end of the year. We had some discussions with them, and we?ve made it clear that we?d love to have them in our program.?(Ford Racing)

[Realtree]

Earnhardt Jr.: 'We'll be driving Chevys':

#8-Dale Earnhardt Jr. nearly started laughing Friday and said, 'Nah,' when asked if it was really possible he could drive a Ford next season.

Dale Earnhardt Inc., which is in negotiations with Earnhardt Jr. for a contract extension and also must sign a new dale with Chevrolet, has had preliminary talks with other manufacturers and also has talked about a possible merger with Robert Yates Racing. But Earnhardt Jr. couldn't see himself driving anything but a Chevy. As part of his negotiations with DEI, he wants majority ownership of the team. "We'll be driving Chevys, I'll promise you that," Earnhardt Jr. said following qualifying Friday for the Crown Royal/Jim Stewart 400.

[rchaze60]

I cant see Jr. driving anything else but chevys but you never know stranger things have happened  :ROTFLMAO: :ROTFLMAO:

[Realtree]

Junior/DEI split looking more likely


By Jeff Findley
Saturday, May 5, 2007 10:47 AM CDT

 
 
The wheels turning in private could have been made public this past week.

Back at Daytona, we learned that Junior and his chief negotiator, sister Kelley Elledge, put the ownership of the company required to sign an extension at 51 percent.

The news released this week should add tremendously to the doubt people already had about the likelihood of Junior remaining with the company that bears his name. Representatives from both DEI and Robert Yates Racing confirmed that the companies have been in discussions involving a possible merger. That?s not very surprising considering that rumor started late last season when Yates was on the verge of closing shop on the No. 88 car.

Several factors involving this deal lead me to believe that, behind closed doors, the feeling of the management of DEI is that the situation with Junior is past the point of no return. Teresa Earnhardt and Max Siegel, president of global operations for DEI, could very well be positioning the company for life after Junior.

First hint is the number of teams. The new NASCAR limit for team ownership is four teams. The DEI/RYR combination involves five teams, currently, though Ricky Rudd in the No. 88 is not long term. With Junior, the combined company would have to shed a team. Without him, they are good to go.

Secondly, the timing of the ?leak? of information. Supposedly, discussions with Yates have been ongoing for several months and discussions with Ford for a couple of years. Why, just weeks before the deadline set by Junior, are we hearing of the talks?

 

Lastly, and most importantly, is the proposed switch to Ford. Could you even imagine Chevrolet letting Junior get away? Unless you TIVO through all the commercials during the race, Junior is in every Chevrolet commercial out there. Junior driving a Ford would be akin to Michael Jordan wearing Reeboks instead of Nikes.

Unless the world comes off its axis, I can?t see Junior staying with DEI if all these variables come into play. Junior could be following the same path as his father, driving for Richard Childress Racing while building his own team, in this case JR Motorsports.

Richmond under the lights this week. My pick to win is Jeff Burton.

Note: Jeff Findley is a guest columnist for The Clanton Advertiser. His

 
 
column appears on Saturdays.

[rchaze60]

HMMMMMM very very interesting

[Realtree]

I don't really agree with that last article but I thought it was an interesting take on things that are going on right now...but bottom line is that until either side "formally" announces something it is all just speculation on everyone's part anyway so I try not to get too caught up in all the hype and speculation going on most times. Interesting thoughts though none the less...

[rchaze60]

I agree bro I am just going to sit back and watch to how this is going to come out in the near future. I hope it works out for everyone involved

[rchaze60]

 
 
 
 CONCORD, N.C. (AP) - Dale Earnhardt Jr. has used his clout to get things changed in NASCAR before. His next target is the Car of Tomorrow.

A day after struggling with the new-look car at Richmond International Raceway, Earnhardt Jr. called on NASCAR to make it easier to turn and handle.

"It's going to take some time to figure it out, but right now it's about the most frustrating thing I've had to deal with in this sport, and I've had to deal with some pretty frustrating things," Earnhardt said Monday.

Junior was running in the top 10 for much of Sunday's race until Jeff Green spun him. He finished 13th, but claims he knew he didn't have a car that would win. Jimmie Johnson's victory gave Hendrick Motorsports four wins in four races with the new car, which is being phased in this season and could be used in every race by 2008.

Earnhardt finished seventh, fifth and 19th in the previous COT races, and while that's not bad, Junior hasn't enjoyed any of them.

"Everyone is struggling with getting the cars to turn. Even when you're running in second or third position, you're just the best of the worst cars out there," Earnhardt said. "Nobody's cars were that fun to drive. You're just trying to be the guy with the least amount of problems when it comes to handling and that seems to get you toward the front."
 
When Junior has spoken up in the past, people have listened. When he complained about a dip last year at Texas Motor Speedway, it was fixed before he returned last month. The driver he's endorsed to get the final spot into the annual All-Star race always seems to get voted in by the fans.

Speaking before testing began Monday at Lowe's Motor Speedway, Earnhardt also chastised RIR for not sealing the track before Sunday's race. But Junior, the sport's most popular driver, is most concerned with using his clout to get NASCAR to take a serious look at how to improve the COT.

Earnhardt met with Nextel Cup director John Darby at the testing session. Darby said Earnhardt chalked up his remarks to frustration with the car, and Darby indicated NASCAR wasn't considering any changes on behalf of its star driver.

"No, because one of the things you can't do is fall into a position of where every time somebody brings a complaint to us, we have a knee-jerk reaction, then this car will be evolving forever," Darby said.

The COT was the culmination of a seven-year project to find a safer car that would produce more side-by-side racing and make it easier to pass. With a detachable wing on the back and an adjustable splitter on the front, it was also designed to allow teams to use the same car at all tracks, saving teams money.

"They were open to suggestions on the wing versus the spoiler and all the other things when they were building the car and they implemented those," Earnhardt said.

"Hopefully, they'll be open to some criticism and more suggestions on how to improve it."

Junior isn't alone. Numerous drivers have complained about the way the car handles, but not as forcefully.

"Well, certainly Dale Jr. has a little bit more star power, and Tony Stewart, than I do," Greg Biffle said. "So I have to be careful what I say because I get a little bit more ripped or branded than they probably would.

"But it is a difficult car, to get to what do you want it to do. It's hard to influence the car to do stuff."

But just what needs to be done is uncertain, and not everyone even thinks the car should be tinkered with. Car owner Ray Evernham believes much of the griping stems from Hendrick's dominance.

"What changes would he make? You can't just sit there and (complain) at NASCAR. I say don't make changes - let us figure it out," Evernham said. "I think that Dale Jr. and those guys are probably in the same boat that we are: spread too thin and what used to work doesn't work anymore."

The COT will be used again next weekend at Darlington, a track known to tear up tires. Junior hopes he doesn't tear up the car.

"I'll be just trying to keep it off the fence. I think it'll be hard not to hit the wall," Earnhardt said. "The way these things get tight, it'll be hard and slow, real slow. Very, very frustrating. Really, really, really frustrating."

 

[rchaze60]

 MOORESVILLE, N.C. - Dale Earnhardt Jr. has parted ways with DEI, the company his father founded in 1980.

Earnhardt, 32, announced on Thursday that he was leaving DEI, where he started his NASCAR career at 21 in the Busch Series, to become a free agent.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. is out at DEI after this season and now the obvious question is where he's headed next. Weigh in with your thoughts here.

In December, Earnhardt said he hoped to have his contract completed by May. But as the months passed, Earnhardt added he was free to contact other owners on May 1. As that deadline expired, Earnhardt told FOXSports.com on Tuesday, "You'll all know soon what my plans are." Earnhardt and his stepmother Teresa addressed DEI this morning before the press conference at JR Motorsports.

"We worked really hard, but we were never close," Earnhardt said of negotiations with DEI. "I am a little sad, but I am trying to remind myself to be excited about what's ahead."

"I'm sad that I have to leave some employees that I got close to, leave some relationships," Earnhardt said. "We're going to finish this year out, and I told my guys we're going to run hard. I don't want any excuses for us not giving our best effort. I plan on giving everything I've got like I always do, and hopefully that's what I'll get in return."

Now the question becomes just which owner can present the most attractive offer. For Earnhardt it's not just about the money, but where he can go to win championships.

Said Earnhardt, "We'll see what opportunities I have."

There have been more than a few Earnhardt sightings with Hendrick Motorsports' principals over the last few months that have fueled rumors that Budweiser would return to NASCAR's top organization, possibly with the No. 3 in tow. But which car would he drive and which driver would be displaced? Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson obviously aren't going anywhere. Kyle Busch, 21, has exhibited a few prickly, uncomfortable moments but factoring in his level of talent along with his age the potential of growth on both accounts is more than promising. Casey Mears has had an unfortunate season so far but it's not like Rick Hendrick to cut the cord this quickly.
 
 
Three-time Cup champion and NASCAR on FOX analyst Darrell Waltrip, one of Dale Earnhardt Sr.'s friendly rivals, traveled from Nashville at Earnhardt's request to join him for Thursday's announcement.
"This was incredibly difficult, a lot of emotion and the hardest thing he's had to deal with up until now," Waltrip said of Earnhardt's decision to leave DEI. "This is a big deal."

Now, Earnhardt must decide which team is the best fit for him.

"I've always thought RCR just because of the Childress-Earnhardt relationship," said Waltrip of Richard Childress Racing, where the elder Earnhardt won six of his seven championships. "I have personally have always thought the racing world would be right if Dale Earnhardt Jr. drove the black No. 3 car."
 

Certainly, Earnhardt's relationship with Richard Childress dates back the farthest, although his grandfather Robert Gee was one of Hendrick's first motorsports employees. But since Earnhardt Sr.'s death, Childress has been there for the entire family whether the children needed something or if Earnhardt matriarch Martha needed a flight to Daytona. There's a level of trust between the Earnhardts and Childress dating back almost 30 years. While Hendrick's roster is full, Childress is currently in expansion mode and is adding 90,000 square-feet to the existing building.

"He's a great race car driver," said Mike Dillon, vice president of competition for Richard Childress Racing. "I believe he can win races and championships and we could provide that for him here.

"His fan base and popularity will certainly make any deal attractive with Junior. He's a genuinely nice guy, that's the cool part of the deal. But you have to be concerned with the existing teams here and make sure they're comfortable any situation we would bring in. We'd love to have him but you would have to be prepared. We have championship caliber teams already and have to be careful not to upset the existing situation.

"Certainly, we would love to have him. I hope we're that lucky. I wish we're in the running but if you listen to the rumor mill, I don't see that happening."

A third scenario has Earnhardt becoming a satellite organization with Hendrick Motorsports. Engines and engineering support would come directly from HMS
 

[Realtree]

I just hope all the parties involved know what they are doing and have fully contemplated the fallout that will continue for some time as a result of these decisions....

It's certainly not your Daddy's NASCAR anymore, I just hope Dale Jr ends up somewhere where he can prove his abilities as a driver and prove the naysayers wrong that have said Jr rode Dale's coattails to where he is.

[mopho]

uhh, much like the news comments  we can get nascar.com i don't get it

[Outdoors Junkie]

What happens to DEI now?

[mopho]

life goes on  jr still owns half the company  they get new driver  driver  races around in circle chasing tail  peopel all over  think its the best thing since sliced bread  and  jr  profits

[Realtree]

Time will tell OJ. I hate to see Jr leave the company his Father started for his kids to run someday, but I respect him for being able to make that decision, as hard as it was I'm sure, to move on and try to better himself and his career.

[Joe]

I think in the end Teresa and Max will be the big losers. Jr. will most likely take all his sponcers with him and lets face it, he still is the namesake. What is DEI without Dale Jr?

 

[rchaze60]

I feel this is close to the end of DEI as we know it .........it wont be the same when Jr leaves .... we know he wont be driving the # 8 no more for the reason is DEI owns that number.... I just hope he has made the right choice which I think he has and another team will be stupid not to pick him up for he his a good driver he just needed to break free from DEI  so in closing I say DRIVE ON Jr. DRIVE ON  :rock: :rock: :rock: :rock: :rock:

[rchaze60]

     
 
 
 
 DARLINGTON, S.C. (AP) - Dale Earnhardt Jr. was the talk of the NASCAR garage area Thursday. And he wasn't even at Darlington Raceway.   
Earnhardt's plan to leave Dale Earnhardt Inc., the race team founded by his father, after this season fueled speculation and conversation among his fellow drivers during Busch Series practice.

"When a driver says he's going to leave, it's only natural to wonder where he's going to go," Jeff Burton said.

Or wonder if Earnhardt might soon become Burton's teammate at Richard Childress Racing. Many Dale Jr. fans would love nothing better than to see their hero settle in the home of the late "Intimidator".
 
"Obviously, if Richard decides to do a fourth team, if that's what Richard decides to do, Junior would be one of the drivers we'd talk to without a doubt," Burton said.

Burton and the rest of the Nextel Cup racers are sure to get an earful of questions about what's next for Earnhardt this weekend at Darlington.

"Dale Junior is a real popular driver. I wasn't really surprised that he left there," Matt Kenseth said. "Now is the time if you're going to try and better yourself and try and win a championship. I totally understand it."

Kenseth said many people in the Nextel Cup garage saw Earnhardt's departure coming. Now, they'll handle the questions from media, fans and each other until Dale Jr. decides what he'll do.

"The race fan in us all, we'll always watch the news to see what everybody's doing," Kenseth said.

It appears Earnhardt has unlimited options. He could follow in his father's racing shoes and land at RCR, perhaps even driving Dale Sr.'s famed No. 3 machine.

Earnhardt could start his own Nextel Cup team, taking sponsor Budweiser and his huge fan base with him.

Or the announcement could simply amount to negotiating gamesmanship, so DEI and stepmother Teresa Earnhardt might agree to Junior's wish to own 51 percent of his dad's company.

"If I were Teresa I'd be a little bit concerned," Bobby Hamilton Jr. said. "Dale Jr. is the biggest name in the sport."
 

[rchaze60]

 
 
 
 
 Dale Earnhardt Jr. and DEI will pay a steep price for failing inspection Saturday prior to the Dodge Avenger 500.

NASCAR laid down a sizeable punishment of 100 driver and owner points in the standings, $100,000 and a seven-week suspension for crew chief Tony Eury Jr. for having the wing on the back of the car mounted improperly on the No. 8 Budweiser Chevrolet during pre-race inspection at Darlington.

Eury's suspension is immediate, meaning he won't be available for Saturday's Nextel All-Star Challenge and the six races that follow. Eury has also been placed on probation until Dec. 31.

"We don't have a problem with the ruling because it's clearly stated in the rulebook," said DEI VP of competition Richie Gilmore. "But we have a problem with the severity of the penalty."

Gilmore said the team will appeal the penalty to NASCAR on Monday.

"They're going to set an example out of somebody," Eury said. "The eight car, people think we get away with more than anybody. I kind of expected it. I expected the worst. I just went into the record books. That's all I know. I'm the first to screw up on the COT."

After a little research, Eury said he discovered that the unapproved brackets were previously used during a wind-tunnel test and had not been replaced before the car came to the track. Eury said with the wing lowered to 18-degrees, the car's downforce was 20 counts less than had it been mounted to specifications.

"They did us a favor by putting on the other brackets," said Eury, who mailed the wind-tunnel report to Nextel Cup Series director John Darby. "But I understand I don't have the blue-printed bracket on the car. I made an honest mistake and accept whatever (NASCAR) decides.

"My boys will kick their (butts) one way or the other."

Earnhardt jumped into the top 12 with an eighth-place finish at Darlington, but the 100-point deduction slides him down to 14th in the standings. The top 12 at the end of 26 races qualify for the Chase.

This is the second time this season NASCAR has handed out penalties of 100 points and $100,000. Michael Waltrip Racing received the same punishment after failing inspection at Daytona in February, but that was accompanied by indefinite suspensions to crew chief David Hyder and VP of competition Bobby Kennedy.

In the classic tradition of covering your buddy's back, Earnhardt has offered to pay the fine for his cousin Eury if necessary.

"Yeah, but I might have to borrow his plane so I can go to Maui for two weeks," Eury chuckled.

 

[Realtree]

Dale Earnhardt Inc. (DEI) is working on finding a replacement to Dale Earnhardt Jr. for the #8 Nextel Cup car. "It's hard to say how far along we are," DEI executive board member John Story said Saturday prior to the Nextel All-Star Challenge. "We've had a lot of interest. We've obviously made a few phone calls ourselves. We've had a lot of unsolicited phone calls from some top athletes that are interested in it, but clearly I can't discuss any names. We don't have a template in mind for a driver other than we need a winner, we need another driver to complement our group, somebody that is capable of winning championships, winning races. Whether he's young or old is less important than making sure he's a top athlete that is a winner."

DEI would likely need to either extend its current deal with Budweiser (which said it is reviewing its options in light of Earnhardt Jr.'s departure) or find a new sponsor to lock in a top-tier driver. "There will be a sponsor of that car, that's no doubt," Story said. "We won't be able to get a top-name, championship-caliber driver without a solid commitment from a sponsor."

[Mayfly]

Realtree - Explain something to me.

I am not a race fan and no nothing about it. But....isn't DEI basically his as it was his Fathers? Why would he have to leave?

[Realtree]

Dales widow, Teresa Earnhardt, who is Dale Jr's step mother is the CEO of DEI. She has sole control of what goes on at DEI and Dale Jr has no say on anything right now...he is just a hired driver at this point.

Dale Sr, started DEI with Teresa, with the intentions that someday his children would race for and be a part of DEI's future. Teresa has not wanted to let go of that control and Dale Jr feels like the teams are too far behind some of the competition and not enough is being put back into the company to make it better, and so he has chosen to not renew his contract after this year to seek employment somewhere that he feels he can win more races and win championships.

Speculation around the sport has Dale Jr ending up at most likely Richard Childress Racing, which is who his father Dale Sr drove for. Other teams being mentioned as long shot possibilities are: (Rick) Hendrick Motorsports, who fields cars for Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Kyle Busch and Casey Mears....and Joe Gibbs Racing, who fields cars for Tony Stewart, Denny Hamlin, and JJ Yeley.

 

[Mayfly]

I think that is horrible. His step-mom sounds like a witch!

[Realtree]

When #8-Dale Earnhardt Jr. demanded 51 percent ownership of Dale Earnhardt Inc., it might have seemed logical that the son of the team founder would already own part of the company. So why doesn't he?

Because the will of his father, the seven-time Cup champion killed on the final lap of the 2001 Daytona 500, didn't give him an ownership stake in the team. Earnhardt's will, signed in December 1992, awards 100 percent of DEI to his widow, Teresa, Dale Jr.'s stepmother. The estate filings, which were probated in Iredell County, N.C., show that Teresa Earnhardt owns the race team.

[Realtree]

Tryson and Biffle could be reunited at DEI next year:

Crew Chief Pat Tryson doesn't know where he'll work next, but he hasn't ruled out a reunion with driver #16-Greg Biffle. Fired as Biffle's crew chief at Roush Fenway Racing this week, Tryson said on Thursday at Lowe's Motor Speedway that he's been contacted about a job from officials at Dale Earnhardt Inc. He also acknowledged that Biffle has had ongoing conversations with DEI even before Dale Earnhardt Jr. announced he was leaving the organization that his father built.

"I know if they want to keep Greg Biffle, [Roush] better get some stuff together,'' Tryson said during practice for Sunday's Coca-Cola 600. "I don't think Greg's shopping himself. I also don't believe he's going to rush to sign.''

Biffle's contract with Roush Fenway runs through 2008 and he's in the middle of negotiations on an extension. While he's said that an extension is his first choice, he wouldn't be the first person to get out of a Roush contract a year early. Kurt Busch left a year after the 2005 season to join Penske Racing.