DEI expands to 4 teams following merger with Ginn Racing

[Woody]

DEI expands to 4 teams following merger with Ginn Racing
 
By MIKE HARRIS, AP Auto Racing Writer

July 24, 2007

Dale Earnhardt Incorporated is absorbing Ginn Racing, making it a four-car team in time for this weekend's race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

The deal, set to be announced Wednesday morning, was confirmed to The Associated Press Tuesday night by a person familiar with the deal who requested anonymity because an official announcement had yet to be made.
 
DEI will immediately add the No. 01 Chevrolet, which is co-driven by Mark Martin and rookie Aric Almirola, and take the season points from Ginn's No. 14 team and apply it to DEI 's No. 15 entry of Paul Menard.

The No. 14 has been driven this season by Sterling Marlin, but the two-time Daytona 500 winner was released from the ride last week as team owner Bobby Ginn reorganized the operation he purchased last summer. Marlin was 29th in the points, which assured that car a spot in the field each week. Menard is 38th, outside of the top 35 that are locked in, and using the points from the No. 14 will now guarantee him a spot in the field.

Ginn will be listed as the owner of both the No. 01 and the No. 15, the source said.

The merger was first reported by ESPN.com.

Meanwhile, DEI will continue to run Dale Earnhardt Jr. in the No. 8 and Martin Truex Jr. in the No. 1, both owned by Teresa Earnhardt, Earnhardt's stepmother.

The future of rookie Regan Smith, slated to replace Marlin in the Cup ride, remained uncertain. Smith is still scheduled to drive for Ginn Racing in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck race Friday night at Indianapolis Raceway Park.

Ginn, who bought controlling interest in the MB2 Motorsports team last year and changed the name, made sweeping changes last week when he released Marlin and Joe Nemechek. He also shifted Smith, who had been sharing a ride with Martin, to Marlin's car, while saying he would suspend operations on Nemechek's No. 13.

The team also made a deal with Joe Gibbs Racing to hire 23-year-old Almirola, who was part of the Gibbs driver development program, to replace Smith as Martin's co-driver.

 

[Realtree]

Alot of people were quick to write off Dale Earnhardt Inc when Jr announced he was leaving the company...it looks like they are finallly committed to making the teams and the company as a whole stronger and better now. It's too bad that they did not get this serious about it before Jr's announcement but then again, I don't believe that really would have changed the final outcome of Jr leaving the team anyway-there is just too much water under the bridge betweeen Dale Jr and stepmother Theresa for things to ever be good with them I believe.

[Woody]

 ::dito

[Joe]

So who will drive the #8 next year?......"little shrub"???

[Realtree]

Dale Earnhardt Inc. and Ginn Racing Merger Announcement
by Brian VanDercook, Public Relations - July 25, 2007
 
 
Dale Earnhardt Inc., already one of the world's premier racing organizations, has become even stronger through a merger with Ginn Racing.

Effective immediately, the team will feature the Chevrolets of Paul Menard, Martin Truex Jr., Dale Earnhardt Jr., Mark Martin and Aric Almirola. Martin and Almirola will combine to drive the No. 01 Army Chevrolet for the remainder of the 2007 season as well as the entire 2008 season. Menard drives the Menards Chevrolet, Truex drives the Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet and Earnhardt handles driving duties of the Budweiser Chevrolet. All four entries are inside the coveted top 35 in Nextel Cup points heading into this weekend?s Brickyard 400.

Regan Smith, who was originally slated to drive the Ginn Clubs and Resorts Chevrolet in the Brickyard 400, will instead compete in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at Indianapolis Raceway Park Friday night in the Ginn Resorts Chevy Silverado. Specific schedules for Martin, Smith and Almirola will be announced later.

In addition to NASCAR Nextel Cup Series competition, the company will continue to field entries in the NASCAR Busch Series, the NASCAR Busch East Series and will analyze its future involvement in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series.

"This merger is great for both companies," said Max Siegel, president of global operations for DEI. "Our stated goals included an expansion to four cars as quickly as possible and, in order to do that, we had to acquire more shop space. This relationship with Bobby Ginn and his company allows us to accomplish both which makes this a perfect transaction."

The numerous teams of Dale Earnhardt Inc. will operate from both the original facility built by Dale and Teresa Earnhardt as well as the nearly 180,000-square-foot facility currently housing Ginn Racing's teams. The buildings are less than five miles apart in Mooresville, N.C.

"When I purchased Ginn Racing last year it was done with a goal of fielding a multi-car effort capable of winning races and championships," said Bobby Ginn. "We came very close to winning the season's biggest race earlier this year with Mark (Martin) and today we feel as if we have done one better by partnering with a company with the legacy of Dale Earnhardt Inc."

"Our performance has been strong, as evidenced by our top-10 position in owner's points with the 01 car, but we know that having the opportunity to be part of a four-car effort provides significant benefits."

Dale Earnhardt Inc.'s current management team will be responsible for all day-to-day activities and transition plans have already begun to develop.

John Story, vice president of motorsports operations for DEI will oversee the expansion of the company?s racing efforts.

"The combined resources of the companies are tremendous," Story said. "Ginn Racing just completed the installation of a seven-post rig. With our recently formed R&D team, as well as the combined efforts of two strong engineering programs, we will be able to stay on the cutting edge. Both companies have many talented people. All of our teams will undoubtedly become stronger."

In completing this merger, points on Ginn Racing's No. 13 car, which was 34th in NASCAR Nextel Cup owner's points, have been eliminated.

"NASCAR's cap of four teams per company meant we had to give something up," said Ginn. "We felt so strongly about this merger that we surrendered the intangible value of the 13 car. We all were completely comfortable that the benefits of working together far outweighed the value of points."

"There are three huge benefits to us - the real estate, Mark Martin and an ability to work with Bobby Ginn on strategic development projects that Teresa has been planning for years," Siegel said. "The value of additional square footage is easy to see, but the value that Mark will bring to our company is harder to measure and may be even more impactful. Mark has pledged his complete support to our young drivers and our entire company in an effort to make us all better. Given his stature in the sport, this type of benefit cannot be quantified."

"Teresa and Bobby have discussed some very high level strategies concerning her development objectives and who would be better to partner with than Bobby? This is a win-win relationship in its truest form."

[Realtree]

So who will drive the #8 next year?......"little shrub"???

At this point I am guessing it will be either Little Shrub or maybe they will bring up Regan Smith who has been sharing driving duties with Mark Martin this year. Of course Joe Nemechek and Sterling Marlin are looking for rides now too so maybe one of them could end up over there, but I think either of those would be a very LONG shot...