Here Today... Gone To Hell!

Earnhardt Jr. leaving DEI

(http://us.i1.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/i/ww/news/2007/05/09/jr-full.jpg)

By Jerry Bonkowski, Yahoo! Sports
May 9, 2007

Dale Earnhardt Jr. officially will say goodbye to Dale Earnhardt Inc. on Thursday morning, Yahoo! Sports has learned.

A highly placed source within DEI as well as additional sources familiar with the situation told Yahoo! Sports on Wednesday afternoon that both Junior and teammate Martin Truex Jr. will announce Thursday morning that they are leaving the DEI camp at the end of this season and will drive for Earnhardt's heretofore Busch Series operation, JR Motorsports.

Sirius Radio also reported late Wednesday afternoon that the Earnhardt/Truex split with DEI was a done deal and that the new Cup team entry will field Chevrolet chassis built by Hendrick Motorsports and will use Hendrick engines as well.

Sources tell Yahoo! Sports that Earnhardt Jr.'s primary sponsor, Budweiser, will follow Junior to JR Motorsports. Budweiser's contract with DEI is due to expire at the end of 2008, but Yahoo! Sports sources believe there are provisions within the contract for an early exit if Earnhardt Jr. does not drive the No. 8 Chevrolet for DEI.

The press conference, which is expected to be televised nationally, will take place at JR Motorsports headquarters in Mooresville, N.C., at 11 a.m. ET on Thursday.

There has been no comment thus far from either DEI president Teresa Earnhardt (Dale Jr.'s stepmother) or company director of global operations Max Siegel.

Earnhardt and sister Kelley Earnhardt Elledge have been in often contentious negotiations with Teresa Earnhardt that have sparked considerable posturing from both sides in the media.

Both siblings have said that if a deal with DEI was not in place by the end of May, they would consider a variety of options, including Junior leaving DEI. Just last week, DEI confirmed that it was talking with Robert Yates Racing about a possible merger and also a switch from Chevrolet power plants and chassis to Ford engines and chassis.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. began his racing career with DEI in 1996, shortly after the organization was formed by his late father, seven-time Cup champion Dale Earnhardt, and Teresa Earnhardt.

Earnhardt Jr. won back-to-back Busch Series championships in 1998 and 1999 before moving full-time to the then-Winston Cup Series in 2000. His first career Cup win was at Texas, with a memorable celebration between father and son in victory lane.

Voted the most popular driver in NASCAR by fans the last four years, Earnhardt Jr. has 17 career Cup wins but has yet to win his first Cup championship. He has gone 36 consecutive races without a win, his last being at Richmond in May 2006.

http://sports.yahoo.com/nascar/news?slug=jb-juniorleaves050907&prov=yhoo&type=lgns

no suprise there... especially after he drove kyle buschs car...

DEI should fold in a season or two. He was DEI.

I wish he'd go to Richard Childress and get in his dad's #3.

I'm glad he's leaving.  Maybe now he can get in some quality equipment and win a bunch of races and championships.

In seven years, he's only won 17 races.  That is clearly not indicative of his talent as a racecar driver.

Look at the span where DEI had the best Restrictor Plate program in NASCAR... He was a lock for top 3 everytime he hit Daytona and Talledega.
If you can get him in a good ride than he will set records.

Yeah, that's all they had, and then they let Hendrick catch them and pass them.  Junior has been SHIT on the plate tracks for years now.  And that was more of a collaboration with Richard Childress and Andy Petree.

Not much of a surprise, but the leading teams in the Dale Jr. free agency race are Rick Hendrick, Joe Gibbs and Richard Childress. Negotitations are set to begin in a few weeks according to Dale Jr.

http://sports.yahoo.com/nascar/news;_ylt=AgKfOVyNnKtVcl2ib8F_z_vov7YF?slug=ap-nascar-earnhardt&prov=ap&type=lgns

That's what I'm saying... his team was shit. If you put him in a Hendrick, Gibbs, or RCR car he will be his dad all over again.

I believe this is the biggest and closest possiblity ever for Dale Jr. to drive the #3 Goodwrench Chevrolet. :)

Or would it be the #3 Budweiser Chevrolet?  ;)

Bud is following him where ever he goes.

Not sure if he'd want to take on his fathers legacy so soon. On ESPN they were saying how he commented and said he wasn't quite worthy yet, but would in the future drive #3. I see him going to Hendrick or starting a new team w/ Hendrick's help.

I remember in 2001, there was talk of a split sponsorship between Bud and Goodwrench.

He probably won't drive the #3 until later in his career.  Junior is a very humble guy.  I DO believe Childress owns the #33, so anything can happen really.

I just hope he doesn't run for his own team.  That would be disastrous.

See: Robby Gordon and Michael Waltrip.

Hey Garry, you mention that Childress possibly owns the #33 car. I guess this means that DEI owns the #8 car, right?  :(

Makes me wonder what number he'll choose next season.  :-\

They own the #3, #29, #31, and #07

If he goes to RCR he will be in the #3, it is the only open number.... and you can only have 4 cars. Plus Junior has the Bud sponsorship not DEI. Bud follows him, he will be in a #3 Bud car if he goes to RCR...

Childress has the 33.  Skinner and Kerry Earnhardt have used it in the past.

I bet Teresa will hang on to the 8.  Unless Budweiser/Childress/Earnhardt Jr. offer A LOT of dough for it.

I like Dale Jr. having the #8 car and hope somehow he can keep it but I would bet it won't happen unfortunately.

But I could easily forget about the #8 car if he was to drive the #3 car. ;)

UPDATE: FOX8 News has confirmed Junior is negotiating late Thursday night with Richard Childress to join Richard Childress Racing. An announcement could come as early as Friday. Childress has scheduled a news conference Friday at Darlington Raceway, the site of Saturday's Nextel Nextel Cup race. Sports Director Rich Brenner has also confirmed the talks between Junior and Childress include plans for Earnhardt driving the #33 Chevrolet for RCR. Budweiser, the primary sponsor for Junior's #8 car with DEI, will follow him to his new race team. (FOX8 News)(5-11-2007)

Last guy I remember driving the #33 was Harry Gant in the Skoal car.

Nemechek ran the 33 when he was driving for Andy Petree. 

Gawsh, that Jeff Gordon is on FIRE.  And yes, you CAN be an Earnhardt fan and like Jeff Gordon.

Junior was struck down with a hundred point penalty, and crew chief Tony Eury Jr. has been suspended for six races.

Hendrick-OUT
Gibbs-OUT

The only logical choice is Childress, but he hasn't even spoken to Junior about it.

I think he may get stuck with his last option... JR Motorsports as a satelite program of Hendrick (Running all his cars and motors)

Update:

Dale Earnhardt Jr. headed to Hendrick Motorsports

June 12, 2007

By PA SportsTicker

Dale Earnhardt Jr. apparently will join forces with NASCAR's most successful team.

Earnhardt is set to announce his intention to join Hendrick Motorsports in 2008, PA SportsTicker learned Tuesday from an anonymous source with knowledge of the negotiations.

NASCAR's most popular driver, Earnhardt has scheduled a news conference for Wednesday at 11 a.m. EDT, when he will officially announce his intentions for next season.

Speaking on the condition of anonymity, the source said that Earnhardt will drive the Hendrick Motorsports No. 25 Chevrolet, which is currently piloted by Casey Mears. Consequently, Mears will replace Kyle Busch as the driver of the No. 5 Chevrolet.

Busch is under contract with Hendrick through the end of the 2008 season, but the source said that the 22-year-old will not be with the team next year.

Jeff Dickerson, Busch's attorney, told ESPN.com that he is uncertain about the young driver's future but declined to comment further on the situation.

"Out of respect for Hendrick Motorsports, we're not really sure what's going on yet," Dickerson told the web site. "But we're trying. I don't think anything's changed yet. I cannot tell you that Kyle is out of the No. 5 for 2008."

Earnhardt's highly anticipated announcement Wednesday will come just 34 days after the racing icon cut ties with Dale Earnhardt Inc., the team founded by his late, great father and run by his stepmother, Teresa Earnhardt.

Now he is headed to Hendrick Motorsports, which has completely dominated the Nextel Cup Series this season and already boasts a loaded team which features four-time series champion Jeff Gordon and reigning champion Jimmie Johnson.

Gordon captured his fourth victory of the season Sunday at Pocono Raceway and increased his overwhelming cushion in the series standings to 242 points. Johnson also has four checkered flags this season and is fourth in the standings, 305 points behind Gordon.

Busch has struggled of late but still is 10th in the standings. He captured his only victory of the season at Bristol in March and has seven top-10 finishes this season.

Gordon, Johnson, Busch and Mears - who won the Coca-Cola 600 - have combined to win 10 of the first 14 races on the circuit this season, easily making Hendrick Motorsports the most dominant team in the series.

But the addition of Earnhardt would bring Hendrick Motorsports unparalleled success off the track - if not on it.

Although his popularity dwarfs his achievements, Earnhardt has widespread appeal reaching far beyond NASCAR's die-hard fans. Merchandise bearing his name, likeness and familiar No. 8 accounted for nearly 25 percent of all NASCAR driver-licensed products.

But Earnhardt currently is mired in a winless drought and has not visited Victory Lane since winning at Richmond in May 2006, a span of 40 consecutive races without a checkered flag. He is 14th in the standings and has only one top-five finish this season.

Earnhardt enjoyed his best season in 2003, when he registered 13 top-five finishes en route to placing third in the series standings. He recorded a career-high six victories the following campaign.

http://sports.yahoo.com/nascar/news;_ylt=AtxITVf6qksjroSNQR8My_Xov7YF?slug=txearnhardt&prov=st&type=lgns

This is huge news.  Now we'll really be able to measure Junior's true talent.

Mears saved himself by winning at Lowe's. 

As a fan of almost everyone who has passed through HMS, this is great news. Junior, Gordon, and Johnson, along with Mears?

What a dream team. Now I can root for J-cubed

They just might win every race on the schedule next year.  :hihi:

Do you guys think Budweiser will join Junior on the 5 team?  Kellogg's has been with Hendrick for a really long time, so I don't see that partnership ending anytime soon....

In a way, I kind of hope Dale Jr. and Rick Hendrick can talk Teresa into letting them have the #8. BUT....and that is a big but, I have a feeling that one day Dale Jr. could possibly return to DEI and I would want him to be able to drive the #8 car or the #3 car(pending RCR).

Regarding Budweiser, I believe they will go with Dale Jr. if Hendrick Motorsports will allow them to.

Sponsors follow drivers normally if I'm not mistaken. So unless Hendrick doesn't want Bud on the car, he'll probably be driving the #5 Budweiser car.

Well, Budweiser sponsored the #25 car for the longest time, until they left to go sponsor Junior, so it's not like Hendrick is against alcohol sponsors.