Earnhart leaving DEi, it's OVER DONE DEAL!

[The Big Al]

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=yspsctnhdln>Earnhardt Jr. leaving DEI
</TD></TR><TR><TD height=7><SPACER width="1" height="1" type="block"></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><STYLE type=text/css> td.yspwidearticlebody { font-size: 13.5px; }</STYLE><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=yspwidearticlebody>By Jerry Bonkowski (http://sports.yahoo.com/nascar/expertsarchive;_ylt=AqC3wwAD8P6bEy_pc1P4Q6RE4cIF?author=Jerry+Bonkowski), Yahoo! Sports
May 9, 2007
<TABLE id=ysparticleheadshot cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=1 align=left border=0 hspace="5" vspace="5"><TBODY><TR><TD class=ysptblbdr2><TABLE class=yspwhitebg cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=3 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD><TABLE class=yspwhitebg cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=2 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD>http://us.i1.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/i/us/sp/cn/headshots/jerry_bonkowski_2.gif (http://sports.yahoo.com/nascar/expertsarchive;_ylt=AiaCBGg5WUWTNWFFXH58Zz1E4cIF?author=Jerry+Bonkowski)</TD></TR><TR><TD>http://us.i1.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/i/us/sp/p/yse_lo_70x24_2.gif (http://us.rd.yahoo.com/sports/yhoo/nascar/article/SIG=11daaeced;_ylt=AoSjxVa0O0AoybpU6KvwwpNE4cIF/*http%3A//sports.yahoo.com/top/expertscorner)</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>Dale Earnhardt Jr. (http://sports.yahoo.com/nascar/nextel/drivers/88/;_ylt=Al4DKOkJJRD7sRC0rQwWdylE4cIF) 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. (http://sports.yahoo.com/nascar/nextel/drivers/380/;_ylt=AitgAV6.B_nSwGpTzH4A.J5E4cIF) 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 will be televised nationally, will take place at JR Motorsports headquarters in Mooresville, N.C., at 11 a.m. ET on Thursday.
<TABLE cellPadding=1 align=left border=0 hspace="10" vspace="5"><TBODY><TR><TD><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD align=middle>ADVERTISEMENT
<IFRAME marginWidth=0 marginHeight=0 src="http://ad.doubleclick.net/adi/N636.YahooNew/B2289500.10;sz=300x250;dcopt=rcl;click=http://us.ard.yahoo.com/SIG=12j9m88rm/M=591945.10604011.11259662.2904718/D=sports/S=96657732:LREC/_ylt=AiR88TPawgaAOUfbJZGoOmxE4cIF/Y=YAHOO/EXP=1178765406/A=4560342/R=0/*;ord=1178758206645839?" frameBorder=0 width=300 scrolling=no height=250 BORDERCOLOR="#000000"><SCRIPT language='JavaScript1.1' SRC="http://ad.doubleclick.net/adj/N636.YahooNew/B2289500.10;abr=!ie;sz=300x250;dcopt=rcl;click=http://us.ard.yahoo.com/SIG=12j9m88rm/M=591945.10604011.11259662.2904718/D=sports/S=96657732:LREC/_ylt=AiR88TPawgaAOUfbJZGoOmxE4cIF/Y=YAHOO/EXP=1178765406/A=4560342/R=1/*;ord=1178758206645839?"></SCRIPT><NOSCRIPT>http://ad.doubleclick.net/ad/N636.YahooNew/B2289500.10;abr=!ie4;abr=!ie5;sz=300x250;ord=1178758206645839?</NOSCRIPT></IFRAME></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><SCRIPT language=javascript>if(window.yzq_d==null)window.yzq_d=new Object();window.yzq_d['5dZXM9j8a5Y-']='&U=13b4t8ll6%2fN%3d5dZXM9j8a5Y-%2fC%3d591945.10604011.11259662.2904718%2fD%3dLREC%2fB%3d4560342';</SCRIPT><NOSCRIPT></NOSCRIPT></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>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.
Truex's contract with DEI reportedly runs through 2008, though '08 might be only an option year on his deal with the team. It also is possible Truex has an out tied to primary sponsor Bass Pro Shops' future with the DEI. Sources have tol Yahoo! Sports that the sponsor has explored moving to a different team after this season.
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.
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[stevek]

Interesting, I had seen the news about RYR and wondered how a manufacturer would be picked. I couldn't imagine Jr driving a Ford. This report seems reasonable to believe. If true kudos and good luck to Jr and his family. If Teresa does a deal with RYR that would in effect nuder DEI. It would be unfortunate if she was that foolish to flush everything Dale worked for down a rat hole.

Hopefully Dale Jr will be there once it all falls apart to help pick up the pieces.

edit: now doesn't that throw a monkey wrench into racing the rest of the season ;) Feels like as the world turns.

[Fish]

So when she goes into work next month, who is gonna be there to boss around and pretend she has a clue to?:rolleyes:


http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y174/makulaf/wicked_witch1.jpg

[1BadAction]

dei going ford? f'n BLASPHEMY!

[stevek]

dei going ford? f'n BLASPHEMY!

Yep. What can you say about a clue free bitch.

[The Big Al]

Dale Jr. expected to announce split from DEI 9:33 PM


NASCAR's most-popular driver envisions free agency in 2008 season

09:33 PM EDT on Wednesday, May 9, 2007


By DAVID POOLE and JIM UTTER / The Charlotte Observer

Dale Earnhardt Jr. is expected to announce Thursday that he will not drive next season for the NASCAR team founded by his late father, Dale Earnhardt.
Earnhardt Jr. has scheduled an 11 a.m. news conference at JR Motorsports. Earnhardt Jr. owns that Mooresville-based team, which fields a car in the NASCAR Busch Series. He currently drives the No. 8 Chevrolets for Dale Earnhardt Inc. in the Nextel Cup Series, but this is the final year of his contract with that team.
Sources told The Charlotte Observer that the sport’s most popular driver will not announce Thursday where he will drive in 2008. The same sources also said reports that Earnhardt Jr. will announce that he and Martin Truex Jr. will move from DEI into Nextel Cup cars at JR Motorsports and use engines and chassis from Hendrick Motorsports are inaccurate.
Instead, as of today Earnhardt Jr. would effectively become a racing free agent, able to sign with whatever team he believes offers him the best chance to win races and contend for championships.
Earnhardt Jr. has won 17 Nextel Cup races in 265 career races, but has never finished higher than third in the championship standings.
He is in the final year of his contract with Dale Earnhardt Inc., which has been run by his stepmother, Teresa Earnhardt, since Dale Sr. was killed in a crash in the 2001 Daytona 500.
Speculation about his future began shortly after Teresa Earnhardt was quoted in a Wall Street Journal article on Dec. 14 as saying her stepson needed to decide whether he wanted to be a race car driver or a celebrity.
Three weeks later, as preseason NASCAR testing began in Daytona, Earnhardt Jr. said that his relationship with his stepmother “ain’t a bed of roses.” Then, at Daytona 500 media day in February, Earnhardt Jr. said he wanted a majority ownership stake in DEI as part of a new contract to continue racing there.
Teresa Earnhardt has declined virtually every interview request since taking over leadership of DEI following her husband’s death. She briefly addressed the Earnhardt Jr. issue in an short interview with the Observer in Los Angeles while she was promoting the release of the “Dale” documentary about Earnhardt’s life and career.
“We’re just a typical family with normal relations,” she said. “We’re moving ahead and we’re fine.” Family ties run deep in this story. Kelley Elledge, who is Earnhardt Jr.’s older sister, is president of JR Motorsports and has been negotiating on her brother’s behalf in the talks with DEI. Max Siegel, hired late last year as president of global operations for DEI, has been leading that side of the talks. Siegel could not be reached for comment Wednesday.
Officials with DEI and Robert Yates Racing have confirmed talks about a possible partnership or merger between their teams. DEI currently runs Chevrolets and the Yates team uses Fords. Earnhardt Jr., however, has not been a party to any such discussions.

[Fish]

I heard his step monster (DEI) owns the 8 number so he will have to get another. Not sure exactly what that means, but it would be weird to see him in a different #... unless whe could get 3

[chris_lacey]

Wouldn't that be great? The greatest money making tool in NASCAR history: Jr moves to RCR and drives the 3.


Ticket and T-shirt sale through the roof! Can you imagine the crowd the first time Jr., in the 3, takes the lead?? Not a person in their seat!!!

[1BadAction]

Wouldn't that be great? The greatest money making tool in NASCAR history: Jr moves to RCR and drives the 3.


Ticket and T-shirt sale through the roof! Can you imagine the crowd the first time Jr., in the 3, takes the lead?? Not a person in their seat!!!

Jr isnt that hungry. maybe this episode will wake his ass up to how lucky he really is...

[skydog]

Ha Ha By By Jr!!! Ha Ha Go 24!!! :) :) :)

[stevek]

Jr isnt that hungry. maybe this episode will wake his ass up to how lucky he really is...

I imagine Jr could hang up racing if he wanted to and lead a very comfortable life and still have JrM to grow to keep from getting bored. I wouldn't be surprised to see him at RCR next year. However I think that would be something the other drivers would have to be able to deal with in order to make it happen.

[Airboater]

Maybe Mikey Waltrip can fill his shoes :D

[Ted Stryker]

I couldn't give a peanut butter schitt about NASCAR, but I know enough to wanna see Teresa get the short end of the stick...

[ShorePounder]

All you "new era" NASCAR fans forget that the punk's daddy drove Fords in the early part of his career.

Anyone here pay attention to Stock Car racing when it was real and a young feller by the name of Dale Earnhardt drove the #15 Wrangler Jeans FORD THUNDERBIRD?

I miss racing. I'm disappointed in NASCAR.

[CDave]

I hear that Kerry Earnhardt's kid is gonna take Jr. place and is suppose to be a very talented up and coming driver.

No one wants to drive a Ford or Dodge right now. Nascar let the Chebbies use a new engine and, as usual, is letting them dominate.

[skydog]

Chevy!!! Man can they hold up to some heat if built right! :)

[Fish]

Just as the soap opera was reaching its creschendo... Dale Jr., DEI, and crew chief busted for cheating...

http://sports.espn.go.com/rpm/columns/story?seriesId=2&columnist=blount_terry&id=2871617



The unapproved brackets could have changed the angle of the wing, which also could add downforce to the car. The violation was found in a pre-race inspection.



....Those are the messages from the NASCAR penalty police Tuesday after dropping a whopping 100-point and $100,000 fine on Earnhardt, Dale Earnhardt Inc. and the No. 8 Chevy team.


Crew chief Tony Eury Jr. also has an unintended vacation from Nextel Cup races until the Pepsi 400 at Daytona on July 7, assuming he doesn't start serving his six-race suspension until the Coca-Cola 600 on May 27. Eury is off the pit box for one-sixth of the season...

[skydog]

:) :) :) :) :) Good Job Guys!!! :) :)