Rumors of Dale Earnhardt Jr. opting out of Dale Earnhardt Inc. (DEI), a race team his father built, the seven-time motorsports champion Dale Earnhardt Sr., turned out to be more than a bum steer. Holding a press conference Thursday at the JR Motorsports race shop, Junior announced what came out of the failed negotiations on a new contract with DEI.
�We never got close, never got in the same ballpark,� Junior said. He has raced under DEI for his entire career, and won two Busch Series crowns and 17 Nextel Cup races. Wall Street Journal reported on December of last year the cracks on the DEI-Junior relationship, with team owner and Earnhardt's stepmom Teresa hurling critical comments on her son, and Junior demanding controlling interest of DEI.
Cornering 30 percent of the NASCAR merchandise sales, Junior has just become the most lucrative free agent in the motorsport industry. �I bet there�s a lot of car owners licking their chops right now,� the New York Times quoted three-time Nextel Cup champion and broadcaster Darrell Waltrip. Junior's decision to leave DEI put drivers Martin Truex Jr. and Paul Menard at the helm of the team. Reports said negotiations between DEI and Robert Yates Racing to create a four-car team were underway.
As for Junior, he said he would give an audience to willing race teams as long as it is a Chevrolet team. There are three teams affiliated with Chevrolet that are at the top of the motorsports: Hendrick Motorsports, Joe Gibbs Racing and Richard Childress Racing. His father, Dale Sr., won six of his seven championships driving for the Richard Childress Racing. Junior was quick to snuff speculations he would be driving the No. 3 race car that his father made famous.
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