MOTORSPORTS NEWSEarnhardt Jr. Changes Horses
Dale Earnhardt Jr. qualifying at Talladega, April 2007.
(Photo: NASCAR)MOORESVILLE, NC (May 10, 2007) - Four-time NASCAR Most Popular Driver, Dale Earnhardt Jr., announced today at a news conference at JR Motorsports (JRM) that negotiations to extend his driving contract with Dale Earnhardt Inc. (DEI) have come to an amicable end. Earnhardt made the announcement with his sister, Kelley Earnhardt Elledge, JRM vice president and general manager. Negotiations reached an impasse when DEI would not agree to JRM acquiring a 51 percent ownership stake in DEI. "We've both worked extremely hard to find a common ground, but as the negotiations continued, one thing became evident: We both want to get to the same place, but we both simply have different visions on how to get there," Earnhardt said. Earnhardt will continue driving the No. 8 Budweiser Chevrolet through the remainder of the season, while his sister, Elledge, will begin exploring new opportunities for 2008. He said he'd look at his options in the coming months and hopefully announce a decision mid- to late summer. "But what I do want to say is that it's been a privilege to drive for DEI," he said. "It is important for me that DEI remain successful and to keep my father's legacy alive." After the statement, he welcomed a number of questions from the racing press: Q: Was there one specific thing that led to this decision? And about what time did the two of you decide that what was best for Dale Jr., was to move on? Earnhardt: "We'll keep the instances and circumstances throughout the contract and the negotiations private. I don't think it's really important to get into that. But I can honestly say that we weren't really close with what we both had in mind. When we first started our talks and negotiations, I was anticipating signing a new contract with DEI, and we worked pretty hard on it. I mean, we've done contracts with DEI before. But DEI will always be a special place for me and my family."Q. How much did your wanting to see what your father's vision was through to fruition drag negotiations on? Earnhardt: "I can say that this was probably 10 times the effort, and 10 times the work and discussions and the meetings and the back and forth was really, really hectic. Difficult, you know? It is time for me to continue my father's legacy the only way I know I can - by taking the life lessons that he taught me, be a man, race hard, and contend for championships." "On my part, I just have to get up here and be myself and do it like I would want to do it. I take advice from my sister and take advice from people close around me. But when it comes down to it, this is my decision, and mine to make. I'm going to miss the employees the most, some of the guys on my team that I may never get to work with again. I'm going to miss those relationships, and that's probably going to be the toughest part about it. But you know, again, I'm excited about looking over the horizon and seeing what's out there and seeing what great things and cool things that we can become involved in."Q. You said your dad would have approved of this move. What do you think he would have thought if he knew that the long-term future of DEI didn't include two of his children? Earnhardt: "Obviously, I feel like his vision, and he said it himself, was for me to have a huge role in the company itself. Throughout the negotiations, I felt like me and Kelley came to the understanding that that was not in the cards, you know what I'm saying? So it may be in the cards 20 years down the road. It may be something that happens. But from a driver's standpoint, and from where I feel I am as a driver and what I want to do and what I want to accomplish, this is a decision I made today." Q: How difficult is it to leave DEI?Earnhardt: "[Owner] Teresa [Earnhardt] and [Vice President of Global Operations] Max Seigel are taking the necessary steps to bring DEI back to one of the front-running NASCAR teams. However, I am 32 years old - the same age as my father when he made his final and most important career decision - and the time for me to compete on a consistent basis and contend for championships is now. It is time for me to continue my father's legacy the only way I know I can - by taking the life lessons that he taught me, be a man, race hard, and contend for championships. Since that is what I plan to do, I feel strongly that I would have my father's blessing." "It's important
for me to be able to seek advice from certain people that I
trust and
be able to keep that personal
and private."Q. You seem very at peace. When you addressed the employees at DEI, they said it was a quiet, sad moment. Can you talk about what's in your heart right now about addressing them?Earnhardt: "You know, it's hard to say what's been the hardest part to deal with in my life. We've had a lot of great things happen, but we've also dealt with some tragedies. I was very sad earlier today. It was really hard talk to go the employees, talking to my team; I don't expect those guys to understand fully. I told them whatever their opinions and emotions were is fair, however they react and whatnot. I told them that I wanted to run as hard as we could run the rest of the year. It was important to me that we ran as good as we could run. I think that we owe it to DEI to give our best effort each week. And I hope that they would feel the same way. I feel very comfortable with my decision. I just don't expect everyone at DEI to fully understand, you know, why we or how we came to this."Q. What was missing at DEI from a competition level that you thought perhaps you couldn't get to do the job you needed to get done, which is winning championships and races? Earnhardt: "It really comes down to not so much today, but where I feel like I need to be and where I feel like DEI, what DEI's direction is, and what their opinions on how they need to get successful. "There was a difference there personally in those opinions. You know what I'm saying? So it wasn't so much well, the motors ain't fast enough or the cars ain't good enough. That's not necessarily the case. They've improved the engine shop quite a bit. Our open motors at Atlanta and Charlotte tracks are as on par with anybody else. "I've got
to do a little
soul searching about how I would feel about driving a
No. 3 car." "But for me personally, I made this decision to put myself in a better position next year and down the road, you know. I want to contend for championships and win races. That's never been any different than any other year. But also I've got my family to consider, as far as my ability. My ability to - my mom's sitting here. I don't feel comfortable telling you all this in front of her. But there will be a day when I have to take care of her financially and whatnot, for her to be able to live and have the life she wants. "You know, there's - I've got to put myself in a position to take care of the things that are going to need to be taken care of when I'm at that age and whatnot. And I feel like this is a way to go, you know? I feel like this is what I need to do personally." Q. You have mentioned that you sought the advice of key individuals in the sport as you're going through this process. What were you searching for from them, and whom did you talk to? Earnhardt: "I don't really want to name names. For the most part, I've found a good group of people that I can really trust and that I feel can shoot me straight. It's important for me to be able to seek advice from certain people that I trust and be able to keep that personal and private. I feel like those relationships are gone if I start to discuss the advice of the people themselves. That's why I go to them, because it's private and it's trusted information. "I talked to a lot of people - just about everybody. But nobody, and I can tell you no one person has convinced or swayed my opinion as far as the decision I'm making today and whatever decision I make in the future."Q: What can you say in light of the fact you're going to be the most sought-after driver in the history of this sport? Earnhardt: "Yeah, that's kind of the deal, I'm sort of split down the middle. I drove for DEI my entire career. It's been successful and been a lot of fun. ... We've done a lot of great things, and I believe that company will continue to do good things and continue to surprise people. I'm going to miss a lot of the relationships within the shop itself and the individuals that work there. They have my full support, mentally and whatnot. "But the other half of me is really excited about what my opportunities might be and what lays out there, you know. I want to listen to everybody. I want to listen to what everybody's got to say because just like the advice that I seek from a driver and whatnot, it only helps you understand the situation. It only helps you understand - it helps you make that decision a whole lot easier once you know what everybody's opinion is about you personally, about you as a driver, about what you would be able to accomplish. About what they're willing to offer as far as, you know, support and resources and whatnot. So that's a whole other game." Q: Can you describe your sense of excitement looking forward to that? Earnhardt: "We worked really hard to come to an agreement with DEI, and that was what we focused on throughout the entire negotiations. Me and [Elledge] haven't had a moment to really sit down and talk about what our opportunities are. We will certainly start to seek those out and see where we feel we would be most comfortable. But I don't really - I've never been in this position before, so I don't know what to expect, and we'll just have to deal with each bridge as we cross it."Q. If I owned a team, what kind of offer would I have to make to turn your head? Earnhardt: "You know, if I can speak frankly, I think there's not one team out there that's going to lay a dollar figure in front of you that's any different than anybody else. They all probably can do about the same, so the money's not really the issue. "It's not the guy that gives me the biggest paycheck. It's the person that I feel like will allow me to accomplish what I want to accomplish throughout my career on the racetrack, in this shop itself, with my employees and our company. It has to be something that will complement my efforts here. Because I feel like we will be able to do something to complement their efforts with our drivers and our mechanics as they improve and move up the ladder, it will provide whoever my employer might be, with some talent at the Cup level. "It's more about, you know, there are some things that you can't get with money. You know, peace of mind and satisfaction in what do you every day and who you are and why you're doing it, and who you're doing it for. I'm seeking, you know, to have that peace of mind and that comfort to be able to really be an asset to somebody. So that's what - I want to go somewhere, and really make some things happen for somebody and have that appreciation go back and forth there." Q: What teams and sponsors are you considering driving for next season?Earnhardt: "What team I drive for next season, I don't know. We'll see what opportunities I have, we'll see who wants to hire me, who is interested for me to drive their race cars, and we'll decide from there. "We have a great relationship with Budweiser, and those things will definitely be discussed and dealt with in a timely fashion. I enjoy driving Chevrolets and my relationship with Chevrolet is very, very strong, and I feel like that is where I'd be best suited - to continue driving Chevrolets."Q. You've made it clear that you want to remain with Chevrolet, and you've made it even clearer that you want to win races and championships. Is there another scenario out there other than those top teams - namely, Gibbs, Hendricks and Richard Childress - that you look around and say wow, that's an appealing option? Earnhardt: "I like Chevrolets. I love driving them. They're an icon in the sport. And that's where I feel like my heart is, so we're going to try to work in that direction. We're going to listen to everybody. I'm going to want to hear what everybody has to say. That will help me form my opinion about each certain opportunity. "I think you have to take the time to understand every aspect of each one opportunity to be able to make that decision correctly. I'm not going to sit here today and narrow it down before I even have a chance to understand what all is out there. I feel like I want to give myself the best chance where I can be most comfortable and feel like I can be as successful as I possibly can."Q. Is forming your own Cup team one of the options you're considering, and do you have a timetable for wanting to get something done? Earnhardt: "Kelley knows a lot about the timetable, that's sort of what she's been concerning with. ... I can't sit here right now and honestly tell you that one thing's out in front of another on what things we might want to do in the future. We're just going to look at everything clearly and see what we feel would be best for us. We obviously want to be doing things that would complement JR Motorsports. Complement my efforts here with the Busch teams and the Hooters Pro Cup teams and the Late Model teams. We want to give our employees here the best opportunity to be successful. I would hope that whatever I may decide to do would complement those ideals. "Also, there's not a lot of parity right now. If one team or one car make is dominating, NASCAR doesn't let that happen for a very long time. Things will continue to change and evolve. The success seems to cycle throughout the sport. I'm going to look at everybody from a competition standpoint, I mean, that's important if I want to win races. But I want to be comfortable with the teammates I would have. I want to feel welcome by the employees at that place, wherever it may be. And, like I said, I need to find a way for it to complement this building itself, and the people here."Q. What number - your No. 8 or your dad's No. 3 - would you like to have on the side of your car wherever you drive next year? Earnhardt: "Whatever decision we make we'll be really happy and excited about. It would be awesome to continue driving the No. 8, but those numbers are obviously owned by the car owners and that is probably something that Teresa would prefer to have stay at DEI. I'm assuming that's probably what will be the case. "But I don't know whether - I've got to do a little soul searching about how I would feel about driving a No. 3 car. With respect to my father, I don't feel very comfortable with that. He made that number what it is. With respect to him, I believe that it belongs to him, you know what I mean? I never say never, and I've told you guys before that I was interested in doing that but later in my career, and I still feel like that."(Sources: JR Motorsports, NASCAR)
(Photo: NASCAR)MOORESVILLE, NC (May 10, 2007) - Four-time NASCAR Most Popular Driver, Dale Earnhardt Jr., announced today at a news conference at JR Motorsports (JRM) that negotiations to extend his driving contract with Dale Earnhardt Inc. (DEI) have come to an amicable end. Earnhardt made the announcement with his sister, Kelley Earnhardt Elledge, JRM vice president and general manager. Negotiations reached an impasse when DEI would not agree to JRM acquiring a 51 percent ownership stake in DEI. "We've both worked extremely hard to find a common ground, but as the negotiations continued, one thing became evident: We both want to get to the same place, but we both simply have different visions on how to get there," Earnhardt said. Earnhardt will continue driving the No. 8 Budweiser Chevrolet through the remainder of the season, while his sister, Elledge, will begin exploring new opportunities for 2008. He said he'd look at his options in the coming months and hopefully announce a decision mid- to late summer. "But what I do want to say is that it's been a privilege to drive for DEI," he said. "It is important for me that DEI remain successful and to keep my father's legacy alive." After the statement, he welcomed a number of questions from the racing press: Q: Was there one specific thing that led to this decision? And about what time did the two of you decide that what was best for Dale Jr., was to move on? Earnhardt: "We'll keep the instances and circumstances throughout the contract and the negotiations private. I don't think it's really important to get into that. But I can honestly say that we weren't really close with what we both had in mind. When we first started our talks and negotiations, I was anticipating signing a new contract with DEI, and we worked pretty hard on it. I mean, we've done contracts with DEI before. But DEI will always be a special place for me and my family."Q. How much did your wanting to see what your father's vision was through to fruition drag negotiations on? Earnhardt: "I can say that this was probably 10 times the effort, and 10 times the work and discussions and the meetings and the back and forth was really, really hectic. Difficult, you know? It is time for me to continue my father's legacy the only way I know I can - by taking the life lessons that he taught me, be a man, race hard, and contend for championships." "On my part, I just have to get up here and be myself and do it like I would want to do it. I take advice from my sister and take advice from people close around me. But when it comes down to it, this is my decision, and mine to make. I'm going to miss the employees the most, some of the guys on my team that I may never get to work with again. I'm going to miss those relationships, and that's probably going to be the toughest part about it. But you know, again, I'm excited about looking over the horizon and seeing what's out there and seeing what great things and cool things that we can become involved in."Q. You said your dad would have approved of this move. What do you think he would have thought if he knew that the long-term future of DEI didn't include two of his children? Earnhardt: "Obviously, I feel like his vision, and he said it himself, was for me to have a huge role in the company itself. Throughout the negotiations, I felt like me and Kelley came to the understanding that that was not in the cards, you know what I'm saying? So it may be in the cards 20 years down the road. It may be something that happens. But from a driver's standpoint, and from where I feel I am as a driver and what I want to do and what I want to accomplish, this is a decision I made today." Q: How difficult is it to leave DEI?Earnhardt: "[Owner] Teresa [Earnhardt] and [Vice President of Global Operations] Max Seigel are taking the necessary steps to bring DEI back to one of the front-running NASCAR teams. However, I am 32 years old - the same age as my father when he made his final and most important career decision - and the time for me to compete on a consistent basis and contend for championships is now. It is time for me to continue my father's legacy the only way I know I can - by taking the life lessons that he taught me, be a man, race hard, and contend for championships. Since that is what I plan to do, I feel strongly that I would have my father's blessing." "It's important
for me to be able to seek advice from certain people that I
trust and
be able to keep that personal
and private."Q. You seem very at peace. When you addressed the employees at DEI, they said it was a quiet, sad moment. Can you talk about what's in your heart right now about addressing them?Earnhardt: "You know, it's hard to say what's been the hardest part to deal with in my life. We've had a lot of great things happen, but we've also dealt with some tragedies. I was very sad earlier today. It was really hard talk to go the employees, talking to my team; I don't expect those guys to understand fully. I told them whatever their opinions and emotions were is fair, however they react and whatnot. I told them that I wanted to run as hard as we could run the rest of the year. It was important to me that we ran as good as we could run. I think that we owe it to DEI to give our best effort each week. And I hope that they would feel the same way. I feel very comfortable with my decision. I just don't expect everyone at DEI to fully understand, you know, why we or how we came to this."Q. What was missing at DEI from a competition level that you thought perhaps you couldn't get to do the job you needed to get done, which is winning championships and races? Earnhardt: "It really comes down to not so much today, but where I feel like I need to be and where I feel like DEI, what DEI's direction is, and what their opinions on how they need to get successful. "There was a difference there personally in those opinions. You know what I'm saying? So it wasn't so much well, the motors ain't fast enough or the cars ain't good enough. That's not necessarily the case. They've improved the engine shop quite a bit. Our open motors at Atlanta and Charlotte tracks are as on par with anybody else. "I've got
to do a little
soul searching about how I would feel about driving a
No. 3 car." "But for me personally, I made this decision to put myself in a better position next year and down the road, you know. I want to contend for championships and win races. That's never been any different than any other year. But also I've got my family to consider, as far as my ability. My ability to - my mom's sitting here. I don't feel comfortable telling you all this in front of her. But there will be a day when I have to take care of her financially and whatnot, for her to be able to live and have the life she wants. "You know, there's - I've got to put myself in a position to take care of the things that are going to need to be taken care of when I'm at that age and whatnot. And I feel like this is a way to go, you know? I feel like this is what I need to do personally." Q. You have mentioned that you sought the advice of key individuals in the sport as you're going through this process. What were you searching for from them, and whom did you talk to? Earnhardt: "I don't really want to name names. For the most part, I've found a good group of people that I can really trust and that I feel can shoot me straight. It's important for me to be able to seek advice from certain people that I trust and be able to keep that personal and private. I feel like those relationships are gone if I start to discuss the advice of the people themselves. That's why I go to them, because it's private and it's trusted information. "I talked to a lot of people - just about everybody. But nobody, and I can tell you no one person has convinced or swayed my opinion as far as the decision I'm making today and whatever decision I make in the future."Q: What can you say in light of the fact you're going to be the most sought-after driver in the history of this sport? Earnhardt: "Yeah, that's kind of the deal, I'm sort of split down the middle. I drove for DEI my entire career. It's been successful and been a lot of fun. ... We've done a lot of great things, and I believe that company will continue to do good things and continue to surprise people. I'm going to miss a lot of the relationships within the shop itself and the individuals that work there. They have my full support, mentally and whatnot. "But the other half of me is really excited about what my opportunities might be and what lays out there, you know. I want to listen to everybody. I want to listen to what everybody's got to say because just like the advice that I seek from a driver and whatnot, it only helps you understand the situation. It only helps you understand - it helps you make that decision a whole lot easier once you know what everybody's opinion is about you personally, about you as a driver, about what you would be able to accomplish. About what they're willing to offer as far as, you know, support and resources and whatnot. So that's a whole other game." Q: Can you describe your sense of excitement looking forward to that? Earnhardt: "We worked really hard to come to an agreement with DEI, and that was what we focused on throughout the entire negotiations. Me and [Elledge] haven't had a moment to really sit down and talk about what our opportunities are. We will certainly start to seek those out and see where we feel we would be most comfortable. But I don't really - I've never been in this position before, so I don't know what to expect, and we'll just have to deal with each bridge as we cross it."Q. If I owned a team, what kind of offer would I have to make to turn your head? Earnhardt: "You know, if I can speak frankly, I think there's not one team out there that's going to lay a dollar figure in front of you that's any different than anybody else. They all probably can do about the same, so the money's not really the issue. "It's not the guy that gives me the biggest paycheck. It's the person that I feel like will allow me to accomplish what I want to accomplish throughout my career on the racetrack, in this shop itself, with my employees and our company. It has to be something that will complement my efforts here. Because I feel like we will be able to do something to complement their efforts with our drivers and our mechanics as they improve and move up the ladder, it will provide whoever my employer might be, with some talent at the Cup level. "It's more about, you know, there are some things that you can't get with money. You know, peace of mind and satisfaction in what do you every day and who you are and why you're doing it, and who you're doing it for. I'm seeking, you know, to have that peace of mind and that comfort to be able to really be an asset to somebody. So that's what - I want to go somewhere, and really make some things happen for somebody and have that appreciation go back and forth there." Q: What teams and sponsors are you considering driving for next season?Earnhardt: "What team I drive for next season, I don't know. We'll see what opportunities I have, we'll see who wants to hire me, who is interested for me to drive their race cars, and we'll decide from there. "We have a great relationship with Budweiser, and those things will definitely be discussed and dealt with in a timely fashion. I enjoy driving Chevrolets and my relationship with Chevrolet is very, very strong, and I feel like that is where I'd be best suited - to continue driving Chevrolets."Q. You've made it clear that you want to remain with Chevrolet, and you've made it even clearer that you want to win races and championships. Is there another scenario out there other than those top teams - namely, Gibbs, Hendricks and Richard Childress - that you look around and say wow, that's an appealing option? Earnhardt: "I like Chevrolets. I love driving them. They're an icon in the sport. And that's where I feel like my heart is, so we're going to try to work in that direction. We're going to listen to everybody. I'm going to want to hear what everybody has to say. That will help me form my opinion about each certain opportunity. "I think you have to take the time to understand every aspect of each one opportunity to be able to make that decision correctly. I'm not going to sit here today and narrow it down before I even have a chance to understand what all is out there. I feel like I want to give myself the best chance where I can be most comfortable and feel like I can be as successful as I possibly can."Q. Is forming your own Cup team one of the options you're considering, and do you have a timetable for wanting to get something done? Earnhardt: "Kelley knows a lot about the timetable, that's sort of what she's been concerning with. ... I can't sit here right now and honestly tell you that one thing's out in front of another on what things we might want to do in the future. We're just going to look at everything clearly and see what we feel would be best for us. We obviously want to be doing things that would complement JR Motorsports. Complement my efforts here with the Busch teams and the Hooters Pro Cup teams and the Late Model teams. We want to give our employees here the best opportunity to be successful. I would hope that whatever I may decide to do would complement those ideals. "Also, there's not a lot of parity right now. If one team or one car make is dominating, NASCAR doesn't let that happen for a very long time. Things will continue to change and evolve. The success seems to cycle throughout the sport. I'm going to look at everybody from a competition standpoint, I mean, that's important if I want to win races. But I want to be comfortable with the teammates I would have. I want to feel welcome by the employees at that place, wherever it may be. And, like I said, I need to find a way for it to complement this building itself, and the people here."Q. What number - your No. 8 or your dad's No. 3 - would you like to have on the side of your car wherever you drive next year? Earnhardt: "Whatever decision we make we'll be really happy and excited about. It would be awesome to continue driving the No. 8, but those numbers are obviously owned by the car owners and that is probably something that Teresa would prefer to have stay at DEI. I'm assuming that's probably what will be the case. "But I don't know whether - I've got to do a little soul searching about how I would feel about driving a No. 3 car. With respect to my father, I don't feel very comfortable with that. He made that number what it is. With respect to him, I believe that it belongs to him, you know what I mean? I never say never, and I've told you guys before that I was interested in doing that but later in my career, and I still feel like that."(Sources: JR Motorsports, NASCAR)
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