TMS changes billboards to soothe Earnhardts

FORT WORTH, Texas – Reason No. 1 for Texas Motor Speedway to replace billboards: unhappy Earnhardts.

Four identical billboards referring to the strained relationship between Dale Earnhardt Jr. and his stepmother, Teresa, will be replaced within the next two weeks. The flap is over ads featuring a picture of the driver and the wording “Reason No. 88: Step-Mom.”

TMS president Eddie Gossage said Thursday night that the billboards, part of a series of similar ads to promote the NASCAR Sprint Cup weekend at the track in April, will be changed after a request from Kelley Earnhardt Elledge, the driver’s sister and business manager.

“The first thing I told her when I answered the phone was if you guys are uncomfortable with it, all you have to do is say the word,” Gossage said. “We had a very pleasant talk.”

No. 88 is a reference to Earnhardt’s new car number with Hendrick Motorsports, the team he went to after last season when he decided to leave Dale Earnhardt Inc., his late father’s company that is run by Teresa Earnhardt. He left DEI after months of contentious negotiations with his stepmother.

Earnhardt will still be displayed on the billboards, but the wording will change to “Reason No. 88: New Car Smell.”

There are billboards with catchy slogans featuring the car numbers of three other drivers. One features a wide-eyed, grinning Tony Stewart with “Reason No. 20: Road Rage!” Then there is one for Jeff Gordon with “Reason No. 24: 81 Cup Wins. Zip at Texas!”, and one for two-time defending Sprint Cup champion Jimmie Johnson, “Reason No. 48: Twice As Good As 24!”

After getting the call from Elledge, Gossage decided to make sure Stewart was all right with the No. 20 ad.

“I e-mailed Tony, ‘What do you think?’ He thought they were hilarious,” Gossage said.