Earnhardt may tell plans today
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s future has been the topic of discussion this season, with seemingly everyone in NASCAR consumed with where the sport’s biggest star will drive next year.
Tongues were really wagging Wednesday when Earnhardt, who’s in the final year of his DEI contract, called a news conference for this morning at his Mooresville race shop without releasing any details.
Reached at a sponsor appearance at Atlanta Motor Speedway on Wednesday night, Earnhardt told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution he planned to talk about “some ideas I’ve got for the future” but would not elaborate.
Rampant speculation had Junior set to announce he was leaving Dale Earnhardt Inc., the company founded by his late father and the only team he’s driven for, to field his own Nextel Cup team.
Mike Davis, a representative for Earnhardt, refused to discuss Junior’s announcement.
Earnhardt owns JR Motorsports, which fields a Busch team for Shane Huffman and several late-model teams. At the recent grand opening for JRM, he said he could see the organization fielding Cup cars. Earnhardt’s sister Kelley Earnhardt Elledge, who runs JRM’s business side, appeared taken aback by the remark and later said the duo had no plans to expand into NASCAR’s top series.
The AJC reported that during Wednesday night’s sponsor event, Earnhardt told fans that his plans for JR Motorsports might not include adding Nextel Cup cars and that his priority as a team owner is promoting young drivers and mechanics.
“I don’t want the company to get too big,” he said. “I’ve got about 70 employees now, and I don’t want to get too many more.”
If expansion is in the cards, Earnhardt would need help with engines and equipment.
Although Hendrick Motorsports officials said they have no knowledge of Junior’s announcement, a person familiar with negotiations told the Associated Press that Rick Hendrick recently offered Earnhardt engines if he decided to field his own team. That person requested anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss it.
Hendrick, winners of seven of the past eight races this season, already leases engines to Ginn Racing and Haas-CNC Racing.
Calls to Earnhardt’s sponsor Budweiser and race team DEI were not immediately returned. An e-mail to Elledge was not immediately answered.
Just two days ago, during testing at Lowe’s Motor Speedway, Earnhardt complained DEI could not compete with Hendrick – particularly in the Car of Tomorrow.
Hendrick drivers have won all four COT races this season.