Breaking News - JR

[muggle not]

Dale Jr has called a news conference for 11:00am today at "his" Busch shop in Mooresville. Strong rumors are that he will announce that he is leaving DEI at the end of this season. Unconfirmed but strong rumors have him starting his own Cup team with him and Martin Truex as drivers. Jr will use Hemdricks engines and chassis. Looks like the negotiations with DEI are over. Teresa screwed up big time.

Budweiser will go with Jr when he starts his team.

[Hazza]

YOU GO TERESA!

WAY TO GO!
Buisness 101. If you have the biggest name, and (presumably) one of the biggest sponsers, you don't let them walk out the door.

CLA CLA CLA <-- One hand clapping.

[StuiE]

Wow.


I never actually thought he would leave DEI, this'll be very interesting to follow.

[HORNDAWG]

Yes it would seem he is leaving!!
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/200....ap/index.html

L.P.

[Knowlesy]

Seems silly to let Dale go, but at least he knows what he wants to do!

So is it RCR or a new team?

[Antrodemus]

'Free Agency' at the moment, although it looks like he'd prefer a Chevy team - probably JGR, RCR (in the #3?), a Hendrick-supplied team like Ginn, or his own team. I'd just like to see the #3 back out there, even if it is Budweiser red.

[Davhut]

This is HUGE news here, tantamount to what would have been had Jimmy Clark announced he was leaving Team Lotus, or when Surtees walked from a possible championship with Ferrari in 1966.
Amazing stuff.
I'm a formula road racer through and through, no NASCAR fan, but Junior is the real deal: talent, charisma to throw away, funny and erudite, and now he shows the nerve to put the wicked stepmother on the trailer. He's the definition of cool.
Mrs. Earnhardt Sr. [ ] is delusional to claim "Dale and I built this company." She just threw DEI under a very big bus.
Tony Stewart is right when he says DEI without Jr. is a museum.
Rock on Dale Jr.

[gttouring]

This is GIgantic- what a Gaff!
How hard would it have been to step it up a notch, RCR would be a great choice- but to battle Harvick as a team mate?! wow
JR motorsports wouldn't move up to cup yet
Maybe He should Try INDY
ha ha ha hahah! oor ChampCar
that would be an open wheel boost, and a real stick to the wicked step mom!

[Davhut]

My thoughts are he'll end up at RCR with some ownership % and stick it to the old trophy queen that way. He'll stay quiet for quite a while, perhaps with NASCAR's urging, but I would be surprised if he's got a done deal somewhere. It would be way cool to see him in a formula car. He's shown road racing talent in the endurance Corvettes.

[muggle not]

Our local TV reported last night that it was almost a done deal between Jr and RCR. I heard today that RCR is calling a news conference for Friday at Darlington. It does seem fitting that they get together.

On a side note to emphasize how big this news is:
My wife always separates the newspaper every morning. She gives me the Sports section and she takes the News section. When I looked at the Sports section there was nothing about Jr. No wonder, it was plastered all over the Front Page of the News section. This is indeed very big news in the U.S. and especially here in North Carolina.

[StuiE]

Originally Posted by muggle not

Our local TV reported last night that it was almost a done deal between Jr and RCR. I heard today that RCR is calling a news conference for Friday at Darlington. It does seem fitting that they get together.

On a side note to emphasize how big this news is:
My wife always separates the newspaper every morning. She gives me the Sports section and she takes the News section. When I looked at the Sports section there was nothing about Jr. No wonder, it was plastered all over the Front Page of the News section. This is indeed very big news in the U.S. and especially here in North Carolina.

I knew he was big, I didn't think he was *THAT* big though.

I too think he'll be at RCR, I hope they add another team though, not kick anyone out. Car number....?

[jimmer]

OMG thanx for all the info guys

[FIRE]

The start of the end for DEI?

[Davhut]

For sure.
But DE hit his end too.

[kingfloopy]

This is the best decision Junior could have made. DEI lacks the strong management that it takes to win a championship and its my impression over the last few years that there has been a lot of infighting and poor decisions. An example is the frankly idiotic decision to swap Juniors and Micheal Waltrip's crew chiefs a couple of years back. They also lack the ability to field a consistent car capable of winning week in and week out and from year to year.

I honestly can't see him fielding his own team next year, it'd be hard to build a team capable of winning this fast and he'd have to have a second car to be successful. It'd be great to have him driving the #3 (or maybe #33) again next year and that seems to be the safest bet as RCR has room for a fourth team. From what I've heard Budweiser can get out of their DEI contract if he leaves so he'll have a sponsor.

J.D.

[muggle not]

http://www.nascar.com/2007/news/head...ton/index.html

DARLINGTON, S.C. -- If Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s telephone is ringing, he doesn't know it. These days, somebody else is answering it. With the aftershocks from his seismic decision to leave Dale Earnhardt Inc. still echoing throughout NASCAR's top series, the sport's most popular driver wants to take some time, lay low, and figure things out.


"I would like to take a week or two to clear my mind a little bit, drink some beers, and have some fun. Get back to normal," he said Friday at Darlington Raceway. "I have felt about as un-normal as I possibly could the part few days. Lost a lot of sleep. So I want to relax and just clear my head and get a good football stance to go after this new deal that we're seeking."..................................................

[cjent]

Nothing from RCR yet. I think we are in for a BIG surprise.

[FIRE]

Originally Posted by kingfloopy

I honestly can't see him fielding his own team next year, it'd be hard to build a team capable of winning this fast and he'd have to have a second car to be successful. It'd be great to have him driving the #3 (or maybe #33) again next year and that seems to be the safest bet as RCR has room for a fourth team. From what I've heard Budweiser can get out of their DEI contract if he leaves so he'll have a sponsor.

J.D.

JR Motorsports powered by Hendrick or RCR engineers/management? Or isn't that allowed?

[kingfloopy]

He could use engines and chassis from other teams similar to Ginn Motorsports and HOF Racing does. However he would still probably have to be in a separate shop and those kinds of sharing have not really shown to give the satellite teams an edge at this point. It is also hard to say what NASCAR would allow since they are putting the four team limit out in 2009.

J.D.

[Fish_Flake]

For some reason, I'm expecting Teresa to give Junior some kind of kiss-off before he leaves. I envision Junior ultimately signing with Ginn Racing, who already fields the 13 and 14 cars. Teresa ultimately sells Ginn the rights to the #15 (Dale Sr.'s number with Bud Moore in the early 1980s, currently used by DEI's Paul Menard) and it's sub-top-35 owner's points. Upon this announcement, she moves Menard into the 8 car and claims Junior's owners points in 2008.

[Hazza]

Makes sense.

Bud though, are they getting a decent return? If so, will they follow dale? (You'd hope that it's in their contract, if he's out, we're out...)

[Antrodemus]

Looks like Bud will follow Dale Jr.
It's the major stumbling block in any Jr-to-JGR rumours as Joe Gibbs apparently won't allow alcohol sponsorship of his teams.

[gomick]

so if jnr went to rcr, do they

1. run 4 cars
2. drop burton, harvick or bowyer - all top 10 in points (or close too)....

[Antrodemus]

Run 4 I'd say - they'd be allowed to under NASCAR's driver cap.

[chemhead1]

Wimmer can pretty much say goodbye to any hopes of running a full-time 4th RCR car in cup then. But it's not like it was going to happen anyway, right?