Sorting Out All the Players and Pieces in the Game

Yesterday Dale Earnhardt Jr. announced that he was leaving Dale
Earnhardt Inc. at the end of 2007.  You all know the story by now,
contract negotiations went sour apparently over team ownership.  Junior
wanted majority ownership and Teresa wouldn't give it to him.  So now
Dale Earnhardt Jr. becomes the biggest free agent in the history of
motorsports.

So the BIG question now is where will he go???  Junior made it clear
that he is going to consider all offers, but there are a couple of key
comments that he made during his press conference that lead me down a
certain path.  First the obvious one, Junior was asked if he thought his
fans would be mad seeing him behind the wheel of a Ford.  His response:
"I don't think my fans have to worry about that part of it."  Throw
Toyota and Dodge into that category as well.  Junior will be in a Chevy
in 2008, mark my words.

Kelley Earnhardt Elledge, Junior's business manager and sister, outlined
their top desires in a priority order.

1). Drive for a top tier team

2). Drive for a second tier team

3). Start their own Cup team

Toss numero three out the window.  Along with the whole world, Junior
can see what his buddy Michael Waltrip is going through. So let's turn
to the first two options.  Take a quick look at your top tier Chevy
teams, Richard Childress Racing, Joe Gibbs Racing and Hendrick
Motorsports.  Remember by '08 NASCAR mandated a limit on multi-car
ownership to a max of four teams.  Since Rick ain't firing Jeff or
Jimmie any time soon just forget about Junior going to Hendrick.  While
Hendrick Motorsports officially said they are happy with their current
four team line up, they also said that they would love to work with Dale
Earnhardt Jr.  Keep that in the back of your mind.

The most logical and sentimental choice is Richard Childress Racing and
you all know why.  Junior has maintained a strong bond with RC over the
years since The Intimidator's passing.  RCR even provides the motors for
the Busch program over at JR Motorsports.  Childress is a contending
team (all three of his drivers are in the top ten in points), he has
room under the cap to put Junior and he'll let Junior do what he wants
with JR Motorsports.  Remember RC let Dale Sr. develop DEI while driving
for him.

A close second in the logical choice game is Joe Gibbs Racing.  Like
Childress JGR has room under the cap for Junior and is a contending team
with two of his three teams in the top ten in points.

The dark horse in the whole deal could be Ginn Racing.  The team
formerly known as MBV Motorsports has gobs of money behind them and Mark
Martin proved earlier this season that their equipment is on par with
most of the top teams out there.  They run Chevys and all the motors,
chassis and tech is coming from Hendrick.  Ah yes remember what I said
earlier?  Hendrick would love to work with Junior and Ginn Racing is the
way they would do it.

Now during the press conference Junior outlined three items that he
needed to find a comfortable home, "I'm going to look at everybody from
a competition standpoint but I want to be comfortable with the teammates
I have. I want to feel welcome by the employees at that place wherever
that may be. And I need to find a way for it to compliment this building
here and the employees," he said.

Competition wise JGR and RCR are on par.  Plus, Martin proved that the
right guy behind a Ginn Racing wheel can contend with the best of them.
All things equal the deciding factor is going to be Junior's comfort
level.  Teammates could be an issue at RCR.  From the outside Junior
isn't paling around with Harvick, Burton or Bowyer.  However, he is
close buds with Tony Stewart and Denny Hamlin, that in and of itself
brings the comfort level way up.

Unrelated to where he ends up there are two other little items that may
have crossed your mind.  First and foremost Budweiser will follow Junior
wherever he goes.  No question, in fact Budweiser and JR Motorsports
have an agreement in place to ensure Dale Jr. will continue to
personally represent Budweiser through 2008.  I don't think there is
enough Bud in the world to get August Busch so drunk that he lets Junior
go.

Secondly, no he won't drive the "3".  Even if he heads to RCR, Junior is
adamant that he only wants to drive his Dad's famous number when he is
at the end of his career and at that only for a couple of years, "when
I'm 50 or 55" he says.

So that brings us to where he goes from here.  The sentimentalist in me
says RCR, but when I take emotion out of it (which is what Junior has to
do), he'll end up at Joe Gibbs Racing.

Finally, this whole mess can be placed squarely in Teresa's lap.  It was
in her power to keep Junior at DEI and she let him go.  Not smart, all
she did was weaken the company the late Dale Earnhardt Sr. founded
almost ten years ago.

Let me hear you opinions!!!


Rob Fisher - Circle Track Editor