Earnhardt Jr. wants majority ownership of DEI

[BengalszoneBilly]

I hope he gets it.

Earnhardt Jr. wants majority ownership of DEI

February 8, 2007

By Bruce Martin SportsTicker Contributing Editor

DAYTONA BEACH, Florida (Ticker) -- NASCAR's most popular driver, Dale Earnhardt Jr. claims he doesn't need any more money or fame.

What Earnhardt wants is majority control in Dale Earnhardt Inc., the Nextel Cup team founded by his late father and currently controlled by his stepmother, Teresa Earnhardt.

Earnhardt revealed his intentions Thursday during media day at Daytona Motor Speedway amidst rampant speculation regarding his future at DEI.

Earnhardt, whose current contract is up, has been in negotiations with Max Siegel, president of global operations for DEI.

But Earnhardt expressed his desire for more than just a new deal. He wants to be in charge of the operation.

"The main factor is the ownership part," he said. "It has nothing to do with money and nothing else really. I would really like my team. My father has been gone for almost six years now, I want majority ownership."

Earlier this year, Teresa Earnhardt told the Wall Street Journal that her racing stepson needed to "decide on whether he wants to be a NASCAR driver or whether he wants to be a public personality."

That backhanded criticism stung Earnhardt, who aired his grievances to the media during preseason testing here in January.

"I tried to be professional in my comments and tried to portray my feelings to the media but keep the bitterness out of it," Earnhardt said. "At times, you get bitter about it.

"I have a real bad habit at being too modest about my position in this sport, and the media helps me understand what I'm actually worth to this sport. People have to remind me of the magnitude of me."

Earnhardt is coming off a 2006 campaign in which he registered 10 top-five finishes and 17 top-10s. The 32-year-old captured the checkered flag last May at Richmond and finished fifth in the Nextel Cup standings.

Earnhardt's popularity dwarfs his success. Merchandise bearing his name, likeness and familiar No. 8 accounted for nearly 25 percent of all NASCAR driver-licensed products.

If Earnhardt does not work out a deal with DEI, team owner Richard Childress has expressed interest in acquiring his services. Earnhardt's father won six of his seven Cup titles while driving for Childress in the famed No. 3 Chevrolet.

Richard Childress Racing driver Kevin Harvick said he would welcome Earnhardt to the team but also expressed his thoughts on Earnhardt's current negotiations at DEI.

"He's really the only person in this deal who has the bargaining power," Harvick said. "He's got it all on his side, and deservedly so. He's the most popular driver. He's been successful and he deserves respect.

"How old is he now? He deserves the respect of being treated like a grown man and not being treated like he's 15 and somebody's stepson."

Two-time series champion Tony Stewart summed it up best when asked what DEI would be without Dale Earnhardt Jr.

"A museum," Stewart said.

Earnhardt and his sister, Kellie Elledge, are handling the negotiations with Siegel, who was hired by Teresa Earnhardt with the intention of negotiating a new deal.

"Max is one hell of a breakthrough for DEI," Dale Earnhardt said. "This guy is pretty impressive. I think he brings a lot of integrity and credibility to wherever he's at. But I don't know if it will affect my decision."

Earnhardt won the Daytona 500 in 2004 and has been NASCAR's best restrictor-plate driver since his rookie season in 2000. But he has fallen short of winning the series championship.

"I didn't ever think I would be good enough to race full time or to hold down a job as a driver or win a race as a driver," he said. "I look around at people who followed in their father's success in this sport and had limited success. So I had no goals set as a driver. I've already accomplished more than I ever thought I would as a driver."

[Kirkendall]

Teresa is at a crossroads. If she doesn't consent, then Jr. goes to RCR and creates one of the biggest sports stories of the year. At the same time DEI goes into a Chevy version of RYR. If she does consent, then she's, more or less, out of the sport.

Have you ever seen anyone in the Captain's chair like Jr.? No matter what he does, it's the right decision.

But in the end, I feel that he really wants to go to RCR as the... #3 Budweiser Chevy.

[BengalszoneBilly]

Teresa is at a crossroads. If she doesn't consent, then Jr. goes to RCR and creates one of the biggest sports stories of the year. At the same time DEI goes into a Chevy version of RYR. If she does consent, then she's, more or less, out of the sport.

Have you ever seen anyone in the Captain's chair like Jr.? No matter what he does, it's the right decision.

But in the end, I feel that he really wants to go to RCR as the... #3 Budweiser Chevy.

Eventually I believe he WILL end up in the #3 car regardless whether it's RCR or DEI.

[MacD BengalFan]

He set no goals for himself as a driver. Sounds to me that maybe Teresa might have a point about Lil' "E" being either a driver or a public personality. He doesn't deserve the fan base he inherited and he doesn't deserve the publicity he gets.