JR leaving DEI
 

Watching press conference live. Jr going through very tough and and difficult time today announcing to press and DEI employees.

JR is class as is his sister...man this guy talks from the HEART...not a lemming from some PR company. He said it's not all about money. He announced 1st choice is to drive for another top team but will consider starting his own organization.

The #8 belongs to DEI...Budweiser sponsorship is up in the air...he stated that he would like to continue to drive a Chevy

I've got a new appreciation for this young man.

It's unreal, isn't it? I don't blame him one bit... Teresa is a money hungry biatch.

Jr is one of the nicest guys in the garage... I totally respect his decision.

This is the worst day of my life.

Richard Childress is thanking the racing gods that this day has finally come....

The Bud #3 car is not too far off....

Supposedly, he and Martin Truex Jr. are going to be driving for JR Motorsports (a Busch team co-owned by Dale Jr.) and starting a cup program with that team using Hendricks engines. We'll see what he decides...

I can see Jr. running his own Cup program down the road but I think he will want to go to an established program where he will have the chance to win a couple of Championships right out of the box. There's only 3 Chevy teams, imo, that present him with that chance - Gibbs, Hendrick and RCR.

Developing a championship team from scratch is a huge undertaking - that's why my $$'s are on him going to an established team. And even more are on RCR.

It has to be a sad day for Jr, it should never come to this! I support Jr, you can't win in NASCAR today with all the multi-car teams without a total monetary commitment. I'd love to see him go to Gibbs (love Joe and what he's done building a racing organization) but I'd agree that RCR seems most likely! I'm a big fan of Jr, and I'm one of few who actually like BOTH him and Gordon, whoever he signs with will be rewarded with the cup.

teresa and dale started dei, why jr thinks he's entitled to majority ownership, when he's one of four children, and one of five heirs, i don't know.
dale always gave all the credit for the successes of dei to his wife, whether she's a friendly, likable person or not, i don't know--but again, i don't see why jr thought he somehow deserved majority ownership. if dale wanted it that way, i suppose he'd have indicated in a will that it was the case.

Because Teresa doesn't have a clue on how to run DEI. That's why.

i don't care who runs it personally.

i just always have a beef with people who think they're entitled to something. jr didn't build that company, his father and teresa did. so, dale left a widow and four children. if anything, the co would be split five ways, equally.

who and what the hell are you talking about?

Maybe he doesn't think he is "entitled" to it but, instead, feels that Theresa doesn't know how to run the comapny and take it to the next level needed to win championships. In order to do that, perhaps he feels he needs the controlling majority (51%) of the company so that he and his sister could run the company the way they feel it needs to be run.

On ESPN this morning, they are referring to her as the "wicked step mother"...I think that's unfair. I don't really think name calling is ever fruitful, the point here is that Jr feels he isn't getting the support and resources necessary to remain competitive. There is talk that Theresa wants to work a deal with Ford, this may explain some things but it doesn't help Jr. At this point, I think Jr is making a wise decision...there is talk, by the way, that he may indeed head to Gibbs Racing.

I would love to see Jr. go with Hendrick. Him, Gordon and Johnson teammates, the Jr. fans would loose there F'n minds. I guess they would have to start throwing stuff at Matt Kenseth.

That would be my worst nightmare. Nothing worse than the Hendrick 'babies.' It broke my heart to see Casey Mears head over there... ugh.

Some companies are gonna make HUGE SUMS OF MONEY OFF ALL THE NEW STUFF THAT WILL COME OUT IN 2008. sorry, caps lock again. All new gear in 2008, shirts, hats, die-cast, you name it..........................

IMO...Bud will go where Jr. goes....no way they stay with RCR....if they do...they are nuts. Bud and Jr. should be linked together for a long time...

Yes... When I seen Budweiser & cars in the same thread...I thought someone got pinched for DUI .... Never mind

fact remains that teresa put a lot more into the company than step son and step daughter--and what about the other two earnhardt children?? i have a beef with one child thinking he has a right to step in--yeah, he has a huge interest in wanting to carry on a legacy his father started BUT dale always stressed that it was teresa who really got dei going--he was no businessman by his own admission.

dale jr thinks he can run a motorsports co--let him do as his father did, start and succeed with his own.

What on earth are you talking about? Bud has been with DEI, not RCR. :confused:

IF Jr. goes with RCR, Bud will go...

thats what I meant:p

LMAO

Not everyone is as obsessed as I am, I guess. :o

A couple of things here:

1) Theresa has never put her life on the line in a race car; she doesn't even go to the track anymore
2) When you speak of "one child" you seem to be conveniently leaving out Kelly, as she is the braintrust behind Jr. She handles all of his business affairs and I'm sure she has been intrumental in advising Jr on what's best for both of their interests as two of Sr's children - they are a team.
3) DEI isn't squat without Jr driving their car - they'll be out of business as a raceteam in less than 5 years after Jr leaves. Theresa will, however, continue to profit handsomely on Sr's licensing deals which she has managed in an admirable way since Sr died.
4) I don't know what Kerry is doing - haven't seen him driving lately. Perhaps you can enlighten me as to his status within DEI.

teresa didn't go to the track much over the years, and i certainly can't blame her for not going now. i wouldn't either if i was in her shoes. and i don't see why she would have to go to-as for putting her life on the line in a car, i don't see how that has anything to do with whether she can run dei--jeff gordon tried similar logic in his divorce, he still shelled out plenty.
as for kelly, again, you're talking about one of four of dales children. and i ask again, why should one of his four control more than half of the company? again, if dale wanted that, wouldn't he have made that clear?
as for dei not being squat without jr, i disagree. perhaps it would be better off without someone who seems to lack focus. he wants the company, maybe he should worry about driving, and leave the running to someone who knows how to do it.
as for kerry, i don't have a clue what he's doing. he never had much to do with dales business, but tried to do things on his own, unlike jr. i don't follow the sport much at all anymore.

i just think it's a shame how teresa is being portrayed here. bad enough she had to bury her husband, and then deal with all the bs with autopsy photos etc. now her step son is trying to take away what she and her husband built.

huh..hes blood..and he will leave sighn with chidress and drive the 3 again..

soooo, he can come in and take over because he's the son, and teresa isn't 'blood'??? lol you ever see dale talk about his wife? i think he'd be offended at the suggestion that somehow jr has more of a right to what dale and teresa built than teresa does!

i really don't want to see the 3 on the track again. regardless of who's driving. imo, that would be like seeing a second horse named secretariat on the track.

he jr built dei after dales death.....it wasnt her..please..he ownes the bush car that the kid won the championship with last year..but dei got payed..hes the most recognizable figure in nascar..not the shew and her lawyers.............

i agree with you that it is teresa's company. But Jr is the star of the "team", and if he needs to re-negotiate the contract than he can ask for whatever he wants. If Jr and Teresa cannot agree on a deal (and Jr specifically said what he wanted.. 51%).. look elsewhere. He's going to make the big bucks soon (not like he hasnt already).

im feeling very ....neck ish just talking about this..all tell you what!!..lmfao

No offense, but it sounds like you didn't follow the sport much before either. I'm far from an expert but I don't recall seeing too many of Dale's win circle celebrations when Theresa and Taylor Nicole wasn't there with him. No way I have an exact count but Theresa was there a lot. I can understand her lacking a desire to go now but if you are going to run a company that revolves around racing, I would suggest that she needs to be where the racing actually occurs - at the track.



My point is that Jr is the face of the racing part of the company. He takes the risks by driving the car. Her risks are purely financial. Jr wants to win - he and his sister apparently don't feel that DEI racing, under Theresa's leadership, is getting it done. By obtaining 51% control of the racing part of the company, they can run it the way they see fit so as to make it a championship caliber racing organization while not having to have everything approved by Theresa. I don't see this as a hostile takeover of the entire company with the intent on running Theresa out while taking bread off the table of her child. I'll go back to the word you used that I had the problem with - "entitled". I don't see any entitlement issue coming into play here at all. I see it as two smart savvy business people (Jr and Kelly) trying to obtain a racing company their father started and make it thrive, as a tribute to their father.



Perhaps he did - verbally. But you are asking a question none of us could ever answer without having read the will or without being privy to all of Sr's conversations. Moreso, and to further speculate, one could say that by Dale and Kelly taking 51% control of DEI racing, and if they were able to turn it into a championship winning team, perhaps all 4 of the Earnhardt children would prosper more than what they will with Theresa running the racing company. Then again, maybe not - maybe they would run it into the ground.

Not sure where Theresa is being portrayed in any way other than what she is - she obviously is a good businesswoman who has decided not to give up control of her company. That's her choice. And now her driver has decided to go elsewhere to try to win a championship. Clearly, if he thought he could win one with DEI, he'd be sticking around. His actions speak volumes for how he views Theresa's racing management. He knows better than both of us ever could.

when harvick said teresa doesn't come around much, jr came to her defense, and said that teresa had never been much about going to the track, and he couldn't blame her for not going now. yeah, she was there on sunday afternoons, but only because dale was there.


i guess i just don't see the big deal about it, other than someone trying to take away something that isn't rightfully theirs. if he wants controlling interest, let him buy it. i know dale always wanted jr to grow up, i guess this is jr's way of doing so.

i couldn't care less, other than i think it's a shame how this is all unfolding.
i don't watch racing, and don't enjoy it, haven't in five years. i think it's all cookiecutter, and boring. jr is only a draw because of who his father is. wonder if his career would have turned out any differently had he tried to go on his own, like kerry did, rather than riding in on pops coattails. he pushed out his uncle a couple years ago when he was his crew chief, now it's teresas turn.

She's going to find out real fast 49% of the old DEI would've been much better than what she will have now.

For what it's worth I'm hearing # 33 RCR Bud car.

Dale Jr. to RCR? done deal? #33? UPDATE 2: FOX25(Boston's FOX affiliate) is reporting.......Dale Earnhardt Jr. will soon be racing under the same legendary #3 Chevy that his dad used to race in. A source with direct knowledge of negotiations tells FOX25 that Dale Earnhardt Jr. has finalized a deal with Richard Childress Racing Thursday night and an official announcement will be coming soon. At a press conference today to announce that he was leaving the company his late dad built, Dale Jr. said he would have mixed emotions about driving his dad's #3 Chevy, but again, FOX25 has learned that this is a done deal.(FOX25)(5-10-2007)
UPDATE: FOX8 News has confirmed Junior is negotiating late Thursday night with Richard Childress to join Richard Childress Racing. An announcement could come as early as Friday. Childress has scheduled a news conference Friday at Darlington Raceway, the site of Saturday's Nextel Nextel Cup race. Sports Director Rich Brenner has also confirmed the talks between Junior and Childress include plans for Earnhardt driving the #33 Chevrolet for RCR. Budweiser, the primary sponsor for Junior's #8 car with DEI, will follow him to his new race team. (FOX8 News)(5-11-2007)
UPDATE 2: been told by sources at the track that Richard Childress will address the media at Darlington at 10:15am/et, but will make no announcements.(5-11-2007)

I was told by my source (:rolleyes: ) that Jr. had been visiting RCR quite frequently the past several weeks.

So, if indeed Theresa would have offered controlling interest in DEI to Jr for a price, you'd be OK with him buying the 51% majority interest?

For me, I would have liked to see Theresa sell him the controlling interest in the racing part only - I would guess a major portion of the company is directly related to the licensing of Sr's name, number, etc. and there's no reason for him to get that.

Do you know this from a personal experience or did you garner this info from the movie?

Oh c'mon, if you couldn't care less, then I doubt you'd still be discussing the thread..... :)

I think this is one of those times that Chip meets Shoulder.....my guess is you are a closet Dale Jr hater - but that's my completely uniformed worthless guess.....:D

Would love to see Jr race under Budweiser colors for new RCR team with the #3!:D

I hope it happens!

Also some great insight on the potential licensing battles in the future on NASCAR.com

As would I... my horse was named after Dale Sr. (I know, I know... very redneck.) I doubt that happens, though.

i didn't watch the movie. i just know that dale (i was a dale earnhardt fan) used to get on jr for his late night partying, etc. and said he needed to focus more on racing, and grow up!

as for why i'm still going into this, i guess because i felt i didn't get my point across initially.
no, i wouldn't care if teresa sold half. my bone of contention was with dale jr just asking for it.
i don't hate dale jr, i'm ambivalent towards him. i know a lot of people who pulled for his dad immediately went to him-i didn't pick up anyone new, and don't watch. any thing i've seen since then came from reading the sports page.

thing is, my view on this is one i hold in general, not just about jr and teresa. i just feel a death brings out the worst in some, and this is one example of that.
dei is teresas, to run as she wishes. if she runs it into the ground, it's her business.

i wouldn't. i don't think anyone should run a #3. but that's part of my personality, a huge thing about loyalty, and not seeing someone new take over from someone old, regardless of who it is.

From the Nascar website:

"Precisely Earnhardt Jr.'s motivation for leaving his father's company, a company his father intended to leave for his children. However, the driver said he needs to put himself in a position to win championships...."

http://www.nascar.com/2007/news/head...fallout/1.html


Telling - " ... a company his father intended to leave for his children..."

I don't see any mention of a "...company he meant to leave for his wife...."

FWIW...

exactly, so why would one of four get over half? the other three have to split 49%?