Tag: EGR

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DEI back into racing???

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(Jeffery Earnhardt  scenedaily photo by Bob Griffin)
There are rumblings in the garage area that DEI ( Dale Earnhardt,Inc.) is putting together a Nationwide program for Jeffery Earnhardt,( Dale, Sr.’s grandson/ Kerry Earnhardt’s son) for up to seven races this season to preserve his rookie status for 2010 season.  DEI is working with a few present Nationwide car owners to make that happen.  Additionally, DEI is spooling up their shop to build their own Nationwide cars for Jeffery to drive for the 2010 season!
DEI still has some presence in the Cup racing scene with their affiliation with Ganassi Racing known as Earnhardt-Ganassi Racing.  In addition to the Ganassi partnership, DEI is involved with an engine program known as Earnhardt-Childress Racing Technologies.
Teresa Earnhardt  has turned over the day to day operations of the Cup racing to her partner, Chip Ganassi.  She has turned over the day to day operations of DEI to DEI Executive Vice President and General Manager Jeffery Steiner. 
 
Steiner took over the daily operations in April and stated that he has three priorities for the corporation.
1. ” Make sure that we are good stewards of Dale’s legacy.”
2. “Make sure we are managing all our business in a profitable  manner”.
3. “Finding unique opportunities for the Earnhardt family-Jeffery, making sure we give him the best opportunities we can as well as Taylor Earnhardt on the equestrian side”. (scenedaily)
COMMENTARY
With the information that DEI is going to try to, somehow, make a resurgence into the Nationwide Series with Dale’s grandson, Jeffery Earnhardt as the company “FRANCHISE“, there are unanswered questions. 
1.  DEI had THE FRANCHISE of all of  NASCAR (Dale,Jr.) and SHE (Teresa Earnhardt) let him slip right out of her hands!
2. How productive is this new venture going to really be?
3. Can Jeffery Earnhardt bring the “swagger” back to DEI like they once had?
4.  Is Teresa Earnhardt’s days numbered as the head of the corporation that Dale,Sr. cultivated, nurtured and         shaped its growth ?
The answers are yet to be seen.  But I would assume that there are some changes on the horizon for Dale Earnhardt Inc., good, bad, or indifferent!
What is your take on this?
AS ALWAYS, I LOOKED IT UP SO THAT YOU DIDN’T HAVE TO!!!
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DEI/EGR #8 Chevy FINISHED!!!

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The  former DEI #8, now EGR#8  Chevy is off the track most likely for good!! The team has laid off 40-50 personnel.  The latest news out from Earnhardt Ganassi Racing is that the #8 EGR Chevy is without sponsorship, and therefore they suspended the operations for that team!  This was once the “hallmark” team of DEI!!!!  The #8 was the pride of a “BIG E”!!!  The #8 held special meaning to the Earnhardt family.  That was the number that Ralph Earnhardt, Dale Sr’s father, raced for many years and won a championship.  The #8 team was what Dale Earnhardt, Sr. built DEI all around.  This team was going to be his (Dale , Sr.’s) centerpiece for Dale Earnhardt Inc.!!!!  Now it is just a memory!!

It appears that DEI is crumbling into ruins, kind of like the Roman Empire did mor than a thousand years ago!!!  The reasons behind this failure belong to just one person, Mrs.Theresa Earnhardt.  First Theresa refused to come up with a new contract to keep Dale, Jr. racing for DEI in the #8 Budweiser Chevy.  Because of that decision, the next domino fell really fast and very hard.  Budweiser left DEI and took their HUGE dollars over to the #9 GEM Dodge.  That deal alone caused DEI  a huge financial hardship, which will be shown to be the pivotal decision in the ultimate collapse of DEI!!!  It is this reporter’s opinion that Theresa Earnhardt has made some really incredibly stupid decisions since her late husbands untimely death!!  But by far the biggest blunder of all was allowing her stepson, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. to walk away from the empire that Dale, Sr. had built!!!  Because once Jr. walked away from DEI, the dominoes just started to fall sequentially and nothing could be done to stop the uncontrolled fall in the abyss!!!

There are many rumors in the mill around the garage area related to this story.  One is that because of the #8 operations being suspended, that might allow Martin Truex, Jr. to become a free agent soon.  If that happens, what will become of the EGR #42 team?  Ultimately, what is that organization’s long term future in NASCAR anyway?

 

What is your take on this news???

 

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The End of an Era!

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THIS WEEK’S STORY LINES

1.   IT IS OFFICIAL– PETTY MERGED WITH GEM:(foxsports.com)

2.   ALMENDINGER REPLACES SADLER @ GEM:(espn.com)

3.   LABONTE LOOKING FOR A NEW RIDE:(motorsports soapbox)

4.   WOOD BROS. RUNS A PARTIAL SEASON:(espn.com)

5.   EARNHARDT-GANASSI SCRAMBLES FOR SPONSORS:(racing one)

6.   HMS SUES DEI AND GINN RACING:(SceneDaily)

7.   2009 TENTATIVE TEAM CHART: (jayski.com)

8.   BILL DAVIS SELLS RACE REAMS: (scene daily)

9.   EVERNHAM STILL WANTS A ROLE IN NASCAR:(Charlotte Observer)

The 2009 season will witness an end of an era!!!  On Christmas Eve Petty Enterprises merged with Gilette-Evernham Motorsports.  On the outside that statement really does sound like an earth shaking event, but let us look closer.  Earlier in the 2008 season Richard Petty sold a majority interest in his family business of Petty Enterprises to Boston Ventures.  That is the same Petty Enterprises that his father, legendary NASCAR icon Lee Petty, started in 1949 in NASCAR’s infancy.  The same Petty Enterprises that dominated NASCAR in the 1960’s and early 1970’s.  That is the same Petty Enterprises that produced the “Petty Blue” color scheme on the Plymouths of those glory years.  Richard Petty and NASCAR have been synonymous for the last 50 years!  With this merger, Richard Petty has relinquished his control and influence in Petty Enterprises!!  The details have yet to be made public, but one thing is for sure, the number 43 is now in the Gilette-Evernham Motorsports stable!

 

Speaking of GEM, with this merger just being announce, there are some shake-ups in the driver’s seat there.  It appears that, even after signing a two year contract extenion, Elliot Sadler has been ousted from the #19 Dodge.  A. J. Almendinger is set to replace Sadler in that ride.  It also apears that Reed Sorenson is set to jump into the “newly acquired #43 Dodge GEM Dodge”!!

 

In another sign of the tough times, Bill Davis has sold his racing operations to Triad Racing Development.  The 2009 season for #22 Toyota is still up in the air.  The new owners are trying desparately to secure sponsorship in order to put that car on the track for the 2009 season.  The economic environment is proving to wreak havoc in the NASCAR garage for the 2009 season.  The DEI-Ganassi merger, Earnhardt-Gannasi Racing (EGR) likewise is finding sponsorship a difficult chore.  Even though the new team will be running Chevrolets, they are still “beating the bushes” for sponsorship for their four teams!

 

COMMENTARY:

When this reporter read that Petty Enterprises merged with GEM, it piqued my interest.  When the details come out, it will reveal that Richard Petty will no longer have a stake in his NASCAR racing team.  It appears that the Petty name will remain, but “The King” will not have an owner’s stake in it! 

 

This reporter remembers his one and only conversation with “The King”.  I was about 1987 at the Atlanta airport.  I walked into the restroom in the C concourse “to let out some diet coke”.  As I was standing there a tall slender gentleman walked up next to me.  As I slowly looked to my right I noticed the big hat, sunglasses, and an embroidery of an STP #43 on his hip pocket of his jeans.  Holy Moly, it is Richard Petty!!!  As we washed our hands I engaged him in some conversation.  I first acknowledged how much I loved watching him race!  I then asked him a few questions, which he very gracefully answered.  I then asked him a question that I heard  was true.  I asked “The King”, about his philosphy of signing autographs.  He told me, “Son I will sign autographs til there is nobody left that wants one.  I learned a long time ago that if there is nobody in the stands watching the races, then I don’t make any money! ”

Here I was talking to a NASCAR icon, an American Hero, presumably a wealthy race car owner and businessman.  What really surfaced there was that Richard Petty, Mr. NASCAR, “The King”, was a very humble good ol boy and southern gentleman!!  He was very appreciative that this young airline pilot at the time acknowledged him.  But more importantly, he took time to talk to me, answer my questions and take an interest in what I was asking him.  He wan’t all business!!

 

GOD BLESS YOU RICHARD PETTY!!  THOSE ARE HUGE SHOES THAT YOU LEAVE TO FILL!!

ONCE AGAIN, I LOOKED IT UP SO THAT YOU WOULDN’T HAVE TO!!

IT IS 45 DAYS TILL “GENTLEMEN START YOUR ENGINES”!!!!!!

I WISH YOU ALL A VERY HAPPY AND POSPEROUS NEW YEAR