Earnhardt to leave DEI after season
Eds: AMs.
By JENNA FRYER
AP Auto Racing Writer
MOORESVILLE, N.C. (AP) — For Dale Earnhardt Jr., winning is everything. That’s what his daddy taught him.
And by ditching his namesake company to find a more competitive ride, Junior gave his own lesson in life: Not even blood is thicker than winning.
NASCAR’s most popular driver ended months of contentious contract negotiations with his stepmother Thursday, announcing he will leave Dale Earnhardt Inc. at the end of the season because he and Teresa Earnhardt can’t agree on a common vision for the family business.
“It is time for me to continue his legacy in the only way I know I can — by taking the life lessons that he told me: Be a man, race hard and contend for championships,†Junior said. “That’s what I intend to do, and I feel strongly that I would have my father’s blessing.â€
Earnhardt had tried to reach a new deal with his stepmother. But the bargaining turned tense after she publicly questioned his commitment, and Junior later said their relationship “ain’t a bed of roses.â€
So he’ll move on, starting what should be a frenzied free agency period that could shake the sport by causing long-term ripple effects in driver salary and sponsor deals.
He’s already NASACAR’s highest-paid driver, earning $20.1 million per year, a million more than No. 2 Jeff Gordon.
And the bidding has already begun.
“704-662-9642, tell him that’s my phone number,†said car owner Chip Ganassi, who lured Juan Pablo Montoya away from Formula One this season to drive one of his Dodges.
Eds: AMs.
By JENNA FRYER
AP Auto Racing Writer
MOORESVILLE, N.C. (AP) — For Dale Earnhardt Jr., winning is everything. That’s what his daddy taught him.
And by ditching his namesake company to find a more competitive ride, Junior gave his own lesson in life: Not even blood is thicker than winning.
NASCAR’s most popular driver ended months of contentious contract negotiations with his stepmother Thursday, announcing he will leave Dale Earnhardt Inc. at the end of the season because he and Teresa Earnhardt can’t agree on a common vision for the family business.
“It is time for me to continue his legacy in the only way I know I can — by taking the life lessons that he told me: Be a man, race hard and contend for championships,†Junior said. “That’s what I intend to do, and I feel strongly that I would have my father’s blessing.â€
Earnhardt had tried to reach a new deal with his stepmother. But the bargaining turned tense after she publicly questioned his commitment, and Junior later said their relationship “ain’t a bed of roses.â€
So he’ll move on, starting what should be a frenzied free agency period that could shake the sport by causing long-term ripple effects in driver salary and sponsor deals.
He’s already NASACAR’s highest-paid driver, earning $20.1 million per year, a million more than No. 2 Jeff Gordon.
And the bidding has already begun.
“704-662-9642, tell him that’s my phone number,†said car owner Chip Ganassi, who lured Juan Pablo Montoya away from Formula One this season to drive one of his Dodges.
