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17 May 2007, 00:33 (Ref:1915029) | #26 | ||
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RCR can run four teams as that is maximum NASCAR will let them run in 2009. The way they wouldn't is if the Cingular/AT&T vs. Nextel/Sprint (man I wish these phone companies would quit merging) thing caused the #31 to lose a sponsor and they can't find a replacement. It is doubtful they would let Burton go though.
I like Wimmer, but I don't think he had a legit shot at running the fourth team. I think his signing was more a situation where they had a full-season Busch sponsor and he was the best available at the time to fill in when Burton wouldn't run. They could keep him around for a Busch ride next season, but he's getting too old to be a top contender for decent teams. Maybe he'll land in the trucks? |
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18 May 2007, 06:08 (Ref:1915791) | #27 | |||
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"Why anyone would want to pay 550,000 US to get his ass kicked by Jean Alesi is beyond me." -Bostik on the "Speedcar" Series. |
19 May 2007, 00:26 (Ref:1916401) | #28 | ||
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I think that HMS may re-aasign Casey to Ginn and then bring Jr aboard to drive the 25 car.
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1 Jun 2007, 18:19 (Ref:1926441) | #29 | ||
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http://www.journalnow.com/servlet/Sa...=1037645509200
Friday, June 1, 2007 Some say Earnhardt will drive with Ginn By Mike Mulhern JOURNAL REPORTER DOVER, Del. The Dale Earnhardt Jr. saga continues, and the question in every NASCAR hauler is, “Where is Junior going to land?” Many drivers seem convinced that Earnhardt will accept an offer to drive for Bobby Ginn, even though Ginn, a Florida real- estate developer, is new to the sport, with less than a year on the circuit. Ginn has been spending lavishly to turn the Jay Frye-run Chevy team into a top-flight operation. Driver Mark Martin led the Nextel Cup standings early this season and even after missing three of the year’s 12 races he’s still 15th in the points. Martin may return to the Nextel Cup tour full-time in 2008, according to sources. But Martin’s teammate Sterling Marlin is planning to cut back to a partial schedule, and Ginn said that would open the No. 14 car and its top-35 exemption for Earnhardt. The more logical options might seem to be with Richard Childress or Rick Hendrick. Hendrick said that his four drivers aren’t going anywhere, but there are rumblings in the garage that Hendrick might be willing to do some mixing-and-matching to open up a ride for Earnhardt. If Childress doesn’t get Earnhardt, then Greg Biffle is being penciled in for Childress’ planned fourth team. And Childress is building a 100,000-square foot addition to his current mammoth race shop for that fourth team. Jimmy Elledge, a former Childress man, would be a logical choice for crew chief, but Elledge - whose wife, Kelley, is Earnhardt’s sister - has another two years on his contract with Dodge’s Chip Ganassi. Childress is trying to work things out with Dale Earnhardt Inc., from which Dale Jr. is leaving at the end of the season. But there seem to be more problems at DEI: John Menard, the wealthy businessman who is helping bankroll Teresa Earnhardt’s operation for racer-son Paul, may be ready to pull out, too. Menard could wind up back working with struggling Robby Gordon - the two have long been business partners, and Gordon is trying to get his team righted again. |
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1 Jun 2007, 18:35 (Ref:1926452) | #30 | ||
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I heard that Biffle and DEI are talking. Biffle better make sure that Teresa will put some money into R&D or else he will have the same type of season he's having now.
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3 Jun 2007, 12:58 (Ref:1927518) | #31 | |
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Wherever he ends up I'm sure he'll be a lot happier. And Jr's form seems to thrive when he's happy. Let's hope he can run up front next year and maybe fight for the title.
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6 Jun 2007, 02:31 (Ref:1929845) | #32 | ||
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And........the rumors continue.
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/200.../05/earnhardt/ Hendrick Motorsports, Earnhardt Jr. mull marriage Posted: Tuesday June 5, 2007 1:59PM; Updated: Tuesday June 5, 2007 1:59PM It could be a dream lineup of drivers at Hendrick Motorsports when the green flag drops for the Daytona 500 next February: Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, and ... Dale Earnhardt Jr. Yes, in spite of various reports over the weekend that claimed that Little E -- the most coveted free agent in NASCAR history -- was close to reaching an agreement with Joe Gibbs Racing on a long-term contract, don't buy it. From what I'm hearing, the leader in the Earnhardt sweepstakes at this point is Hendrick Motorsports, the most dominant team in NASCAR over the last few years. If this is going to happen, though, a few dominoes still need to fall. NASCAR limits the size of each race organization to four teams, and Hendrick currently has four drivers under contract through the 2008 season: Gordon, Johnson, Kyle Busch and Casey Mears. But Hendrick could farm out of one his drivers to a place like Ginn Racing, which already leases its motors from Hendrick. Last Friday afternoon at Dover, Earnhardt strolled into the infield media center and held court for about 15 minutes. "I don't particularly want to be in this situation," he said. "But I'm trying to make it as positive a learning experience as I can. We're trying not to comment too much on how things are going or what's going on until we can really have something to say, but I can tell you that things are positive. I've just been overwhelmed with the personalities that I've met, with the owners and the individuals working at each company. There are certainly a lot of great people out there with good morals and good values and with great attitudes about the sport and about what they want to accomplish." When Earnhardt uttered the words "good morals" I immediately thought of Gibbs, who's a devout Christian. And so when Jeff Hammond of Fox announced during the pre-race telecast on Sunday that according to his sources, Little E was going to sign with Gibbs and that an announcement was imminent, it appeared to make sense. But then on Monday and Tuesday morning I talked to several sources, and according to them, Gibbs isn't even the frontrunner to sign Earnhardt. That distinction, from what I'm told, goes to Hendrick Motorsports. If Junior does move to Hendrick next year, he would fit in just fine. He's friends with both Gordon and Johnson, and he already has a tight relationship with Hendrick himself. In fact, one of the most important things that Earnhardt is searching for is to have a tight bond with his new owner. His stepmother, Teresa Earnhardt, the owner of DEI, was rarely at the track and wasn't around to congratulate Junior whenever he won or console him when he had a poor finish. Earnhardt simply didn't feel appreciated by his boss. Even if you're the most popular driver in NASCAR history, it's still important to hear from your superior that you're doing a good job. Earnhardt would get this from Hendrick, who's trackside nearly every weekend and is always in Victory Lane to give his driver's a big bear hug. It's nowhere near a done deal that Little E will sign with Hendrick, but that's the direction he appears to be moving. Junior will likely make a decision about where he'll be racing next year by the end of the month. _ |
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6 Jun 2007, 03:04 (Ref:1929855) | #33 | ||
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Which driver at Hendrick will get kicked off then? Jeff Gordon and Jimmy Johnson are both cup champions. Rick Hendrick doesn't want to get rid of Casey Mears since he has put a lot of money into developing him as a driver. That leaves Kyle Busch who has had a very good season this year. Fortunatly for Junior he is one of the most influential people in NASCAR and if the people in charge would probablt feel a lot of pressure to alow a fith car per team.
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6 Jun 2007, 05:46 (Ref:1929904) | #34 | ||
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Done Deal...RCR
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6 Jun 2007, 06:31 (Ref:1929923) | #35 | ||
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Ignoring Jr. as an individual, what does this mean for DEI?
NASCAR surely must have a severe interest in this company/franchise (whatever teams/organisations are these days) succeeding? I apologise if I am being unduly cynical, but NASCAR is willing to get what it wants. Last edited by Dutton; 6 Jun 2007 at 06:38. |
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6 Jun 2007, 13:39 (Ref:1930287) | #36 | ||
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DEI can rot for all I care.
They've got some talent in Menard and Truex, but their car speed has allways been iffy. Hopefully we'll see what a driver Dale really is... |
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"Abe will be remembered as a fighter" - RIP Abe. |
6 Jun 2007, 14:24 (Ref:1930319) | #37 | ||
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With Jr's leaving I would expect Menard to also leave.
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7 Jun 2007, 03:56 (Ref:1930868) | #38 | ||
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Don't think Truex is gonna wanna go anywhere else now
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7 Jun 2007, 10:45 (Ref:1931099) | #39 | ||
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Well he'll be "The man".
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"Abe will be remembered as a fighter" - RIP Abe. |
12 Jun 2007, 17:41 (Ref:1935264) | #40 | ||
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Wednesday the big announcent?
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12 Jun 2007, 17:59 (Ref:1935281) | #41 | ||
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Update, looks like HMS to me.
http://www.speedtv.com/articles/nascar/nextel/38004/ CUP: Earnhardt Press Conference Wednesday Written by: Tom Jensen Mooresville, N.C. – 6/12/2007 Junior: ready to set the stage for 2008? Dale Earnhardt Jr. has scheduled a news conference for Wednesday at 11 a.m. at his JR Motorsports race shop in Mooresville, N.C. At that time, he will announce his 2008 plans, team spokesman Mike Davis confirmed. After this season, Earnhardt will leave Dale Earnhardt, Inc., the only team he has driven for in his Nextel Cup career. Earnhardt announced last month he was splitting with DEI, largely because of strong personality differences with his team owner and stepmother, Teresa Earnhardt. Earnhardt has made it clear that he would only drive for a Chevrolet team, one capable of winning championships. That has led to speculation he would move to either Hendrick Motorsports, Joe Gibbs Racing or Richard Childress Racing, all of whom have won championships already. Ginn Racing has also been mentioned as a longshot. Although team owner Rick Hendrick recently described the situation at Hendrick Motorsports as having “no room at the inn” due to already having four fully-sponsored teams, Hendrick’s name has emerged as a frontrunner in the Earnhardt sweepstakes, either with Earnhardt joining Hendrick or Hendrick providing support to a JR Motorsports entry. A Hendrick spokesman contacted by SPEED said in an e-mail Tuesday morning, “We’re not going to comment on anything at this time.” Representatives from Gibbs, RCR and Ginn said they are not involved in tomorrow’s press conference. Joe Gibbs Racing President J.D. Gibbs has repeatedly said he would welcome Earnhardt, but not his longtime primary sponsor, Budweiser, who has a longterm personal services contract with the driver. The recent announcement that RCR & DEI are merging their engine departments indicated to many observers that is unlikely Earnhardt will sign with RCR, the team where his father won six of his seven championships. Stay tuned to SpeedTV.com for much more on this developing story. SPEED will broadcast the press conference live, with pre-press conference live updates beginning at 10 a.m. At 11 a.m. ET, John Roberts will host a special live edition of The SPEED Report, with Bob Dillner on site in Mooresville, N.C. The press conference is expected to last one hour. At 7 p.m. ET, SPEED will present a special half-hour edition of The SPEED Report to summarize the day’s events. |
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12 Jun 2007, 18:36 (Ref:1935322) | #42 | ||
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More update. Looks like kyle is the odd man out.
By JENNA FRYER CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) - Dale Earnhardt Jr. has decided where he will drive next season, and all signs point to Hendrick Motorsports. NASCAR's most popular driver called a Wednesday news conference at his race shop, JR Motorsports, and spokesman Mike Davis said it was to announce his plans for 2008 and beyond. It's the same site where Junior announced May 10 he would leave DEI and enter the free-agent market. That move ignited a whirlwind of recruiting rarely scene in NASCAR, and there's been nonstop talk regarding where Earnhardt would end up. He's made shop visits and met with various car owners while he trying to make a decision. His sister, Kelley Earnhardt Elledge, is handling his negotiations and has maintained their first choice was to keep Earnhardt in a Chevrolet. She has said the majority of her conversations have been with NASCAR's top Chevy teams. Hendrick is the best in NASCAR right now, with 10 wins through the first 15 points races this season. Speculation grew Monday night that Earnhardt was close to a deal with Hendrick, but officials declined comment Tuesday. Elledge did not respond to messages from The Associated Press. Rick Hendrick currently has four drivers under contract, and told the AP last month "there was no room at the inn" for Earnhardt. NASCAR rules permit a car owner to field four Nextel Cup teams. But multiple sources _ speaking to the AP on condition of anonymity because Earnhardt's plans have not been announced _ said Hendrick officials have been working for nearly three weeks to figure out how to bring the star driver into the fold. One scenario could put Earnhardt into the No. 5 car that Kyle Busch currently drives. Busch is under contract through 2008, and Hendrick has said he wanted to sign the 22-year-old driver to an extension. But there are rumblings Busch has asked to be released from his contract. Asked if that was true, Hendrick spokesman Jesse Essex said, "We don't comment on contractual issues." Busch was testing in Milwaukee on Tuesday and not available to comment. It's still possible Earnhardt could end up at Richard Childress Racing, where his father won six of his seven championships, or Joe Gibbs Racing. But Childress is out of the country, and the assistant to Gibbs president J.D. Gibbs said Gibbs is away all week. |
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12 Jun 2007, 21:31 (Ref:1935485) | #43 | ||
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Kinda surprised Kyle Busch would be getting the boot since he has a win and is top-10 in points right now. I would have suspected Mears out of all the drivers, but his contract may be more airtight than Busch's. It could be a sponsor thing too if Kellogg's wants Jr to drive for them next year or some sort of swap deal between them and DEI.
This could all just be a diversion and he might announce he's driving for someone else... J.D. |
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12 Jun 2007, 22:14 (Ref:1935516) | #44 | ||
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I'm surprised at Junior's (apparent) decision. I figured that he'd want to go to a team where he would be the big dog. If he went to Childress, even though they have Kevin Harvick and Jeff Burton, Dale would still undoubtedly be the top personality within that organization. At Hendrick, though, he is going to overshadowed by Gordon and Johnson, who both have championships under their belt.
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12 Jun 2007, 23:13 (Ref:1935548) | #45 | ||
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I don't think you are giving Dale enough credit...
...I think he just wants to win. |
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"Abe will be remembered as a fighter" - RIP Abe. |
12 Jun 2007, 23:24 (Ref:1935557) | #46 | |||
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13 Jun 2007, 14:53 (Ref:1935991) | #47 | ||
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Come on y'all. Big news like this and few posts by anyone. Siesta time is over. the big question is where will "odd man out" Kyle end up. possibilities are Penske (with brother Kurt), DEI, Ginn, or maybe RCR.
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13 Jun 2007, 15:01 (Ref:1935997) | #48 | ||
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It should be around 11am your time now?
I hope he goes to a 4th RCR car personally, Kyle doesn't deserve to be pushed out IMO. Hendrick is the place to be if you want a car that will win though.. edit: hang on, I think it's about 10am your time now, don't think I'll be staying up another hr, I'll check tomorrow morning at work |
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Stu "I think we broke something.......Traction" -Carl Edwards 19/8/06 MIS 05 - Peter Brock |
13 Jun 2007, 15:30 (Ref:1936015) | #49 | |||
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Just looked on Jayski, Hendrick it is, with Busch moving out...
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Stu "I think we broke something.......Traction" -Carl Edwards 19/8/06 MIS 05 - Peter Brock |
13 Jun 2007, 15:37 (Ref:1936021) | #50 | |
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Johnson, Gordon and Junior...what a dream team!
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