DEI has purchased Ginn Racing with an official announcement expected on Wednesday to unveil the four car lineup which will include Dale Earnhardt, Jr., Martin Truex, Jr., Paul Menard and Mark Martin. The merger was reported by ESPN and is expected to be formalized with an official announcement on Wednesday.
Earnhardt Jr will have a new teammate this weekend.
So now Regan Smith and Aric Almirola are being hung out to dry, at least temporarily. Regan was to drive the 14. But apparently the 14 points are going to Menard to lock him in the show. It now appears that Regan is out of a ride before he ever got to drive it. Tough luck, a smartass Sterling Marlin fan might say. Easy come easy go young gun.
But seriously. I suspect Regan will get the 14 next year at DEI and that Almirola will be sharing the 01 with Martin next year. Of course all of those plans are at least up in the air at this time.
In many ways Martin Truex Jr. couldn't have picked a better time to shine. Truex, 27 and a native of Mayetta, N.J., earned his first Nextel Cup victory last weekend at Dover (Del.) International Speedway. It was Dale Earnhardt Inc.'s first Cup win since May 2006, when teammate Dale Earnhardt Jr. won in Richmond, Va. While much of the attention at DEI has been on Earnhardt Jr. and his recent decision to leave the organization at the end of the season, Truex's win helped show that he and DEI plan to remain a serious contender.
"It feels good to hush up all that (Earnhardt Jr. talk) and solidify the fact that we're here for real and we're going to win races and contend for championships in the future," Truex said. "It doesn't get any better than this, you know. This has been probably one of the biggest accomplishments for everybody on my whole team -- the biggest accomplishment of their racing careers. Championships in the Busch Series were great, but if you win at this level, you have beat the best of the best."
DEI will remain a serious contender.
The reports of my death are greatly exaggerated ... Mark Twain quotation after hearing that his obituary had been published in the New York Journal.
Reports of DEI's death have been greatly exagerated
The lady doth protest too much, methinks...William Shakespeare
"Although he’s spoken to Earnhardt Jr., car owner Rick Hendrick said Saturday 'there’s no room at the inn' for NASCAR’s most popular driver. 'We’re good friends and I’ve talked to him, because I really want him to make the best decision and do the best thing for himself,' Hendrick told The Associated Press. 'But right now, I’m full.' 'I’ve talked to him about doing motors and cars if he wants to do this himself,' Hendrick said. 'But that’s really all we’ve discussed.'"
O.K.,. Woo! What a statement! My thoughts you asked? Oh you didn't? But you told me not to just cut and paste so much. So read it and weep.
What is the current situation? It is looking real good for Bobby Ginn folks. Jr. can get Hendrick power that way with help from Mark Martin on setups. Not too bad. Ginn adds his fourth car and what a car. The Bud Chevrolet wheeled by Jr. WOW!
Childress is too much pressure because of the three and Richard just got in bed with Teresa who Jr. just climbed out of bed with. I don't see Jr. in a three or 33 folks. Sorry. I'm not feeling it.
Maybe the third generation Earnhardt, Kerry's boy, who is in the DEI development program gets to do that. But I do not see it in the cards for Jr. at this time. Maybe during the dusk of his career to bring it full circle. But not now. This is about to be Jr. on his own time. Jr. on his own with Bobby Ginn. Wow, that's way out on his own. Welcome a new major Chevrolet team in Ginn racing.
Gibbs? Nope. Can't drink beer you know. Can smoke cigarettes. Can kill people with lung cancer, emphyzema and heart disease. 200,000 a year in the USA alone. But can't have a beer. Nope teetotaler Gibbs must be.
Fire Jeff Purvis at the drop of a hat. But no beer for this Christian. Hypocrite.
And that brings us back to Ginn. Wow! What a coup.
Jeff Gordon has a lifetime contract and Du Pont is signed through 2008. He is not going anywhere and I don't think Du Pont is either. Du Pont and Gordon go together just like Richard Petty and STP.
Jimmie Johnson and Lowes are signed through 2010. There will be no movement here either. I know, I know, nobody expects Gordon or Johnson to move. Bur bear with me. I am just sitting the table here.
Kyle Busch is signed through 2008 as are Car Quest and Kellogg's. Again, no movement here.
Casey Mears is signed through 2008 as well. However, the National Guard is not signed beyond this season. So Hendrick needs a sponsor here. Is Budweiser and Dale Jr. the answer? I honestly hope not. I would hate to see Casey Mears get done this way. Hendrick has a pretty good reputation. I don't think he wants to sully it.
Of course, I never thought Jr. would leave Dale Earnhardt Incorporated (DEI) this season either. Shows how much I know.
Bobby Ginn has been planning to expand his operation to four cars since before this season started. Bobby Ginn talked to DEI during the past season about a working agreement with DEI that would have had them field four cars together. Instead, Ginn put his own three cars on the track and has built a team as good as, if not better than DEI, in only one year. Would he like to have Dale Earnhardt Jr. as his fourth driver? You bet your sweet bippy.
"Ginn Racing, the three-car organization owned by Florida real estate developer Bobby Ginn, ... plans to make an underdog play for Earnhardt. Jay Frye, the team's general manager and minority owner, is a St. Louis native who once worked at Anheuser-Busch, Budweiser's parent company, and has close friends within the Busch family. The team also has Mark Martin, whose near-miss in the Daytona 500 and repeated top-10 runs in Ginn's flagship No. 01 car gives the operation needed credibility when pitted against other Chevrolet squads with multiple championships. Their sales pitch: look at the potential, and what you could help build."
"'Mark was aware of how fast our cars were every week. Drivers know,' Frye said. '[Earnhardt] is a smart guy. He knows what's in the garage. He knows who the people are that we have here. He knows whether he'd be comfortable here or not. He wants to compete for wins every week and run for a championship. Have we done that? No, we haven't. Do we think we can? Yes. Are we building to do that? Yes. Could he help us do that? Sure. But it might not be where he wants to come help, he wants to do it now. I don't know. We haven't talked. He may not want to talk to us. I don't know.'"
I think Ginn is a long shot. But he is a go getter. That's for sure. Look at the equipment he gives Mark!
But is it the best fit for Dale? I don't know. I don't quite see it. Richard Childress Racing still looks like a better fit to me. The strength of Jeff Burton and Clint Bowyer this year are awfully big arguments to go with Childress, given that Hendrick Racing doesn't appear to have a seat open.
However, I hope he listen's to what Bobby Ginn has to say...and considers the new smile this year on Mark Martin's face.
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