Take it from a man who knows what it is like to lose his father prematurely. My father died when I was 11 years old. To this very day, I jump at the chance to get my hands on something that once belonged to my dad! I do not do it because I am greedy, or because I believe those items may somehow bring me financial gain. I do it because it brings me closer, emotionally, to a man I lost nearly 19 years ago. I believe this type of behavior is common among people who have lost onse they once loved so dearly. Why would it be different for Dale Earnhardt Jr.? Jr. wants partial ownership of Dale Earnhardt Inc., the company founded by his late father. I do not believe Dale Jr.'s desire for partial ownership is fueled by greed. Owning part of the company would be equivalent to owning a sense of closeness Dale Jr. has probably been searching for since his father's untimely death. Yet, it seems as if Teresa Earnhardt does not want to allow Jr. to have partial ownership of what is now “Her” company. My question to her is: Why? Is it greed? Is it spite? Or, does she actually believe Dale Sr. would not want his children to have ownership of his company? I do not necessarily know why she is putting up such a fight over this matter. I do not necessarily think it has anything to do with greed or spite. However, I do not believe anyone who has a child can believe Dale Sr. did not want his children to have control of his company! Anyone with children of their own knows it is human nature to want to leave a legacy for the ones they leave behind! I do not believe Teresa's decisions are anywhere close to being good business decisions! If Dale Earnhardt Inc. loses Dale Jr., it will not be worth owning! Dale Sr. may have founded the company. Teresa may now own and run the company. But, Dale Jr. made the company! Teresa may be creating a legacy for herself which will never be forgotten in the racing world. She may actually go down in history as the most hated person in NASCAR history! Everyone who loved Dale Sr. (including myself) will never forgive her. Everyone who loves Dale Jr. (including myself) will never forgive her. Virtually every NASCAR fan, regardless of whether or not they liked Dale Sr., will grimace when they hear the mere mention of her name. Does Teresa Earnhardt want to go down in history as the Marg Schotz of racing? She better reevaluate where her life in racing will go without her stepson behind the wheel of the #8 Budweiser car! Bankruptcy perhaps? Anyway, what would it mean for Jr. if he left DEI? Dale Jr.'s future in racing looks bright almost regardless as to what he might do. Any racing team would welcome Jr. with opened arms! Sponsors are probably already drooling at the mouth wondering if they will soon have the opportunity to sponsor Jr.'s ride! But, let us take a sensible look at what is out there for Jr. if he does decide to go elsewhere. Unemployment? Impossible! Richard Childress Racing? I believe it would be a good move for Dale Jr. if he was to go with Childress Racing. I do not believe Junior needs to worry about the business part of racing right now. Let Richard worry about the business side of racing. Richard is a proven owner in the world of NASCAR. Dale Jr. could focus primarily on racing. If he does this, championships will soon follow! But, with Childress racing comes distractions. The major distraction being the possibility of driving the black #3. Jr. does not need the pressure or distractions that come with that position. He needs to be able to race, and he does not need to have to worry about anything other than that! In all honesty, I believe one of the best scenarios would be if Dale Jr. could end up driving for Joe Gibbs! Joe Gibbs has emerged as one of the premiere owners in NASCAR. Additionally, he has been able to produce championship's with Tony Stewart, and Denny Hamlin showed championship potential last year as well. Dale Jr. would be going to a team where he would be surrounded by other drivers with talent (something not available at DEI). He seems to have a decent friendship with Tony Stewart already, and it seems as if they always race well together on the track. In my opinion, this is where Junior needs to go. It would increase his chances to win championships, and it would come without the shadow left behind by his father at Childress Racing. The only bad decision I believe Dale Jr. could make would be to drive a Toyota! I do not believe diehard Earnhardt fans could stomach seeing Jr. driving a Camry! Let me know what you think, and good luck Dale!
Yes, I could see Dale Jr. driving a Toyota to and from the track.On the track? No, his contract with Chevrolet would not allow it. It is premature to think Dale Jr. will leave DEI but my personal feelings is he would be better off with another team if he doesn't start his own racing organization. Don't think Teresa will let loose the reigns at DEI. For some reason she loves the power it offers.
Your suggestion of Jr. with Joe Gibbs racing along with Tony would make Gibbs a powerful and dominating organization along with Hamlin as the new kid on the block. It is about time to dump J.J. Yealey any how as had not shown much in the talent department last season.
Dale Jr. with Childress racing is a possibility but he will be in his dad's footsteps and shadow. Not a good idea...Dale Jr. is his own legend already.
BTW> certainly a great piece and well thought out...
First of all, I am so sorry about your auto accident. I only spent 2 months in a wheelchair, and I can't imagine a lifetime in it but you seem to have overcome life's challenges very well....I admire the human spirit, and you have that.
I am so glad to see that you have taken advantage of your skills as a writer. You weave this saga well. Well argued. I agree, Teresa will be the Marg Schott (great comparison) if she says no to Dale Jr. She is his step mom, and I am sure there is some animosity there. There has to be. I think she is being greedy, but that's my own take.
Thanks for giving this great read, and I look forward to more of your posts!
Lisa
Actually Dale Jr wants more than that, he wants controlling interest. And why not? Without him Teresa has a shell of a company that will never have the finances or the reputation to hire another driver equal to Dale Jr. What does it take Teresa to realize 20% of something is better than 51% of nothing? Dale Jr is your meal ticket. Time to move your #### out of the bosses chair and do the grieving Widow act in the box seats. And be glad a stepmother, 2nd wife gets anything. You didn't mother this racer and you didn't make his dad what he was either. MOVE OVER.
I would love to see Dale jr. take over DEI. And if not I feel for his benefit he needs to go elsewhere. Start his own team. Driving for toyota or whoever is just another steping stone for Dale jr. I want to see his at his best, happy to be driving. And Teresa has to know that Jr. is DEI. Maybe its time he showed her. And JR. don't forget to bring Kelly, and Kerry along. You all need to stick together.
I think you old blueblood NASCAR people are selling Toyota short. They will be in the hunt pretty damn quick. Every form of racing Toyota goes into it don't take them long to make the podium. And they got MONEY. If Dale jr is forced to Toyota they'll pay BIG TIME. And they'll win.
First of all, I never cut Toyota short. I believe they will have the same chance that success as everyone else, and I also believe Dale Jr. could win for Toyota. But, it would be public-relations suicide! By driving a Chevy, not even a Ford, Dale Jr. has been able to keep his father's fans and has earned his own following. He basically has the popularity of two drivers combined! Do you really think he should do something to damage his fan base? Dale Sr. was one of the best self promoters to ever exist, and hopefully Dale Jr. realizes his fans & his father's fans are also Chevy fans!
If you want to be a writer, you have to do your home work or write about something you know real well. Theresa built DEI to what it is today. Secondly Dale was a stingy man who by self admission was not ever in the running for father of the year. Dale was a great driver but not in anyway a business man, other than being where Theresa said he needed to be and shake the right hands. All Dale ever wanted to do was hunt and fish with Neil Bonnet when he wasn't racing. He and JR never really had that great of a relationship with each other, nor with his other children. He was really an old SOB like me. I loved the man and cried like hell when he died, and since really don't care much about NASCAR. You have to understand that without Theresa DEI probably wouldn't even exist, she did all the work and he put his name on the wall. Theresa was Dale's wife and like any wife inherits everything unless Dale would have specifically stated so in his will. He didn't and she shouldn't have to fold to JR's threats. Would you strong arm your mother if your father was dead? JR needs to concentrate on racing and let others run the big picture. Nothing good can come from him driving and running the show. Owner/driver doesn't work if you want to win championships, history shows that, and Theresa knows that. And if JR is not out racing for championships then DEI is anything anyway right? At 32 you think you can do it all but you can't, not effectively. There are three teams at DEI, how can this young man with no formal education in Business Management race cars, do commer
I have done my research. I agree with what you said about Teresa's business ability, and I agree with what you said about Dale Sr.'s personality, relationship with children, and etc. I do not agree that Dale just did want Teresa said. Of course, I do believe it was that way in the beginning. But, Dale was completely involved in the business side of the sport by the time he passed away. And, I still believe that over time he became the best self promoter in the business. I do not believe that Dale Jr. will serve as a stereotypical CEO just because he may end up with majority ownership. Teresa has already hired an accomplished businessman to help run DEI. So, just because you own majority control doesn't mean you have to oversee every little thing for all three teams. You surround yourself with good businessmen to ease your workload. But, I agree that Dale does not to worry about the business. He needs to focus on driving. Which is why I would like to see him driving for Joe Gibbs! But I do not believe Dale Jr. is doing anything wrong toward Teresa by wanting majority ownership! Maybe there would be no DEI without Teresa, but this isn't about the past. This is about the here and now. And right now, Dale Jr. is the only thing DEI has that is worth having! Why shouldn't he want majority ownership? Right now, he is making everyone else rich! And yes, under the circumstances, I would do the exact same thing.
Dear Imuncy,
I was not trying to cut you short on your research so don't be offended. I was an Earnhardt fan when you were 2 or 3 years old and read every interview, story, etc about him over the years. Now sure Dale was a driving force in DEI along with his wife, but trust me she set up and made the arrangements for every meeting, contact and public appearance he made. I read a article in Stock Car Racing Illistrated quite sometime ago where Dale said if she didn't tell me to be at Darlington this week, I'ld show up at Dover. Like I said Dale was not interested in a whole lot about racing other than driving the car, he was an outdoorsman. Now the next thing I would like to ask you is "Would you build a business with your wife and should she die, would you hand it over to her children?"
DEI was for Dale and Theresa to have something to do once he retired from racing, which was real near when he died. Dale never said as soon as Dale JR became an accomplished race car driver he got DEI, that's not what DEI was built for. If that were his intensions he would have set up the business and his will that way. Another thing is Dale never got anything from Ralph but a hard time and that is the same way he raised his children. Dale and JR were never really as close as people think they were. It's romantic thinking by blue collar NASCAR fans. Once again I was a die hard #3 fan from his rookie year, and the thing I liked the most about him is he was a ####. Birds of the same feather flock together. Sorry if this offends people but it is a true story.
Last edited by BigEfanSince79 on February 9th at 6:29 PM.
I do not believe we are disagreeing as much as we are slightly misunderstanding each other. Once again, I know Dale Sr. had stormy relationships with his children. I never disputed that, and I will not. Also, Dale Sr. may have made that statement about Dover, but we all (married men) say things like that; and, it is usually true. But, when we say things like that, part of us is also trying to make those around us to laugh and feel at a ease. As true as the statement may have been, would you agree that is probably what he was doing (as well as showing appreciation for his wife)? Now, I like the question you asked me! And no. I would not just hand over a company like that. But, a lot of what you say the in "past tense". That may have been why DEI was created. Dale Sr. probably envisioned calling the shots along with Teresa and growing old and then turning the company over to whoever they desired. But, unexpected death changes a lot of things (my dad died when I was 11 years old). What DEI was intended to be, and DEI actually is, are two separate things. We cannot do with the company what we wanted when it was created under the original circumstances. Those circumstances have changed, and we must change with them. We must deal with the reality at hand. The reality is DEI is a subpar racing organization. Even Teresa has hired other professionals recently to make it better. I ask you this? What if Teresa left DEI? Would the company flounder? I believe there are better businessmen out there who could fill her shoes. But, what if Dale Jr. let the
I ended up writing the nicest little story, and ending that paragraph above on an unbelievably happy note and then doesn't even post it! I hate when web sites do that! Don't you think they could let you know ahead of time they can only be so many characters long? Or, how hard to get it possibly be the comment box to stop typing after so many words? Well, I use voice activation, so I am out of breath now! Maybe I can post the rest of my story later? Also, what else did you read of my writings? And thanks for the comment. Please read my other articles and believe your comments -- OK?
I would say that Dale Jr. has followed in his father's foot steps and continues to carry the Earnhardt Racing tradition, very proudly...
If there is anyone "not" giving 100% to the DEI cause or who's heart isn't totally in it, it would have to be Teresa Earnhardt...
I can't believe that she would even consider letting Dale Jr. leave for another race team...I don't think DEI would foldup and close their doors but their chances to stay competitive would suffer greatly...Not only would Dale Jr. be gone but Teresa can also kiss Budwieser good-bye...To lose a top driver and top sponser is "business suicide"...
I think Jr. should have controlling interest,(even if it is shared with his siblings)... I think that Dale Senior would have wanted it that way... Sometimes to stay competitive you have to make hard but wise business decisions...
I know the blog I wrote last night was three times as long as what you read, but I was tired and gave up. What I was saying is that basically Theresa and Dale brought Bud to DEI not JR. True Bud would follow Dale because I owned a bar and my salesman said JR is making more money for them than any other promotion they've ever had. But that is not the main issue, the issue is JR is trying to strongarm his way into taking over the company. And I know if there was anyway possible for Dale to come back from the dead and kick JR's butt for doing what he is doing right now he would. Like I said Dale knew the risk of driving and that he could die any day. So nothing has changed and he is making DEI no more money than Waltrip did with NAPA. Racers and sponsors come and go from one team to another every year, and everybody keeps racing. JR may be a TV commercial blockbuster, but he's a Par driver at best. Theresa not going to the track is not the reason he isn't winning championships, his arogant attitude is. He's like a child blaming everyone but himself for his short comings on the track. What he really needs to do is retire offer to buy into DEI, shake hands, smile, and hock Wrangler Jeans and what ever else he can pedal and get into management. No driver/owner has done jack in this business ever, well maybe Kulwicki, but that was a fluke and only 1 year and he died. I mean he's not a great driver, as it is now, and all he has to do is concentrate on racing and he's not that good.
Last edited by BigEfanSince79 on February 10th at 5:49 PM.
JR is just another one of these whinny little zit faced New Wave Racer punks that wouldn't be in NASCAR if their daddies hadn't put up big bucks to get them in the sport. They are as bad as these loud mouth Pro football/basketball/baseball players that are constantly flapping their yaps over how much they are worth and bling-bling and all the rest of the BS. I mean they are millionaires, shut up and play/drive, it's as bad as having to watch "As The World Turns". And JR is nothing like his dad at all, Dale was a real race car driver. He earned his ride from racing his own junk after he worked a job 40+ hrs a week and did his own mechanic work. His daddy made him earn everything he had instead of pampering him with race cars and sponsors. The real men of racing are gone. That's why I only watch a few races a year and all college sports. I own a business and if I die it goes to my wife period the end. I'm good to my children but I insist they make their own way. My son is a Junior at Youngstown State earning a degree in Robotic Engineering. He is working a weekend job and a paid internship job, paying his own way, and to date he hasn't taken a grant or loan to do so. I could have given him an easy ride but he has learned to stand on his own two feet and become a man. I am also not planning on leaving him anything when I die because he should have made his own by then anyway. I don't mind sending him plane tickets to see his family in the summer and holidays but that's about it, and I know Dale thought the same way.
Last edited by BigEfanSince79 on February 10th at 5:46 PM.
Today is March 17th, 2007 at 4PM. Last week and this week Dale Earnhardt has not driven in the races. Please tell me what has happened to him. Hope he is not injured.
I read your blog bro...well done. I have the same dream of being a sportswriter but not near the obstacles you have overcome...we share a love of NASCAR and the Earnhardt legacy. Teresa has fouled the very heart of DEI. I loved Dales' father and know what she is doing would make him crazy.Anyway just wanted to say keep reaching,and thanks for inspiring a fellow number 88 junkie!!
I was paralyzed in an automobile accident on 2/13/91, only a few weeks after I had 33 rebounds in one basketball game! My sports career was cut short, but my life wasn't. Although, I no longer have a need to be 6'7". I'm now a 31-year-old, C5, quadriplegic. I am from West Virginia and love Marshall University. I'm a sports enthusiast, and blogging gives me something to do when I'm jones'n for competition. I would love to become a freelance sports writer. I guess my quest begins here. I invite you to follow along. Read my blog, and tell me what you think.
