AUTO RACING
As The Wheels Turn
Published: May 11, 2007
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NASCAR's most popular driver is leaving the family nest.
Unable to wrest control of the racing organization founded by his late father and owned by a stepmother with whom he has sometimes clashed, Dale Earnhardt Jr. declared himself a free agent Thursday.
"I can honestly say we weren't really close with what we both had in mind," a bearded Earnhardt Jr. said in a televised news conference.
Thursday's development is the latest twist in a saga that has gripped the NASCAR fan base for years. From Dale Earnhardt Sr.'s tragic death on the final lap of the 2001 Daytona 500 after winning seven championships to Earnhardt Jr.'s rise to prominence to Earnhardt Jr. downplaying his obvious resentment towards stepmother Teresa Earnhardt, the Earnhardts have remained front and center.
The younger Earnhardt has driven for Dale Earnhardt Inc. his entire career. He wanted majority ownership in the company, but months of negotiating with Teresa Earnhardt through her top executive, Max Siegel, failed to produce an agreement.
"At 32 years of age, the same age as my father was when he made his final and most important career decision, it is time for me to compete on a consistent basis and contend for championships now," Earnhardt Jr. said, referring to his father's early career move to Richard Childress Racing.
"What team I drive for next season, I don't know. We'll see what opportunities I have, we'll see who wants to hire me."
Earnhardt Sr. founded DEI in 1980 as a company he envisioned passing to his children - Kerry, Kelley, Dale Jr., and, later, Taylor Nicole, who is the only child Dale Sr. and Teresa had together. Teresa Earnhardt, who was Dale Sr.'s wife for the last 18 years of his life, took over ownership upon his death.
Although the elder Earnhardt never drove in NASCAR's top level for DEI, he and Teresa built the company into a success. Dale Jr. became its star driver after winning two Busch Series championships, and between 2001 and 2004, Michael Waltrip and Dale Jr. won three out of four Daytona 500s.
Since his father's death, however, Earnhardt Jr., with sister Kelley Earnhardt Elledge as his business manager, has become increasingly discontent merely driving for DEI. He wanted an ownership stake, and as the organization fell behind NASCAR's top teams, he became more outspoken about DEI's shortcomings.
In an ESPN interview in February, Earnhardt Jr. said DEI should benefit him and his siblings with each owning a percentage and "and the people we felt out of the four of us who were the best to operate it operating it."
Thursday, Earnhardt Jr. conceded that he and his stepmother did not see eye-to-eye on what Earnhardt Sr.'s had planned for the company.
"Obviously, I feel like his vision - and he said it himself - was for me to have a huge role in the company itself," Earnhardt Jr. said. "Throughout the negotiations, I feel like me and Kelley came to the understanding that that was not in the cards."
Long-rumored tension between Earnhardt Jr. and Teresa Earnhardt was confirmed in December.
In a rare interview, Teresa Earnhardt made a comment to The Wall Street Journal that appeared to question Earnhardt Jr.'s dedication, saying, "the ball's in his court to decide on whether he wants to be a NASCAR driver or whether he wants to be a public personality."
The comment rankled Earnhardt Jr., pushing him to break his long-held silence about his relationship with Teresa.
During preseason testing in January, and again before the Daytona 500, he said he didn't appreciate her remark. At one point, he said his relationship with his stepmother had not been "a bed of roses."
"Teresa is my stepmother, and I have a mother at home [Brenda Jackson] that I have a good relationship with," Earnhardt Jr. said at the time. "Mine and Teresa's relationship has always been very black and white - very strict and in your face."
Thursday, Teresa Earnhardt released a statement saying that while she is disappointed Earnhardt Jr. is leaving the family business, DEI will win, "and we have other extremely talented drivers and hundreds of employees" dedicated to winning.
Earnhardt Jr. is in the final year of his contract with DEI. At the outset of this season, he said he would re-sign only he received at least 51 percent ownership in the company.
Two prominent drivers backed him not only in his bid, but in his conflict with his stepmother.
Kevin Harvick, who would go on to win this year's Daytona 500, called Teresa Earnhardt a "deadbeat owner," referring to her infrequent appearance at racetracks. Jeff Gordon suggested that Earnhardt Jr. had all the leverage, saying "he's really in the power position, and if Teresa is not recognizing that, then shame on her."
Still, the best offer Earnhardt Jr. received from DEI - according to published reports - was the right to buy 51 percent of the team for $55 million. He declined.
"When we first started our negotiations, I was anticipating signing a new contract with DEI," Earnhardt Jr. said Thursday. "We worked pretty hard on that. We've done a contract with DEI before, and I can say this was probably 10 times the effort. Max and Teresa worked hard to provide something, and we worked hard to provide something. But like I said, we never got close."
Earnhardt Jr. insisted that he isn't abandoning DEI and will maintain relationships with his friends there and support the company.
Kelley Earnhardt Elledge echoed that sentiment.
"We're Earnhardts," she said. "We still have a relationship with Teresa and Kerry and Taylor, and as for whatever the future holds for us as participants in DEI, there are a lot of years to figure that out."
Reporter Tony Fabrizio can be reached at afabrizio@ tampatrib.com or (813) 259-7994.
