Jr Wants Majority Ownership

[BenRoethig]

If she's smart, she'll reach a compromise where she runs the business end and Jr makes the racing decisions. They also need to form a new version of RAD with RCR, DEI, and JGR. Things went much more smoothly when they shared notes.

[BenRoethig]

If Joonyer gets a majority ownership at DEI...it'll be Kelley running the place, not Joonyer, so I think it would be in more than capable hands.

Theresa is a shrewd business women...so I think she'll cave and give all of Dale Sr's kids part ownership. Without Joonyer, the DEI ship will sink.

I read a interesting article in Nascar Scene a few weeks back written by Jeff Owens. He mentioned that Theresa is more interested in protecting the name 'Dale Earnhardt Sr' than running the company he built. He said that if Sr where alive today...he'd be doing the exact opposite.

She is a shrewd businesswoman. She has always been a genius on the marketing side. She doesn't understand much about the racing side though. That was Dale Sr's gift. He could judge people and situations better than almost anyone else.

[Jag_Warrior]

It's not like I've ever met Teresa Earnhardt and maybe she really is smart as a whip. But having been married to Dale Earnhardt is almost like having been married to Elvis (in the South, anyway). So my question is, what makes her particularly "brilliant"... other than the fact that she married the right guy at the right time?

Here's the deal, IMO. He walks, and his income and popularity, if not race wins, are not affected. He might even be better off all the way around somewhere else... especially at RCR - which is where I hope he goes anyway. But without him, here's a (rare) time when I agree with Tony Stewart: museum time. The team might survive (as a shell of itself), but sponsors and attention are drawn to that team because he is Dale Earnhardt's kid. And championships or not, he wins races.

If she calls his bluff, then I think we'll see how fast she is on her feet, should he leave.

[BenRoethig]

It's not like I've ever met Teresa Earnhardt and maybe she really is smart as a whip. But having been married to Dale Earnhardt is almost like having been married to Elvis (in the South, anyway). So my question is, what makes her particularly "brilliant"... other than the fact that she married the right guy at the right time?

Here's the deal, IMO. He walks, and his income and popularity, if not race wins, are not affected. He might even be better off all the way around somewhere else... especially at RCR - which is where I hope he goes anyway. But without him, here's a (rare) time when I agree with Tony Stewart: museum time. The team might survive (as a shell of itself), but sponsors and attention are drawn to that team because he is Dale Earnhardt's kid. And championships or not, he wins races.

If she calls his bluff, then I think we'll see how fast she is on her feet, should he leave.

He leaves she might as well sell that team. She'd be left with two untested drivers Dale Jr. brought Martin and Bass Pro into the fold and while a pretty decent driver, lets face the only reason Paul Menard is in cup is because his dad is the sponsor. If he leaves, I could see John Menard pairing up with Robby Gordon to offer to take it off her hands.

[beachbum]

Just as some have suggested stated about Teresa: "what makes her particularly "brilliant"... other than the fact that she married the right guy at the right time?", the same could be said about Junior. What makes him so great other than the legacy of the name? He is no Dale, Sr.

Take away he name "Dale Earnhart" and what does Jooonior bring to the table? DEI is an average team, not quite at the level of Roush, RCR, Hendrick, Gibbs, or Evernham. Even though it appears nearly all of the resources in the team are focused around Junior, other than restrictor plate races, the team is usually not much of a threat (I know, someone will trot out some statistic. It is just my opinion). It is still mainly a one horse team. Juniors main attribute is his marketing value, and much of that is the result of the luck of havng his fathers name. True, he is a good driver, but would he be nearly as valuable if his name were Kerry Earnhart or Dale Smith?

The main thing he brings, after his name, is "Bud". The Bud money is big and I suspect DEI lives off of it. But Budweiser backed away from the Busch series and thinking they will stay forever behind one driver may be optimistic. Even Goodwrench left RCR after many successful years.

When I first read about the demand, it struck me as purely an arrogant power play. He seems to think he holds all of the cards and is the key to DEI surviving. Some fans obviously agree. But the real key may be "Bud", not Jooonior. Just as Mikey would only be a backmarker without NAPA (actually he is still a backmarker), where would Junior be without Bud? Of course, where would DEI be without Bud?

I don't think the position of either side is nearly as stong as they would like to suggest. The cards aren't being held by Junior or Teresa. There are being held by the sponsors, specifically "Bud"

[BenRoethig]

They used to be one of the top tier teams in NASCAR. The new owner couldn't adjust.

[Mark in Oshawa]

I Love how everyone demeans Dale Jr. as if he was some member of the lucky sperm club or something. I think by now it is obvious is is a pretty decent race driver. Is he Tony Stewart or Jimmie Johnson? Maybe not, but maybe we wont know if he never races with a team that can put him on top every race.

Dale and his sister Kelley have figured out that they don't need DEI as much as DEI needs Jr. Kelley knows that Bud isn't going anywhere. Dale has Bud in his back pocket because he has been their most successful marketing campaign in racing for some time. Without the Bud money, t-Stew has it right on, DEI is a museum. Theresa is bent on holding onto everything as if Dale Sr. might pop back into the office at any time. She doesn't seem interested in sharing the power at DEI with Kelley and Jr. I stated on another thread that I felt the issues were between Theresa and Kelley as much as anything, and I got slagged but I suspect I am not far off the mark. It is about control, and the thing is, Jr. knows that if he is to win a Championship at DEI, the only way he can do it is to call more shots on the racing side. Taking the Eury's away from him 2 years ago was not his decision, it was Theresa's and we saw how well that worked. Theresa knows how to make money off the image of her late husband. She is a great lady I don't doubt, but she doesn't know the sport the way Sr. did or any of the other owners who have won championships do. The fact DEI and RCR are not sharing the way they used to is proof of this. RCR is back while DEI is struggling. The only thing that Theresa can do if she is smart is work out some sort of ownership stake and hire someone who is knowledgeable in the sport to run the racing side and stay out. Make that someone agreeable to Jr.

Jr. doesn't want to own a cup team really, but the thing is, he wouldn't be running DEI if he did own it, Kelley and whoever they hired to run the racing side would do the running. Jr. just wants a great race car week in week out. He hasn't had that yet, and while he would love to do it driving for the team his Dad started, lets face it, his market value to Gibbs or RCR would be MASSIVE. DEI is special, and if any other team had treated Jr. the way they have, he would be gone already......

[Phoenixent]

I look at it this way owning a business myself. If the kids are doing something to promote the business and create a better future for the company fine. But to hand over 51% to my 25 year old son or daughter just because they think it's their due is just dumb. If my kids told me that I would say fine if you want it buy it lets due it. But I will hand over the company I built until I am ready. As the saying goes money talks and B******t walks. He did not build the team his father and step mother built the team. If I remember right it was a Busch team before with Ron Hornady as a driver among others before Jr. If junior wants it BUY IT if he should just go to another team and quit whining. If Theresa is real good at business she will survive and maybe improve. If not then so be it the auctioneers will come in and finish it. Then everything her and Dale Sr. built will be gone.

[e2mtt]

DEI is a second tier race team, with no history of winning championships, that happens to have the most popular driver with the best sponsorship driving for them.

Junior CAN negotiate from a position of strength, because he IS DEI. Without him they have 0 championships, 2 wins (by a driver no longer with them) and 2 rookie drivers. And a really big fancy building. (Actually they have a good Busch team... got to give them that)

Jr. hasn't been happy with a lot of the decisions Teresa & DEI have made for him. I can't blame him for wanting a controlling ownership.

How long do you think it would take for RCR, HMI, or JGR to set Jr. up with a great ride & arrangement if he left DEI? (I would prefer JGR personally)

[muggle not]

Most think that Jr would go to RCR but I believe he would go to JGR