[tkj24]

By David Caraviello, NASCAR.COM
August 18, 2007
02:10 PM EDT
BROOKLYN, Mich. -- Dale Earnhardt Jr. had seen this movie before, and he knew how it was going to end. He wanted the 8. He went after the 8. But deep down, he knew he would never get it.
"Personally, I sort of planned for this," he said. "I've been in these negotiations with the same person before, and they've never worked out in our favor. I knew this was the way it was going to be. I just didn't have the guts to tell my fans. They were holding out and hoping it would work out. I didn't have the guts to tell them it was just a waste of time hoping that would happen."
"If I was to get the 8, and allow Teresa to have limited control of it, I'd still have to deal with her, and that wasn't what I wanted"

Dale Earnhardt Jr.




That much became evident this week, when Hendrick Motorsports announced that Earnhardt's trademark car number will not follow NASCAR's most popular driver from Dale Earnhardt Inc. to his new home for 2008. (read more) Despite the work of his sister and manager, Kelley Earnhardt Elledge, despite the help of DEI president Max Siegel, the quest was scuttled for the same reason Earnhardt Jr. was unable to obtain an ownership share of the organization his late father founded.
Teresa Earnhardt refused to give up control. Earnhardt Jr. said Saturday at Michigan International Speedway that his stepmother, who owns DEI, wanted a share of licensing revenues from the number. Earnhardt Jr. even offered to return the No. 8 to DEI after he retired from driving, but ultimately negotiations fell apart in an episode that further underscored the growing bitterness of the division between the driver and his father's widow.
"I'm not going to sit here and get personal about this. The personal stuff is way far away from the racetrack. It's upsetting as hell, and unfortunate. But you know, that's just what happens sometimes. Like I say, I kind of had an idea that we were going to come down this road and have to take another turn. I knew this was the way it was going to happen. I'm not really all that surprised," he said.
"I knew I wasn't going to get the number a long time ago, but you wait and wait and wait. Kelley is working, trying to talk to Max, and Max is trying to help. Max tried his butt off to try and make it work, to talk some sense into [Teresa]. But she either feels too personal about the number, or the rift between me and her is too personal. I can totally understand. If I were in her shoes, I would probably be inclined to keep the number myself. But I will say that Max tried really, really hard. We had a deal that if we did get the number, I'd get him a set of golf clubs made by adidas. Unfortunately, he won't be getting his clubs."
History wasn't on Earnhardt's side. While car numbers are owner by NASCAR, they're distributed to car owners, and traditionally stay in the same shop even if a driver leaves. That's what happened at Roush Fenway Racing, which kept the No. 6 even after Mark Martin, the driver who made it famous, moved on.
"I know it is standard procedure for the owners to build equity in the number. That's what stays with them," said Martin, who now drives part-time for DEI. "The drivers take their superstardom wherever they may, when you make that choice to go. Dale Earnhardt won the rookie of the year and his first championship in the No. 2, then raced the No. 15, and then he raced the No. 8 on [Busch] cars all through the '80s. If you do the history instead of look at the last five or seven years, if you do the history and present it, then there's a whole different thing to it besides race fans.
"Dale Jr. made a choice to make a change in his career, to change his path and to give it a new start and to go put himself in a position to go win his first championship, and I think that's great. But that also came with the chance that the number would stay with Dale Earnhardt Inc., where it has been since 1984."
Jeff Gordon can imagine a similar reaction from car owner Rick Hendrick -- Earnhardt Jr.'s new boss beginning next season -- if he asked to take his trademark No. 24 with him to another team.
"If I said, 'I'd like to take the 24 with me,' he would laugh at me," Gordon said. "You know, I understand if Teresa wants to keep the 8 and use the 8. I think it's going to make it very tough for any other driver to get behind the wheel of that car, and I think if she doesn't use the 8, I think that it's really a shame that he wasn't able to get it. But as long as she used it, she thinks there's as much a tie to it with DEI than anything, then I understand why they wouldn't want to let go of it."
But it also has a tie to Earnhardt Jr., one much deeper and more personal than the numeral on apparel worn by his fans. He chose the 8 because his grandfather Ralph raced it, because of its significance within the family history. He intimated Saturday that his new number at Hendrick will have an 8 somewhere in it. "Hold on. Hang tight," he said, when asked about all those fans with No. 8 tattoos.
"I'm definitely going to look at some 80s and things like that. That's just common sense," he said. "I want a number that I'm going to like, and it's going to be a number I like and one I design. I'll design the shape and the look. It will be mine, and we'll build a new identity with that. Starting with such a clean page next year anyway, maybe it's for the best, sort of a lesson in disguise to make that clean break.
"Because when I walk away from DEI, I wanted no ties whatsoever. If I was to get the 8, and allow Teresa to have limited control of it, I'd still have to deal with her, and that wasn't what I wanted. We have to let the 8 go, and we have to get something new."

[thunderfoot]

That really seems to show the tension that there is at DEI between those two. It's a shame they never could get along very well. Control freaks really ruin a good thing eh?

[PenelopePitStop]

Interesting. I had no idea that there was such a strong rift between Jr. and Teresa ... of course, how could I?

If she's hanging on to the 8 for financial reasons, she's SOL. If she does use it next year, there's no way novelty sales will be what they were when Jr. was in the car. Hendrick, however, is about to hit the mother lode.

She's really making DEI look bad. Heartless.

Jr. has a good perspective on this entire thing. He wants a clean break, and that's what he'll get. I'm actually excited to see the number and design that he comes up with. I think 83 would be good.

[clutch]

Originally Posted by PenelopePitStop

Interesting. I had no idea that there was such a strong rift between Jr. and Teresa ... of course, how could I?
.

Surely you jest?!.......I'd say that their relationship borders on hate

[SteelPhoenyx]

Originally Posted by PenelopePitStop

Jr. has a good perspective on this entire thing. He wants a clean break, and that's what he'll get. I'm actually excited to see the number and design that he comes up with. I think 83 would be good.

It would. Shame it already belongs to Red Bull racing with Brian Vickers using it.

Besides 83, 84 and 88, are there any other 80s numbers active?

[tkj24]

In the movie "3" it showed Teresa taking up for Dale Jr when Dale was going to send him to Military school. I didn't fall for that. She was probably the one who made Dale send him.

[vincesanity82]

I read somewhere that teresa was related to hitler..

[oncea3fan]

Originally Posted by thunderfoot

That really seems to show the tension that there is at DEI between those two. It's a shame they never could get along very well. Control freaks really ruin a good thing eh?

so do spoiled bratts!

[oncea3fan]

I think 85 wuld be good, it would have the 8 for jr. fans and the 5 for HMS's first team.

[wingkey1]

Article kinda brings some light to "where all the fuss" is coming from. Looks like a media created storm seeking the reaction and sympathies of the "fans?" that would tend to me more focused on the meladrama(s) off the track.

Jr. says - The personal stuff is way far away from the racetrack. I can totally understand. If I were in her shoes, I would probably be inclined to keep the number myself. And with regard to a new identifier - It will be mine, and we'll build a new identity with that. Starting with such a clean page next year anyway, maybe it's for the best, sort of a lesson in disguise to make that clean break.


Other drivers asked for input to the article are pretty much of the same mind as Jr.

Oh well.

[wingkey1]

Rerun with spelling correction:

Article kinda brings some light to "where all the fuss" is coming from. Looks like a media created storm seeking the reaction and sympathies of the "fans?" that would tend to be more focused on the meladrama(s) off the track.

Jr. says - The personal stuff is way far away from the racetrack. I can totally understand. If I were in her shoes, I would probably be inclined to keep the number myself. And with regard to a new identifier - It will be mine, and we'll build a new identity with that. Starting with such a clean page next year anyway, maybe it's for the best, sort of a lesson in disguise to make that clean break.


Other drivers asked for input to the article are pretty much of the same mind as Jr.

[beth]

I was giving Theresa the benefit of the doubt and keeping an open mind but this has turned the tide for me.

There is no good reason for her to keep the 8. In fact I believe the number will be a detriment for the next driver unless it's an Earnhardt.

No good comes from doing things from spite. I wonder if all the Jr fans will boycott whatever sponsor ends up on the 8. I wouldn't blame them if they do.

[jks812]

Originally Posted by beth

I was giving Theresa the benefit of the doubt and keeping an open mind but this has turned the tide for me.

There is no good reason for her to keep the 8. In fact I believe the number will be a detriment for the next driver unless it's an Earnhardt.

No good comes from doing things from spite. I wonder if all the Jr fans will boycott whatever sponsor ends up on the 8. I wouldn't blame them if they do.

As a Jr fan, I won't boycott the #8 or DEI. I don't care who gets put in the car. I don't care what number Jr ends up with. It's a freaking number. The #8 didn't make Jr run good and won't make the next guy run bad. I'm glad he didn't get the number. If he were keeping Bud as his sponsor, then it would have been cool to keep the number.
Everybody is talking about what a bad person she is for not giving him the number. I just really don't see it. At first I thought she should give it to him. But I think a whole new start, with everything new, will be good for him. Don't bring any baggage from DEI with him, including the #. After all the #8 isn't what made Jr.

[beth]

My feeling is this is a family business that Jr has put sweat equity into. He won a Busch championship while he was paid $500 a week and living with his sister. All his merchandise sales went to DEI for several years before he even got a cut of them. He should have been able to leave DEI with something and he only wanted the number 8.

[Bob Tanner]

Originally Posted by oncea3fan

Quote:
Originally Posted by thunderfoot
That really seems to show the tension that there is at DEI between those two. It's a shame they never could get along very well. Control freaks really ruin a good thing eh?

so do spoiled bratts!

And therein lies yet another possibility!

I haven't said too much about this because I think the entire concept of a driver's identity being tied to a certain number is kind of lame and didn't merit discussion at length. But sentimentality being what it is, I guess it's just a fact of life.

So far 90% of everything I hear and read on this matter concerned the "Evil step mother." Has anyone here ever heard of the term, "Evil step children?"
Remember, Dale Sr. felt he had a valid reason for putting DEI in the hands of Teresa, a responsible adult. Teresa was his mate and business partner. Dale Sr. had the concept to build DEI and he relied on Teresa's sound judgement to make it not only a racing success, but more lasting and importantly, a business success. Teresa and Dale Sr. complemented each other's weaknesses.
Junior, during this period, as I remember it, seemed to do everything to be the "anti-Dale." I distinctly remember a couple of interviews where Sr described Jr in general "pain-in-the-ass" terms. He didn't want to listen to advice and wanted to do everything "His" way; while Sr. embraced the concept of rising early and going to bed early, Jr. bragged about his affinity for partying all night and sleeping late. Sr. was an outdoors-man and hunter; Jr went the opposite way and it appeared much of his life centered around computers and on-line gaming. Sr. had a few very close friends, but was a private person; Jr bragged about his "posse" and lived a very public lifestyle.
In short, they had a pretty much parent-to teenager relationship. A good start for a family relationship but a rotten way to foster a business relationship.
All this stuff about Jr. being "owed" a part of DEI. I don't buy it. The same with his being "owed" the number "8." That was Dale Sr's. dad's number. That was the number of the car Sr. first drove for Ed Negre in his first Cup start. That was DEI's first number. It is identified with DEI! Just as the "#5" rightfully is an icon for Hendrick; it was their first number and the the number HMS first won the Daytona 500 with. Dale will represent that number well, I'm sure.
Besides, I still haven't bought into this animosity between Dale Jr and Teresa. I think Kelley has played a major, unsung role in all of this. Besides being one of the "Evil step children," she's also a female and I've seen more than one inter-family cat fights between rival females.
Unfortunately (or fortunately) we're getting only one side of this entire saga. Teresa has chosen the high road and has said virtually nothing. Though it doesn't shed any light on the subject, I find her silence extremely dignified.