[jks812]

Originally Posted by Racer Duck

and good for DEI's pocket book: imagine the die cast sales off this one car!

I'd buy a couple of them....lol. Seriously though, I wish they would do a special paint for the last race.

[Racer Duck]

As much an nobody is willing to say it, this is another case of a journalist trying to manufacture a story. There's nothing based on fact, only "what if".

Some reasons why it is not true:

1. Jr, like most drivers, has "performance" clauses in his contract. There's nothing about his performance that should result in him being "punished". Just because lots of people "want" him in the Chase, and I'm sure there's a financial "reward" in his contract, it's a bonus that he's not gettng .. nothing wrong with that.
2. "Punishing" Jr would open them up to a civil suit for denying Jr the right to work (you don't think Kelly wouldn't love to drop a civil suit on DEI?)
3. Bud has a contract with DEI for Jr to drive the #8 car. If he doesn't drive it, they don't pay .. in this case, DEI has to send money back to Bud: big money!!! They can deny DEI putting any driver not approved by them in the "Budweiser car": so who pays for the #8 to race? They can also deny DEI the right to sell any memorabilia with Budweiser on it! (more big money)
4. Jr. has a personal services contract with Budwieser. They can go sponsor any car they want and put Jr in it. DEI might try to hold Jr to an "eclusive" contract, but every contract has a "not scheduled" clause to allow a driver to compete in an event the owner does not have him/her scheduled for. Bud has good lawyers .. and Jr probably has a few as fans...
5. PR would be extremely negative for DEI. Would Bass Pro Shops reconsider their contract? No DEI driver would get positive PR unless they denounced DEI's actions .. so how much does Truex really want to drive for DEI? Or Mark Martin? Or Aric Almirola? or Regan Smith? Would (Daddy Warbucks) Menard stick around with all the bad PR? What about RCR? (remember they're linked to DEI too.)