Wheels & Deals: Dale Jr. Negotiating To Stay With DEI

Earnhardt Jr., DEI Working On Contract Extension

In St. Petersburg, Brant James reports with NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. “set to become a free agent at the end of next season, constant but casual negotiations are under way” with Dale Earnhardt Inc. (DEI) to re-sign him. DEI Exec VP Richie Gilmore said, “It’s different when you work on his contract because it’s business, it’s family. It’s very complicated when you work with Dale Jr. and [DEI owner and his step-mother] Teresa because there’s so many different parts to it. It’s his dad’s business and it’s complicated. I know Teresa wants it to be Dale Jr.’s and Kelley’s and Kerry’s [Dale Earnhardt’s children] someday because that’s what Dale built it for and that’s in the long-term plans.” Gilmore added that he “personally avoids the talks though he is the team’s highest-ranking executive in the racing operation,” and that Earnhardt is signed to a “typical driver contract” (ST. PETE TIMES, 8/8).

TOYOTA BUILDS PRESENCE: In Jacksonville, Don Coble reported Toyota’s presence in the Nextel Cup Series next year “expanded again” with the addition of Riley-D’Hondt Motorsports. Toyota will have at least nine teams in ’07. The team will build two Camrys and race in the ’07 Allstate 400 at the Brickyard, as well as five Car of Tomorrow events. By ‘08 or ’09, the team wants to field two full-time Busch and four Cup teams. Team co-Owners Bill and Bob Riley helped create the COT, and they are currently the top manufacturer of chassis components in the Grand American Road Racing Series. The team said it has “verbal commitment” with two drivers (FLORIDA TIMES-UNION, 8/5). Team co-Owner Bill Riley “said the door opened for his company when NASCAR approved” the COT, as a “new chassis means a better chance for a fresh entry to succeed” (INDIANAPOLIS STAR, 8/5).

ONE MORE YEAR? SPEEDTV.com’s Tom Jensen cited sources saying that Roush and/or Ford have offered Mark Martin $8M “to stay yet another year in the No. 6 car.” Martin, who had planned to retire after ‘05, “stayed one more year to help Roush plug a gap after the departure of Kurt Busch.” Roush and Ford execs are re-evaluating plans “in the face of a) the Toyota challenge, b) the debacle at Robert Yates Racing, and c) the failure of some young recruits to pan out, thus leaving holes open” (SPEEDTV.com, 8/6).

NOTES: General Mills will continue as the primary sponsor of Petty Enterprises’ No. 43 Cheerios/Betty Crocker Dodge driven by Bobby Labonte. The deal is reportedly for three years (FT. WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM, 8/5)....The U.S. Marine Corps is leaving as the primary sponsor of the Rensi Motorsports Busch Series No. 25 Ford driven by Ashton Lewis Jr. due to “budget and competing advertisement initiatives.” The team, which is co-owned by former McDonald’s CEO Ed Rensi, has five wins in nine seasons (USA TODAY, 8/8).