“I Didn’t Mean To Wreck Him — I Was Just trying To Rattle His Cage!”
According to Jayski Dale Earnhardt Inc. leads the unofficial tally of employees who have been laid off or downsized from NASCAR race teams.
DEI has reportedly laid of 116 employees.
The total for all race teams stands at 607, unofficially.
Sad news, I hope things improve soon.
An attorney for Elliott Sadler has fired the first shot in what is sure to be a legal battle between Sadler and Gillett Evernham Motorsports.
John Buric, Elliott Sadler’s attorney, has filed an ‘application and order extending time to file complaint’ in Iredell County, North Carolina Superior Court.
According to court records the order seeks “injunctive relief, declaratory relief/specific performance, consequential and punitive damages as a result of Defendants anticipatory and actual breach of Plaintiffs’ Driving Services Agreement — Plaintiffs also seek general, consequential, treble and punitive damages, and attorney fees, as a result of Defendants’ tortuous interference.”
Last spring GEM signed Sadler to a multiyear extension of his contract to drive the car through 2010.
The order filed by Sadler’s attorney names GEM owner George Gillette along with Ray Evernham and AJ Allmendinger.
The Polar Bear 150 at Rockingham Speedway featured 67 Street Stock — real stock cars — racing on New Year’s day.
Monte Dutton had a great article on the race for the Cleveland County, North Carolina newspaper ‘The Star.’
If you read the article it will make you want to go racing.
Will Dale Earnhardt Jr. make it in? What about Jeff Gordon, or Tony Stewart or Jimmie Johnson — or what about Kyle Busch?
There’s no doubt that drivers like Richard Petty, David Pearson and Dale Earnhardt will go into the new NASCAR Hall of Fame. They’ll probably be the first ones to go in.
But which of today’s drivers will go into the Hall of Fame?
It’s too soon to tell on Dale Jr. If his career continues the way it has the last 3 years it will be hard to make a case for putting Junior into the Hall of Fame.
If his career had continued the way it started Junior would be a lock for the Hall of Fame. In fact, he would probably be a Champion by now.
After all Dale Jr. has 18 Cup wins and 2 Nationwide Series Championships.
He’s off to a good start, he just needs to close the deal
But if Dale Jr., Tony Eury Jr., and the rest of the No. 88 team bring their A Game in 2009 — if they lead laps, win poles and races, and make a competitive run at the Championship it will be a step in the right direction.
Jeff Gordon likely already has a spot guaranteed in the Hall based on his 4 Championships and 81 wins in 17 years.
Same for Jimmie Johnson with 3 straight Championships.
But who else in today’s class of drivers have what it takes to make it into the NASCAR Hall of Fame?
For drivers like Kyle Busch and Carl Edwards it’s too soon to tell. It depends on how the rest of their careers go. Do these drivers have staying power — or was 2008 just a flash in the pan?
Time will tell.
What’s your prediction — which drivers racing now will eventually make it into the Hall of Fame, and why do you think they’ll make it?
Photo courtesy Hendrick Motorsports
Elliott Sadler has been released by Gillett Evernham Motorsports from the No. 19 Sprint Cup Dodge for 2009. Sadler will be replaced by AJ Allmendinger.
Allmendinger was hired by GEM to finish the final 5 races in the 2008 season replacing Patrick Carpentier in the No. 10 Dodge. He was able to improve the No. 10 cars performance, though he never scored a top 10 finish in those 5 races.
“They asked AJ to do a job, and he exceeded their expectations,” said Tara Ragan, Allmendinger’s business manager.
I knew that Allmendinger would find a ride — he’s an extremely talented driver. I’m just disappointed that it came at Elliott Sadler’s expense.
NASCAR is the only major sport in America without its own Network. We’ve got the Golf Channel, the NFL Network, and the Major League Baseball Network is coming in January - but still no NASCAR Network.
But the talk keeps getting louder that NASCAR will start its own network to carry more in-depth coverage of the sport.
Would you like to see NASCAR come out with its own Network? If so, what would you like to see on the NASCAR Network?
I don’t think you’ll see live races - NASCAR is not going to compete with its major TV partners on that one.
But you could see race replays - maybe condensed versions of Sunday’s race on Monday night that only last for an hour or two.
Maybe we could get a better post race show that lasts for an hour or so and really breaks down the race and interviews more people after the checkered flag flies.
After all, the networks that carry the race are ready to go to another show as soon as the winner climbs out of the car - and sometimes before. Remember what happened at Phoenix earlier this year when ABC dropped their coverage with just a few laps to go.
The NASCAR Network would also be a great place to learn more about the history of NASCAR. Lets interview some of the people who have made NASCAR what is is today.
So - would you like to see the NASCAR Network? What kind of programming would you like to see on it? Would you be willing to pay a little extra to see the NASCAR Network? If so, how much would it be worth?
Give us your comments. I’ll forward them on to NASCAR so they will know how the fans feel about a NASCAR Network.
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All you need are a few sponsor decals to go on this car, a car number, and — oh, yeah approval from NASCAR.
But if you can get that, and you can pass inspection and qualify then you can race in the Daytona 500. All you have to do is go on eBay and buy this race car.
Okay, maybe it’s not that simple — but this is a COT with a new engine that has an opening bid of $15,000.
It would make a great hobby racer or promotional show car.
It would be fun to paint this car like Junior’s and drive it down Talladega Boulevard on race weekend. Or if you want free beer at Talladega just paint it like Jeff Gordon’s car — I guarantee they’ll throw beer cans at you.
Do you want to get an inside look at Dale Earnhardt Jr’s relationship with his Father? If so you have to watch this video.
You can listen to Dale Earnhardt say “People come up to me and say you’re Dale Earnhardt Jr’s Dad? Pretty cool.”
Dale Earnhardt also talks about what he hoped to see in his Son — and DEI — in the future “All I hope is you do well enough when I retire from driving I can be a nice comfortable car owner with a winning driver,” said the elder Earnhardt. Too bad it didn’t work out that way.
The two Earnhardts also debate who is the better driver.
“When I was his age I was a lot better than he is now,” The Intimidator said.
But Junior would not hear of that. “I think it’s the other way around - I think I”m a little better than he was at 23,” said Dale Jr.
Dale tried to give his Son some advice in a round about way that Junior might listen to it.
“I remember my dad telling me the dos and don’ts of life,” Dale Earnhardt Sr. said. “You never believe what your dad says, and it always came true.”
“I sorta let him learn it on his own and help it when it needs help. Hopefully we can keep the driver going in the right direction and everything will work well.”
Watch this video and let us know what you think.
This is one of Dale Earnhardt Jr’s favorite quotes according to his page at Infield Parking. These are not Dale Jr’s words — they’re Abraham Lincoln’s. But Junior must have got a lot out of them to say this is his favorite quote.
It’s pretty patriotic and timeless — the words are as meaningful today as they were 170 years ago.
Here it is. What do you think?
At what point shall we expect the approach of danger? By what means shall we fortify against it? Shall we expect some transatlantic military giant, to step the Ocean, and crush us at a blow? Never!
All the armies of Europe, Asia and Africa combined, with all the treasure of the earth (our own excepted) in their military chest; with a Buonaparte for a commander, could not by force, take a drink from the Ohio, or make a track on the Blue Ridge, in a trial of a thousand years. At what point, then, is the approach of danger to be expected?
I answer, if it ever reach us it must spring up amongst us. It cannot come from abroad. If destruction be our lot, we must ourselves be its author and finisher. As a nation of freemen, we must live through all time, or die by suicide. — By Abraham Lincoln — from The Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln edited by Roy P. Basler, Volume I, “Address Before the Young Men’s Lyceum of Springfield, Illinois.”
This car was specially prepared, and sold exclusively at Dale Earnhardt’s Chevrolet New Car Dealership in Newton, North Carolina.
The car has 12,213 original miles. Exterior features include, NASCAR inspired paint scheme, 16″ Dale Earnhardt Signature Series American Racing Chrome Wheels, three piece rear spoiler, NASCAR style front air-dam, GM Goodwrench Racing decals, and custom paint and pinstriping.
The Interior features of the vehicle include, Numbered Limited Edition Plaque, Dale Earnhardt’s Signature on Passenger Sun visor, Dale Earnhardt Signature Series Embroidered headrests.
The car includes all Z34 options, 3.8L Series II V6, automatic transmission, full leather interior, air conditioning, power windows, power locks, power mirrors, cruise control, power drivers seat, AM/FM CD player, steering wheel mounted audio controls, dual airbags, ABS, four wheel disc brakes, and like new Goodyear Eagle RS-A tires.
