By Jeff Owens,
Executive editor of NASCAR Scene

December 20, 2006

Don't be completely shocked if, a year from now, Dale Earnhardt Jr. walks away from his famous No. 8 Chevrolet, and possibly even his popular and lucrative Budweiser sponsorship, to drive for another Nextel Cup team.

It's unlikely, but not out of the question given the tense relationship between him and his stepmother, Teresa Earnhardt, the owner of his Dale Earnhardt Inc. team.

Their relationship has always been a bit rocky. Since his father died in 2001, Junior's boss has been Teresa, and he has not always been happy with the way she runs the team that bears his father's name.

Three years ago, the two had an ugly contract dispute, with Earnhardt Jr. at one point saying it was difficult to negotiate when Teresa was rarely around.

A year ago, Earnhardt Jr. had to battle the company just to get the rights to his own name.

Now, Teresa has fired the latest salvo when she questioned Earnhardt Jr.'s commitment, telling the Wall Street Journal that he needed to decide "whether he wants to be a NASCAR driver or whether he wants to be a public personality."

It's not the first time someone has questioned Earnhardt Jr.'s commitment, but it's particularly scathing when it comes from his own boss, one with whom he already has a tense relationship.

Earnhardt Jr. is NASCAR's most popular and most marketable driver, a role that has led to numerous off-track business deals and opportunities.

He has taken full advantage of that, hosting his own TV and radio shows, making cameo appearances in movies, TV shows and music videos and hanging with some of entertainment's top celebrities.

Two years ago, he started his own Busch Series team, one that is run by his sister Kelly and employs several family members. He drives for the team on occasion and said last year that he prefers running Busch races for his own team rather than for DEI.

Whether running his own team and his extracurricular activities have affected his performance on the track has been a matter of debate, and it doesn't help when he has slumped the past two years.

In 2004, he was one of the sport's top drivers, winning six races and finishing in the top five in points. Last season, he won just one race and missed the Chase.

After his dismal 2005, DEI reorganized its entire operation, reuniting Earnhardt Jr. with crew chief and cousin Tony Eury Jr. in an effort to return their team to the top.

It worked, but only marginally. Earnhardt Jr. made the Chase in 2006, but won just one race and never made a serious challenge in the championship race.

Meanwhile, his teammate, rookie Martin Truex Jr., struggled, raising questions about the organization's ability to field two competitive teams. Now it will expand to three teams, with rookie Paul Menard joining the fold in 2007.

Though few have questioned Earnhardt Jr.'s driving talent, questions remain about why he has struggled the past two years.

Is DEI simply behind and struggling to keep up with the sport's superpowers? Or is Earnhardt Jr. too distracted to get the most out of his equipment and the team's resources?

Or is it DEI's leadership at the top that is lacking?

At times, Earnhardt Jr. and others have questioned the way Teresa runs the team, wondering if she is focused too much on marketing and not enough on racing. She rarely comes to the track and hardly ever speaks to the media, leaving many wondering who is actually running the operation. She recently hired a music industry executive to run the team's global operations.

Though he was pleased with the way his team bounced back this past season, Earnhardt Jr. cannot be happy that Teresa has questioned his commitment.

His contract is up after next season and, unless an extension is signed early in the year, there will likely be questions all year about whether he will return.

There has been speculation for years that Earnhardt Jr. might one day leave for another team, perhaps Richard Childress Racing, the team with which his legendary father won six championships.

With RCR having revived its operation this year, winning six Cup races and putting two drivers (Kevin Harvick and Jeff Burton) in the Chase, such a move suddenly seems much more enticing. Richard Childress has made no secret that he would love to have Earnhardt Jr. one day. Certainly, he could find plenty of sponsorship money to back a fourth team, especially one for NASCAR's biggest star.

Such a move would be a severe blow to DEI. Earnhardt Jr. and his popularity are the organization's most valuable assets. Losing him could be a crippling setback, making it difficult to contend and attract sponsors.

Earnhardt Jr. would likely be reluctant to leave the team that his father built, especially since some of its employees are family members and crewmen that were loyal to Earnhardt Sr.

But if his boss continues to question his commitment and play hardball when it comes to contract negotiations, it might not be so hard for Earnhardt Jr. to leave.

Stranger things have happened.



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