Is Dale Earnhardt’s Dream Falling Apart? Prior to his tragic death in February of 2001, Dale Earnhardt and his wife, Teresa, were in the process of building an empire. Dale Earnhardt, Inc. (DEI) was about to embark upon its fourth full season in Sprint Cup competition. From 1998 to 2000, DEI displayed immense progress. The organization did not win a race in 1998 or 1999, but they boasted four wins in 2000, that is if you include Dale Earnhardt, Jr.’s All-Star victory. Earnhardt, Jr. won two championship points-paying races at Texas and Richmond, while Steve Park shocked the NASCAR world by outclassing the field at the road course of Watkins Glen. In the fall of 2000, Earnhardt announced the impending arrival of veteran Michael Waltrip, making DEI a three-car operation. Following Earnhardt’s tragic passing, the trio of DEI drivers had perceptible chemistry. On the track, DEI won the first two races of the 2001 season, as Waltrip captured the Daytona 500, and Park winning an emotional race at Rockingham the week after Earnhardt’s death. Off the track, Waltrip and Earnhardt, Jr. appeared in several humorous commercials together. Park was emerging as one of NASCAR’s budding stars. He was competitive throughout the season, as he was tenth in the championship standings when he suffered a head injury and broken ribs following his involvement in a bizarre crash in a Nationwide Series race at Darlington. The injury ended his career breakthrough season. At the time, only Jeff Gordon, Ricky Rudd, and Sterling Marlin had posted more top tens than Park. In retrospect, Park’s injury could have been the foundation of DEI’s troubles. Park returned to competition in the fifth race of the 2002 season; however, he was not the same driver he was prior to the accident. He struggled mightily in 2002 and eventually lost his job at DEI in the middle of the 2003 season. The team’s sponsor, Pennzoil, pulled out following the 2003 season, hence, DEI was back to a two-car operation while other teams were expanding. Despite Park’s demise, DEI had NASCAR’s most popular driver on the payroll. Earnhardt’s son, his namesake, was the face of the organization, and was a frequent winner in the early 2000’s. From 2000 to 2004, Earnhardt, Jr. won fifteen races, six occurring in 2004. Waltrip and Earnhardt, Jr. absolutely dominated the super speedway tracks, Daytona and Talladega. They won a combined eleven races at those tracks from 2001 to 2004. In 2004, Chance 2, under the DEI umbrella, highlighted the talent of the up and coming Martin Truex, Jr. with support from Bass Pro Shops. Truex, Jr. won the 2004 and 2005 Nationwide Series championships. However, with the good came the bad. As Truex, Jr. and Bass Pro Shops made their way into the Sprint Cup Series in 2006, Waltrip and NAPA Auto Parts departed. It became apparent following Earnhardt, Jr’s masterful season in 2004 that DEI was not at the same level as Hendrick Motorsports, Roush Fenway Racing, and Joe Gibbs Racing. In 2005, Earnhardt, Jr. missed the Chase for the Championship, and only recorded one victory. In 2006, he won another race, and qualified for the Chase for the Championship, but he was never a threat to Jimmie Johnson. The 2007 season was the ultimate turning point for DEI. Prior to the season, Teresa Earnhardt made several questionable statements regarding her stepson in a Wall Street Journal interview. She questioned his commitment as a driver. Her comments were cutting to Earnhardt, Jr. Additionally, it was a contract year for NASCAR’s most celebrated driver. His performance was mediocre, and it seemed as if he and Teresa were unable to coexist. Ultimately, Earnhardt, Jr. opted to leave DEI to drive for Hendrick Motorsports. With the loss of Earnhardt, Jr. came the loss of Anheuser-Busch, and the support and fanfare that Earnhardt, Jr. brought to the table. However, DEI was determined to keep their head above water. They absorbed Ginn Racing in August of 2007. The acquisition of Ginn Racing meant that they were now a four-car operation with another sponsor, U.S. Army, as well as veteran driver Mark Martin. Furthermore, DEI retained developmental drivers Aric Almirola and Regan Smith. Two months prior, Truex, Jr. won his first career Sprint Cup race in convincing fashion at Dover. Truex, Jr. qualified for the Chase for the Championship. It appeared as if there would be life after Dale Earnhardt, Jr. In 2008, Truex, Jr. has been one of NASCAR’s most disappointing drivers. DEI has yet land a full-time sponsor for Regan Smith. Paul Menard recently announced that he was leaving DEI for Yates Racing, which means that his sponsor, Menard’s, will accompany him out the door. U.S. Army will leave DEI for Stewart Haas Racing and driver Ryan Newman. Mark Martin will return to full-time competition with Hendrick Motorsports in 2008. Truex, Jr. and Bass Pro Shops will return in 2009, but after that, the future is hazy. It is possible that DEI will only have one full-time sponsor in 2009 and none in 2010. Sponsorship is lacking for three of the four teams in a time when the economy is in shambles. Clearly, this is not the blueprint that Dale Earnhardt created more than ten years ago when he decided to advance his company into Sprint Cup competition. It is difficult to accurately project where DEI as a company would be if Earnhardt were still alive. It is safe to say that while Teresa was instrumental in DEI’s original growth, Earnhardt was the formula for success. He commanded so much respect, and sponsors adored him. He and Teresa together as a tandem were a deadly combination. Unfortunately, without Earnhardt, Teresa is only one component of the formula for success. Something is clearly missing. She avoids the limelight while administering the company at arm’s length. Nobody has really stepped into the visible leadership role in the company. Nobody in ownership is at the track on a weekly basis supporting the drivers and teams. Currently, Max Siegel is the face of the organization, and while he is doing a commendable job, he still has a lot to learn about the sport and business of NASCAR. John Story and Bobby Hutchens are also stepping into leadership roles at DEI. Siegel remains optimistic, and feels that he and his constituents can lead DEI in the right direction. â€If you look at the company and out infrastructure and the people who have been there a long time, and look at how our cars have been running, we have made some progress,†said Siegel. Dale Earnhardt’s vision that he had in 1980 when he founded DEI is in jeopardy. His legacy was supposed to live on through not only his children and grandchildren, but also his company. His goal was to have his sons and grandsons drive for DEI for the duration of their careers. Surely, he wanted a place in the company for his daughters Kelley King and Taylor Nicole. Unfortunately, questionable business decisions, lack of performance, and tough economic conditions have affected DEI in a negative manner. There are many annoyed Dale Earnhardt, Jr. fans that are enjoying the possible demise of Teresa Earnhardt and DEI, but remember, this was Earnhardt’s dream, to build a successful family-oriented organization. True Earnhardt fans are hoping and praying that DEI can survive this economic turmoil. The odds are stacked against them, and it will take hard work and bold determination, and some luck, but they can still survive.
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