lenny66 Posted August 17, 2007 Report Share Posted August 17, 2007 Family squabble DEI blocks Junior from taking number 8 to Hendrick Although teams do not own numbers -- they are leased through NASCAR -- DEI had the first right of refusal on the No. 8, and Hendrick officials said Wednesday they were unable to reach an agreement that would have made DEI pass on choosing the number for 2008. "Our hope was to carry the No. 8 with Dale Jr. to his new team, but the last proposal Hendrick Motorsports received from DEI just wasn't viable," said Kelley Earnhardt Elledge, his sister and business manager. "It was a difficult decision, but all of us agreed that it was best to move in another direction," she said. "There's disappointment, of course, but we look forward to working with Hendrick Motorsports on what will be a great program for Dale Jr. and his fans in 2008." JR. Just run the # 69 and be done with it!!! Lenny66 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucky161 Posted August 17, 2007 Report Share Posted August 17, 2007 Family squabble DEI blocks Junior from taking number 8 to Hendrick Although teams do not own numbers -- they are leased through NASCAR -- DEI had the first right of refusal on the No. 8, and Hendrick officials said Wednesday they were unable to reach an agreement that would have made DEI pass on choosing the number for 2008. "Our hope was to carry the No. 8 with Dale Jr. to his new team, but the last proposal Hendrick Motorsports received from DEI just wasn't viable," said Kelley Earnhardt Elledge, his sister and business manager. "It was a difficult decision, but all of us agreed that it was best to move in another direction," she said. "There's disappointment, of course, but we look forward to working with Hendrick Motorsports on what will be a great program for Dale Jr. and his fans in 2008." JR. Just run the # 69 and be done with it!!! Lenny66 I like Jr. just fine. He's not my favorite, but he's up there. But there seems to be a lot of making out like Teresa is just an uninvolved party who knows nothing about racing and whose goal is just to make life miserable for Jr. Many people forget that she was born into a serious racing family and has been involved in racing for all of her life. The fact is that the number 8 has a value and she controls it. It like most other things in life are for sale. If Jr. and Hendrick had wanted it bad enough, they would have offered her enough for her to let them have it. The decision was made by them to go to another number rather than meet her price. It's called business. It's called life and it goes on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lenny66 Posted August 17, 2007 Author Report Share Posted August 17, 2007 I understand business is business, but she is controlling owner of DEI and she wanted, so why not just let the boy have the number, she made her point. I think it would have been an amicable move on her part. Now I also believe that with NASCAR having it's paws in the mix about leasing numbers, they are probably trying to get some coin out of it also. Either way it sucks that the boy cannot run a number that is personal and rich in Earnhardt history!!! I have to admit, I am not thrilled about where he is moving. Nothing against Rick Hendrick himself, but Jr's teamates (J & J)are a couple of #@%&!&%'s. Lenny66 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gundogC3 Posted August 17, 2007 Report Share Posted August 17, 2007 Like I said she's a girl dog!!!!!! He will still be racing when there wont be a DEI...any bet's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucky161 Posted August 17, 2007 Report Share Posted August 17, 2007 Like I said she's a girl dog!!!!!! He will still be racing when there wont be a DEI...any bet's. I'll take that bet. Teresa is a Houston and they've been in racing forever. DEI may or may not continue in the Cup, but I'll be Teresa will be involved in racing for the rest of her life. Why would anyone with her background not be? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harlin Covert Posted August 17, 2007 Report Share Posted August 17, 2007 Also the #8 is not worth much without JR. The last good driver of that # was? Harlin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigfat Posted August 17, 2007 Report Share Posted August 17, 2007 There's gonna be alot of pissed of people with 8 tattoos.. Who'd a thunk that that silly Budwieser commercial would ever come true?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Definitive Posted August 18, 2007 Report Share Posted August 18, 2007 The last one to win a race in the #8 was Bobby Hillin Jr.......wasn't it?....memory and all...ya know... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
txtom Posted August 18, 2007 Report Share Posted August 18, 2007 The last one to win a race in the #8 was Bobby Hillin Jr.......wasn't it?....memory and all...ya know... There are 3 drivers who have won with the #8, Joe Weatherly Bobby Hillin Dale JR Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Definitive Posted August 18, 2007 Report Share Posted August 18, 2007 I think he was asking about the most recent before Jr....so I guess I'm right? BTW....what about Dale's grandpa?...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
txtom Posted August 18, 2007 Report Share Posted August 18, 2007 You are correct, Hillin got his only Cup win at Talladega in July, 1986. Dale Jr's first win was in the 8 at Texas Motor in April, 2000. Joe Weatherly has 20 wins in the #8 from 1961 to 1963, starting with a Daytona qualifier, and ending with a win at Hillsboro, North Carolina, a dirt track. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Definitive Posted August 18, 2007 Report Share Posted August 18, 2007 And grandpa Earnhardt?...am I not remembering right again,or did he run the number 8?I always thought that was why Jr. had that number in the first place.I know I could go and get my reference books but you make life so lazy for me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jumbo Posted August 18, 2007 Report Share Posted August 18, 2007 I feel for the person they put in the 8 cause you know he'll catch a lot of BS over it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Truck38 Posted August 18, 2007 Report Share Posted August 18, 2007 Speaking of the chicken or the egg thing... First Dale does the changing number to 6.7 commercial then he drives Kyle Busch's car Then he joins Hendrick to drive Kyle Busch car Now he's changing numbers... I think he'll be driving the 6.7 or at least I think that would be funny and it would help my conspiracy theories. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
txtom Posted August 18, 2007 Report Share Posted August 18, 2007 And grandpa Earnhardt?...am I not remembering right again,or did he run the number 8?I always thought that was why Jr. had that number in the first place. Ralph Earnhardt never ran #8 in what we call Cup, and Dale SR only ran it once. Dale SR 's first Cup start in 1975 was at Charlotte in a #8, and it was a Dodge sponsored by 10,000 RPM Speed Equipment. He started 33rd, and finished 22nd, 45 laps down. Ralph and Dale Sr ran 8 in the Sportsman and local classes. Ralph was the 1956 NASCAR Sportsman champion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nathan Posted August 18, 2007 Report Share Posted August 18, 2007 I don't understand all the uproar over a number. I run the number 42 because my grandpa ran it and it is the way I remember him. But even my grandpa drove under different numbers in his career. When I went to run the fall classic at heart of texas in waco I had to run a different number because a racer that always raced there had it. It did not effect me or the way I drove. A number is just a number we may have a reason why we chose it in the end it doesn't change who we are!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
speed demon 7 Posted August 18, 2007 Report Share Posted August 18, 2007 Nathan, I think you would think differently if you had MILLIONS of fans with the #8 TATTOOed on their bodies. Cars painted like his, shirts, trailers, flags, etc. Its not a big deal til you think of it in the perspective of MILLIONS of fans. The 6.7 commercial says it all!!! His fans are die hard fans, I think a few of them painted their garage doors with the #8 on it to match his car. Its not a big deal to him, but he cares about his fans and it is a big deal to them. I don't even care for the guy, I just don't think he is anything like his dad, but I do respect him and his fans. I think NASCAR should have stepped in and said "We own the number, we are assigning it to the driver". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
REBELRACER Posted August 18, 2007 Report Share Posted August 18, 2007 dei has spent a lot of money to build equity in the number 8. when dale jr leaves to go to hendrick he will be leaving dei and would now be a competitor of dei. which means he will be competing against them for souvenoir sales and revenue for dei. if she gave him the number she will be helping a competitor take money out of their pockets. by not giving him the 8, she is forcing hendrick to pick a new number and spend money to build equity in jr's new number. but to hand them an established number with equity built into it, wouldnt make much business sense to dei. and like her or hate her, she is a shrewd business woman. personally i would have liked to see him take the 8 with him, but can see why it didnt happen. i just hope now he picks 82. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dawn Posted August 18, 2007 Report Share Posted August 18, 2007 While I would agree with the last statement, c'mon it's Dale Jr and there is already built in equity no matter what number he is given. I see the DEI stand of things. But I think the main point here is that no matter what, she just KILLED that number. Two things will happen just like was said. Either someone else will drive it and it will be like a curse on them, or two, she will never run it and then it was all for what? You all know I am a HUGE Jr fan and I think the main thing JR fans should do is after this season, never buy another piece of Dale Jr #8 merchandise again, no matter how valuable or collectable it becomes. Then it serves her for nothing and she is not able to STILL profit off of the very stepson she can't seem to respect or get along with. They Both have made some bad choices in this deal, BUT I do believe that she has some very shady motives in all of this and has really shown her true colors. I don't care she has been around the sport her whole life. She was and still would be NOTHING if not for being married to Dale Earnhardt. One phrase really keeps ringing in my head when it comes to her... Power and Money Hungry [edited out by Nick Holt, 8/19/07] seems to fit! The whole deal has made me sick from the get go and it is a shame for DEI. Did Jr need to stay there for life, NO, hell his Daddy drove for someone else up to the day he died, but EVERYONE knew his motives for starting that company and all of them contradict what she says and has done since his death. That company was to thrive with Earnhardt's now and in the future, and not just hers. She really has screwed the pooch in this and it is ashame investors,sponsors and others have not stood up to her. I guess alot of it is out of loyalty to SR and not wanting to see what he built go away, but in the back of my mind I see just that happening some time in the near future down the road id this is how she is going ot do business. If this is how she treats "family" can you imagine the chances just a regular driver would have? JR I think in the end is better off. If Rick's relationship with Jeff is any indication at all of how things are done and handles there at Hendricks then he will be just fine. It seems Rick understands when you have something "GOOD" you do "WHATEVER" you need to do to hang on to it and Keep it happy. That my friends is BUSINESS!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowball Posted August 19, 2007 Report Share Posted August 19, 2007 I thiunk that Jeff Burton was the last one to drive the number 8. If i'm not mistaken, he drove for that team in his rookie year. I believe it was sponsored by Raybestos brakes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
txtom Posted August 19, 2007 Report Share Posted August 19, 2007 I thiunk that Jeff Burton was the last one to drive the number 8. If i'm not mistaken, he drove for that team in his rookie year. I believe it was sponsored by Raybestos brakes. While several drivers have run the #8, only 3 have won, the ones I listed above. Burton ran the #8 for the Stavola Bros team, his rookie season was 1994. He only ran for Stavola in 94 and 95, with a best finish of 4th. Some other notables that ran #8 without a win are Marvin Panch, Elmo Langley, Ed Negre, Sterling Marlin, Hut Stricklin, Dick Trickle, Tiny Lund, Ferrell Harris, Buckshot Jones, and there are many more lesser known names. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tiger78 Posted August 19, 2007 Report Share Posted August 19, 2007 sorry snowball that is incorect it was morgan shepherd in 1999 @ atlanta fall race driving for the stavola bros. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
landlord Posted August 19, 2007 Report Share Posted August 19, 2007 "Power and Money Hungry [edited out by Nick Holt, 8/19/07] seems to fit!" Dawn,tell us how you really feel!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crazyhorse Posted August 19, 2007 Report Share Posted August 19, 2007 what # will kyle bush have next season?????????why does it matter? get it,,,,,it's just a #......nobody is asking what about kyle who out qualifies ,outruns, and pretty much beats junior on a weekly basis............you bought into commercialism. it's a number,it's the past.......when you can get it , get it ,,,,,when you can't , get over it. he can drive half a@$ under another # as well as he did under the 8. -sorry gunnar , i like junior..........BUT he needs to start living up to the hype. he is starting to look like he took that kyle petty expressway to fame. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ProTree Posted August 19, 2007 Report Share Posted August 19, 2007 guess the only people that really get to keep their number for a career are in prison serving life sentences with no parole and are known as inmate #-------,lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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