Dale Earnhardt, Jr said that he plans to take some time and get set in his mind what he is looking for before he starts talking to team owners about a potential ride in the future. He also expressed disappointment that a television report stating that he had signed with Richard Childress caused the team owner to have to address the issue earlier in the day instead of focusing on the racing at Darlington Raceway.

“I feel like that we won’t really have contact with owner and get to setting up those discussions for another week or two. I just need to relax, man, and take a little time and clear my head and get in that mode. … I was sort of hurt or upset or disappointed that Richard was put in the position he was this morning,” he said. “Speculation wouldn’t make it to TV a couple years ago, and these days it seems to make it there pretty easily. … I thought that TV jumped the gun because he’s got drivers and crew members over there trying to win races and trying to do they best they can this year.

“The last thing I want to do is get in the middle and confuse their minds and start rumors over at his shop. You know how rumors move around in the shop. I don’t want to create that over at Richard’s and give him a headache.”

For now, Earnhardt Jr. just wants some room to think and to decide what he’s looking for when it comes to his future. One of the presumed sticking points in the negotiations with DEI was Earnhardt Jr.’s desire to have him and his siblings own 51 percent of the team. Will he be looking for an ownership role in his future team as well?

“That really has to be discussed, I imagine,” he said. “That’s not really a deal breaker, I can tell you that. That’s not necessary. But if it’s some sort of a package and I feel it’s a good idea, then there may be some interest. They can make it interesting, that’s for sure. But that’s not necessarily something I was seeking outside of DEI.”

Scene Daily

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