Hendrick denies interest in Dale Earnhardt, Jr?
Quote selected text Published May 9th, 2007 in NASCAR News
Hendrick Motorsports General Manager Marshall Carlson told Sirius NASCAR Radio’s Sirius Speedway Tuesday that his team is fully stocked with drivers for 2008 and beyond, and that he has not spoken with Dale Earnhardt, Jr., about the possibility of joining the Hendrick stable.
“We have four outstanding drivers in Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Kyle Busch and Casey Mears, and all of them are signed to long-term contracts,” he said. “Dale Earnhardt, Jr., is obviously a very talented driver, but all of our seats are filled.”
Asked by host Dave Moody if that meant Hendrick would not be interested in Earnhardt under any circumstances, Carlson said, “I never say `never’ in this business. Again, Dale is a very talented driver that any team would be interested in having in one of their cars. But we are extremely satisfied with our four driver/team combinations, and we have contracts in place for all our key players.”
[Sirius NASCAR Radio]
Bookmark to:
- Dale Jr doesn’t know his car number yet, but he wouldn’t mind the number ‘8′
- DEI willing to sell No.8
- Earnhardt Jr. not interested in buying DEI
- Hendrick says they have picked Jr’s sponsor
- Earnhardt, Jr RCR or Hendrick Racing bound?
It gets weirder by the day, doesn’t it?
Right! Like Hendrick wouldn’t scoop up Dale Jr and, sorry to say, Mears would be out the door. An insider at Hendrick has already told us as much IF Dale Jr were available!
Also, consider that Mears could be moved to a satellite team such as….hmmm…well how about Jr Motorsports. Engines and tech support by Hendrick. Jr grabs Truex Jr on his way out the door…
Like we said before, this could be a well-timed media ploy by sister Kelley to exert pressure on DEI to agree to Jr’s demands.Dale Jr could very well stay at DEI. But I think he’s fully prepared to leave if DEI doesn’t give him the keys to the house.
Whether Teresa wants to believe it or not, Dale Jr holds all the cards. She doesn’t need the team for money (she makes nearly 30 mil a year from Dale Sr’s estate) but if she wants a competitive team period DEI better keep Jr.
Your so right Ed! Hendrick acts like Mears and Busch are the #hit. Right! Not to mention the marketing clout Jr brings. There’s not even one team who would turn him down. Not one!!
‘all our seats are filled’. with what? an endless supply of money? what a idiotic statement! this is almost enough for Jr NOT to consider Hendrick when you make laughable statements like that! like was said above..Mears is burning up the track! can’t let him go for dale earnhardt jr…whos he anyway? LOL
Oh PLEAAAASSSE! Like Jr would drive for Hendrick. Give me a break. Jr is way above that and can very much do it on his own if not through DEI. There is no hendrick bbq that has a good enough flame that could get Jr on the burner.
As far as it goes… sparking motor deals. End of story. Sorry rumor mill has gone bankrupt here.
Let me be the first (or millionth) to say that the Hendrick camp is full of it! If push came to shove,MearsWOULD be outo of there! You mean to tell me that they wouldn’t make room for Dale Earnhardt, Jr? Yeah right! It’s not like any of Jr’s fans want him go there anyway. In a way, I’m glad they stated that.
Taking all of that into consideration though, I’m not sure Hendricks is in any position to put it’s tail between it’s legs and retract their statement by hiring Jr. Who knows. Those are pretty strong statements.
PS - Serius NASCAR radio rules!
Hendrick doesn’t want to sound too anxious to pick up Junior. They’d lose their leverage in negotiating his price if they did, but I honestly think many “employees” of Hendrick have a personal problem with Junior for some reason.
And Mears…. They should have held on to Vickers (The highest finishing Toyota driver in NASCAR history). lmao!!
Look, Hendrick motorsports will not support any type of beer advertisement. So it is safe to say that Jr will not be coming to Hendrick.
Jr will be better off going where his daddy went and rise from the ashes, driving whatever number he feels fit. (As if it mattered)
I am not the biggest fan of Jr but he isn’t climbing in the ranks either. Yes, Casey Mears is still having trouble but with time he will get better or Hendrick will kick him out of the car. As far as Kyle is concerned, he is on the rise. Yes he has wrecked in many of the races but he has also lead many laps and placed high in the races that he has finished. Thus, being ahead of Jr.
Good luck Jr, your dad would be proud of you getting up on your own and moving on.
Best of luck in 2008!