Rumor on the distant horizon: A third team for Dale Earnhardt Inc.?(SpeedVision) currently run the #1-Steve Park and #8-Dale Earnhardt Jr teams. No drivers mentioned(5-28-2000) UPDATE: Ty Norris, head of DEI, isn’t enthusiastic about expanding with a third Cup team next season, but says he can’t rule it out. Michael Waltrip’s name has been coming up in connection with a third Cup team and other possibilities, following Jim Smith’s Ultra Motorsports merger with Mattei Motorsports. Smith, who runs Mike Wallace in the #2 CTS Ford truck, might want to put Wallace in a Cup car(PitNow)(5-29-2000) UPDATE 2: thought this rumor was dead and buried, but even though it was announced a few weeks ago that Michael Waltrip would be staying with the #7 Ultra Motorsports team (and switching to Ford), am hearing strong rumors that Waltrip will take a ride with DEI in a third team car for Earnhardt, becoming teammate with #1-Steve park and #8-Dale Earnhardt Jr UPDATE 3: DEI has scheduled a 2:00pm/et news conference on Wednesday to announce it will field a third Winston Cup team in the 2001 season, with Waltrip being the apparent selection as the new team’s driver. The news conference has been scheduled for the DEI headquarters in Mooresville, N.C., where the Winston Cup cars driven by Steve Park and Dale Earnhardt Jr. are currently prepared(That’s Racin’). Note: also hearing that DEI will not field a BGN team in 2001 and Ron Hornaday will not be back but will finish out the 2000 season(9-11-2000) UPDATE 4: hearing that NAPA will move up from Earnhardt’s BGN team to sponsor the new third DEI team and Waltrip(9-12-2000) UPDATE 5: must be pretty real, now the AP is reporting it: Michael Waltrip to join Earnhardt stable, all that is left to know, is the car # (03?, 30?) and the crew chief? Kennedy? Kennon?(9-13-2000)
