DEI’s deadline pushed back UPDATE: Ty Norris, the manager of DEI, said he has postponed a decision on contract renewals for #15-Michael Waltrip and #1-Steve Park for another three weeks. “We had set June 15 as a target date, and we’re a little behind, but it’s not the world will be coming to an end,” Norris said. Insiders say that Waltrip’s improving performances in recent weeks have boosted his standing with sponsor NAPA considerably and could help him keep his DEI ride.(Winston Salem Journal)(6-15-2002) UPDATE: A Dale Earnhardt Inc. official laughed Saturday at the continuing speculation that Steve Park and Michael Waltrip may not be retained for 2003 and that the company itself is for sale for $300 million. The racing organization doesn’t help the situation. A week ago, Dale Earnhardt Jr. admitted he’s talked with Waltrip and told him to improve his finishes. He also said Park seems to have lost the chemistry with the rest of his teammates since returning from a brain injury sustained last September at Darlington [in a BGN race]. The contracts for both Waltrip and Park are up at the end of the season and the team originally said it would try to have new deals completed by June 15. Now that deadline apparently is being moved back a few weeks. Waltrip sounds like a driver who already knows about his future, saying he knows he will be driving a car next year – if not for DEI, for another race team.(Augusta Chronicle)(6-16-2002)
