Sources tell [PRN] after two recent meetings between Teresa Earnhardt and Dale Earnhardt, Jr., thet he has signed a contract with Dale Earnhardt Inc.[DEI], The first one the 28-year-old has ever had with the team his Dad started. The deal is said to be for five years and they’ll make an official announcement at Charlotte later this week.(PRN’s Garage Pass Radio Show/Sporting News) AND ….Now that Junior finally signed his contract — the announcement was delayed by his injury at Dover — everyone can get back to business. DEI probably will announce the deal this week: Junior will drive the No. 8 for the next five years.( Yahoo Sports/Sporting News )(10-6-2003)
UPDATE: Contrary to recent reports, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. has signed no contractual agreement with Dale Earnhardt, Inc., a source close to DEI told NASCAR.com Tuesday. The source said that, while the deal is nearly done, Earnhardt’s “name is on no papers yet.” Earlier this week, it was reported that Earnhardt had two meetings with Teresa Earnhardt — DEI team owner and Junior’s stepmother — and that he had signed a five-year contract with DEI.( NASCAR.com )(10-8-2003)
UPDATE 2: Dale Earnhardt, Inc. has reached an agreement with Dale Earnhardt, Jr. for the next five years to remain as the driver of the #8 DEI Chevrolet. The young Earnhardt has been driving for Dale Earnhardt, Inc. since 1998 and entered NASCARs premier Winston Cup Series as a rookie in 2000. The agreement between Teresa Earnhardt, CEO and president of Dale Earnhardt, Inc., and Earnhardt, Jr., solidifies the drivers future with the organization created by his father, seven-time NASCAR champion Dale Earnhardt, and his wife, Teresa. Dale and I built this organization with a long term plan in place, Teresa said. Dale Jr. has always been an intricate part of that plan and this agreement represents our commitment to one another in reaching the goal of winning championships. The agreement is Earnhardt Jrs first ever Winston Cup contract as a driver, the terms are private, and is based on a five-year partnership through the 2007 season. Currently, he holds a career-high ranking of third place in the Winston Cup Series, matching his career best of 17 top-10 finishes with six races remaining. This is the first time I have had a contract in four years, Dale Jr. said We had a hand shake and that was sufficient. But, in todays business world you need written agreements and now we have one. It was an interesting process that was very educational. What it really came down to was Teresa and myself being in the same place at the same time and sitting down to talk about it. Once that happened, it was taken care of in no time at all. We have a lot of good people here at DEI that are committed to this company. Now we can set out to achieve those goals without any distractions.( DEI Site/PR )(10-9-2003)