For those who wondered if conditions at Dale Earnhardt Inc. were dire enough to swap the Nos. 15 and 8 crews and cars back to the original drivers–think again. “There will never be a flip back,” says a DEI source, who adds that the 15 crew, formerly the No. 8, was disappointed with Earnhardt. “I don’t think they would take him back. We said we would work with Michael (Waltrip) this year for us to get a young gun for next year. What’s happened is fate, and we’re going to make the most of it.” Earnhardt echoed similar sentiments and reiterated his confidence in crew chief Pete Rondeau. “The way Pete has hung in there further constitutes my belief in him,” he says. Earnhardt and Waltrip are 17th and 27th, respectively, in points.(Sporting News)(4-4-2005)
