New NASCAR owner Bobby Ginn [Bobby Ginn Racing #01,#13,#14,#39] plans to pursue Dale Earnhardt Jr. – with every intent of landing him – as soon as Junior is ready to hear offers. “We would stretch as hard as we could stretch to do it,” Ginn said by telephone Friday night. “You want the best, the absolute best, and I love the idea that Dale wants to win championships. He could accomplish that here with us. We’re in play.” Earnhardt said Friday that he wants to take a few weeks before opening the negotiating process, and NASCAR’s most popular driver should have his pick of teams. Three owners – Rick Hendrick, Joe Gibbs and Richard Childress – were quickly identified as the front-runners, and Childress indicated Friday he’ll be in the race. Ginn bought a midlevel team [MB2 Motorsports] last July and markedly improved it in just a few short months. Following an aggressive long-range plan, Ginn snagged Mark Martin and expanded the operation to three cars. “We have a five-year plan in mind and the conclusion is winning a championship,” Ginn said. “We took a risk on Mark Martin, and that’s paid off in spades for us. We aren’t afraid to be aggressive.” The team leases its motors from Hendrick and is perceived to be a satellite of that powerful operation. It’s gotten Ginn mentioned as an outside equation in the Earnhardt race, but the team clearly wants to be a viable option.(Associated Press)(5-12-2007)
