| Earlier this month, Dale Earnhardt Junior, the most | | | | driver in NASCAR today and his biggest share in the |
| popular driver today in NASCAR, announced that he | | | | market comes as no surprise. |
| will be leaving the team that his father, the legendary | | | | This same selling power of the young driver is seen |
| Earnhardt Senior, started. He made the | | | | as a way for Junior to gain control of DEI. Some |
| announcement after failing to gain control of the DEI | | | | experts think that his stepmother Teresa would be |
| team from his stepmother Teresa. | | | | willing to give the reins of the team to Junior instead |
| After the announcement there have been | | | | of letting him go and be left with a team with no |
| speculations that the Dale Jr. merchandise sale would | | | | championship to boast and a reduced income from |
| slow down. Currently, the two-time Busch Series | | | | licensing. It has been estimated that the sale of |
| champion holds the largest stake in the NASCAR | | | | Earnhardt's merchandise brings $30 million per year to |
| merchandise market. His leaving the team has made | | | | the Dale Earnhardt Inc. His biggest sponsor is |
| experts concerned that the DEI is in danger of losing | | | | Budweiser which is yet to comment on what step |
| a driver who generates much of the money coming | | | | they will take when Junior leaves DEI at the end of |
| in for the team. The famous young driver said that | | | | this season. In fact, the company only stated that |
| he will be leaving the team after the end of the | | | | they will be talking to Junior and DEI concerning their |
| season. For now, he drives the Number 8 Budweiser | | | | sponsorship of Earnhardt. |
| Chevrolet Impala which he has ridden for only a single | | | | The sudden increase in Earnhardt merchandise sale is |
| top five finish. | | | | expected to slow down since production of new |
| While it was feared that sale of the Dale Jr. | | | | products will surely take time. "It's a very long |
| merchandise would falter after the announcement, | | | | process to get these things done," says Dyer. "The |
| the exact opposite happened. Instead of slowing | | | | car number and sponsor has to be decided, the paint |
| down, Dale Jr. merchandise sold as fast as the sale | | | | scheme has to be designed and approved by Dale |
| of the Chevrolet pickup hood scoop. Mark Dyer, | | | | Jr.'s people, the team, the sponsor and then |
| NASCAR's Vice-President for licensing, has this to say | | | | NASCAR's competition committee. Then it all has to |
| about the increased sale of Dale Jr. merchandise: "I | | | | get made. The very latest production can start to |
| was a little concerned about his sales after the | | | | guarantee die casts for the Daytona 500 is |
| announcement, what the reaction would be, but it | | | | early-to-late fall." But once these products are |
| looks like it's terrific. It looks like there's an affinity for | | | | available it can be expected that sales would |
| that No. 8 car. There's been a lot of great moments, | | | | skyrocket. |
| the fact that it's a DEI car, and the whole Dale Jr. | | | | For now, Earnhardt may have his mind on things |
| thing. I think its indicative of the fact that people | | | | aside from his merchandise sale. This is because his |
| aren't ready just this moment, they want at least | | | | run for a championship title this season has been |
| one last souvenir before they move on to the next | | | | derailed. NASCAR implemented a 100-point deduction |
| chapter with him." | | | | on Earnhardt as it was found out that his car used |
| Dyer also pointed out that of all the drivers in | | | | the wrong rear wing mounting brackets. Aside from |
| NASCAR today, Earnhardt has the biggest share of | | | | the deduction, his crew chief and cousin Tony Eury |
| the market with 25 to 30 percent share. His closest | | | | Jr. was suspended for four races. This infraction cost |
| competition in the market is the winner of the | | | | Earnhardt his twelfth spot in the driver standings. He |
| recently concluded Dodge Avenger 500 which was | | | | now sits at the 14th spot with 1160 points and that is |
| held in Darlington, South Carolina - Jeff Gordon. It has | | | | 721 points behind the leader Jeff Gordon. After |
| been reported that Gordon controls about 15 to 19 | | | | eleven races this season, Earnhardt has so far only |
| percent of the market. For three straight years, Dale | | | | posted four top ten finishes. |
| Earnhardt Jr. was voted by fans as the most popular | | | | |