General Discussion » What is really wrong with Dale Jr
Only JR knows. He's always said he does not like the COT car. And I think that is stuck in his head. Eventually he will get it and accept it. ( I HOPE ).
Yates Racing lures Paul Menard away from Dale Earnhardt Inc.
By Rea White - Associate Editor
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Jeff Gross
Getty Images
Paul Menard will leave Dale Earnhardt Inc. and drive for Yates Racing in the NASCAR Sprint Cup series beginning in 2009.
Menard carries the sponsorship of his family-owned Menards home improvement store chain over from DEI to Yates, which could field three teams next year.
Yates already has drivers Travis Kvapil and David Gilliland but has pieced together sponsorship for those cars throughout the year and still needs to solidify sponsorship for them next year. The Yates teams are affiliated with Roush Fenway Racing, which helps with marketing and sponsorship.
“This is a great opportunity, and I’m glad to be joining the Yates Racing organization next season,” said Menard in a news release issued by his publicists. “I think a lot of what Doug Yates and Max Jones are doing over there building for continued success. I’m excited to be a part of their future and excited to work with Travis and David.
“You look at what Doug and the Ford Motor Co. have done in this sport, they’ve created a lot of horsepower and hoisted quite a few trophies over the years. I’d like to help continue that for both of them.”
Menard is in his second season of full-time Cup competition at DEI. He competed in 30 races last year, not getting locked into the top 35 until the merger with Ginn Racing, and was 34th in points. He is 28th in points this year.
“It’s a positive addition for us to get a guy like Paul in camp here," team co-owner Doug Yates said. "He’s been through adversity in his first year in Cup and shown tremendous improvement in his second year.
“He’s a racer, a guy who likes to be at the shop a lot, from what I understand, and that’s what we like here. Plus, he already has a good relationship with our current drivers, so adding that third source of data should help our entire team rise up.”
A car number for Menard is still to be determined.
Menard’s departure is a blow to DEI, whose officials were confident they could re-sign the driver after the team had re-signed Martin Truex Jr. in August for 2009.
DEI has Truex Jr. and sponsor Bass Pro Shops signed through 2009. It also has Aric Almirola lined up to drive the No. 8 car next year but sponsor U.S. Army has not re-signed. The team’s other car is the No. 01 driven by Regan Smith. It has had minimal sponsorship this year.
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Comments
30 responses to "Yates Racing lures Paul Menard away from Dale Earnhardt Inc. ". Post a Comment.
chris welch said:
Sep 30, 2008 at 10:41 AMit's sad to see what is happening to DEI. Menard will just go to yates and still be another car in the way getting lapped every 30 laps. he doesnt have the talent, just the check book.
Pat Draper said:
Sep 30, 2008 at 11:09 AMDon't be to sure about Pauls talent. He may just need new people around him. He was always kind of put on the back burner at DEI and i hope this will be a new start for him. The Yates cars have good power. Maybe this will teach mother theresa to watch what she does in the future cause she sure goofed up in the past.
chris welch said:
Sep 30, 2008 at 11:14 AMhe cant drive, period.
Jozef Colomy said:
Sep 30, 2008 at 1:06 PMThe DEI engines are plenty adequate for good runs--look at Truex and Martin's performances, particularly in qualifying. Not to mention rookie Aric Almirola getting a top-10 at Bristol I believe, no easy feat. If Menard can't win in a DEI car I doubt going to a Yates car will help him out much :-/
Eric Fulbright said:
Sep 30, 2008 at 1:07 PMif DEI would have let Dale jr take control you would have seen different things happen
beth emerson said:
Sep 30, 2008 at 1:39 PMListen I say DEI is getting just what they deserve. Next year will be no different. Martin will leave at the end of next year also. I believe in the old saying whatcomes around goes around. She should have let JR take control this would not be happening.I feel sorry because of how hard SR worked to make that company so good and in a few years she has managed to almost destroy it. I do think that Menard is an ok driver but if it were not foe his fathers sponsorship yates would not take him on as a driver. He may do a little better next year but I have my doubts.
Sheldon Miller said:
Sep 30, 2008 at 1:52 PMLosing the sponsorship hurts, but losing Menard in particular isn't a huge blow, nothing against him though. Honestly, I think DEI will be OK if they continue to have tighter relations with RCR. I think RCR just sent one of their managers over to DEI to help things. DEI may just need to focus on running two cars for now and rely on data from RCR - sorta like Stewart-Haas does with HMS....
Shawn Fisher said:
Sep 30, 2008 at 2:23 PMJust like Tony Stewart stated, DEI is a museum without Dale Jr. One more year and they will be merged with Childress.
anonymous said:
Sep 30, 2008 at 2:56 PMShawn, DEI can't merge with Childress. They are limited to 4 cars per team starting next year and Childress is starting his 4th team next year so DEI will be on their own, unless they merge with a 2 car team. Sheldon, they can have all the managers they want but WITHOUT A SPONSOR, there is not much to manage. They haven't even gotten a commitment from the ARMY for the #8 car for next year. Now they have to search for a sponsor for the #15 car. At the end of 2009, look for Truex to leave and they will search for a sponsor for the #1 car because Bass Pro Shops will follow him wherever he wants to go. DEI is self-destructing. TE is so focused on other areas of DEI such as the "Entertainment Division or the Equestrian Division" that she has lost sight of what the backbone of DEI is.
Jessica Silleto said:
Sep 30, 2008 at 3:10 PMWell, it don't matter if Menard is talented or not. Menard and DEI were not working well together and that is the bottom line. He needed to go. He was not running competitively and it's pretty obvious that the #15 was not going to be competitive as long as he was the driver and vice versa.
Chazzo Ozzahc said:
Sep 30, 2008 at 3:16 PMHeres the deal, Theresa dont give a hoot about racing. Its all about commissions from her dead husband(which is sad).Dont be surprised if there is no #15 car next year. I personally think Truex Jr. is silly to stay there for another two years. He'll be a one car team.If Truex leaves, so does Bass Pro. DEI is a mess.You definitely wont see a merger with RCR,Childress has that fourth car ready for next year, and thats going to be the limit.Although I wouldnt be surprised to see Childress do something to further uplift DEI back into something respectable, his buddy Dale would want it that way.
Howard Englishman said:
Sep 30, 2008 at 3:27 PMThe only reason Martin stayed is because SHR isnt ready to bring a 3rd team on till 2010. He will be joining SHR.The association between Tony, Martin, and Johnny Morris are alot more deeper than with Teresa.
Robert Airheart said:
Sep 30, 2008 at 3:37 PMI don't know why all the Jr. fans think he would have been the saviour at DEI. He is now part of one of the best teams in NASCAR and he actually ran better when with DEI. If Menard wasn't sponsered by his family, he probably wouldn't even be in Sprint Cup
Howard Englishman said:
Sep 30, 2008 at 3:56 PMReally, Dale ran better for DEI! Well since 2000 he only finished in the top 10 in points 4 times, I dont call that running good at all.
Russell Hart said:
Sep 30, 2008 at 5:11 PMThe only loss for TEI is the sponsorship money. If Paul didn't have his daddy putting up the bucks to watch him race for 30th he wouldn't even be in Cup. If it weren't for the money he wouldn't be going to Yates. In this time and day where money buys rides the sponsors run the cars more than the owners do.
Andrew Briscoe said:
Sep 30, 2008 at 5:23 PMYates needed money. Menard had it. Why is it that even the least significant driver move such as this (you know though that after this, Kvapil or Gilliland are gone, no way Menard will bring his wallet and not get owners points), which is important. If Yates starts a 3rd team, they certainly wouldn't put the one with solid sponsorship $$$ in it, they'd put Kvapil most likely as he's the one on a 1 year deal. Oh well, to each his own, and maybe there's a reason Yates owns a race team and I don't.
SUSAN OUTEN said:
Sep 30, 2008 at 5:45 PMTE DOES NOT CARE ABOUT DEI. SHE PROBABLY HAS TAYLOR'S HORSE TROPHY'S IN THERE. PAUL'S DADDY KNOWS DEI IS GOING DOWN HILL SO HE IS PUTTING HIS MONEY IN YATES. MAYBE PAUL WILL DO BETTER AND STAY OUT OF THE WAY. ANYWAY CONGRATS PAUL FOR MOVING AWAY FROM TEI
Pat Schwald said:
Sep 30, 2008 at 6:12 PMI feel that there is a lot of Jr.fans happy about what is going on with DEI but just stop and think about how Dale Jr. feels about this? He might not get alone with the wicked step mom but he doesnt want his Dad's race team to disapear, he was there and saw how hard his Dad worked to make DEI..It's sad to see a great name like Dale Earnhart Sr. just be wiped away from racing. Dale Jr. & Kelly must be so up set to see this. It was there fathers dream..a dream he made for his children.
Tim the Fan said:
Sep 30, 2008 at 7:18 PMIf he made the dream for his children then why did he leave it to his wife? She inherited the business, not Jr, and his sister. Toughen up Dale Sr. fans. Life is sometimes difficult and wishing that Jr. is more than he is won't make it so...
Howard Englishman said:
Sep 30, 2008 at 7:30 PMIts only a building with a name on it, Go to RCR and that where the real Dale Sr. lives. DEI is history.
Scott Eggen said:
Sep 30, 2008 at 9:06 PMHey Gang Got news for you. Paul will be in the top twenty next season with the right crew chief. I am excited for you Paul. GO GET UM'
Dwight Hill said:
Oct 1, 2008 at 12:36 AMTim the fan , I disagree with your post.For one , Dale Sr. didn't leave a will,that's how teresa got the business.If he did,then it would have gone to his kids.Now,I have said that if Jr. leave DEI,it would fold in 3 years.Well,next year will be 3 years .I guess that she's not that smart as some people have said .
JON LYSON said:
Oct 1, 2008 at 4:08 AMJunior never had any talent and menard is only riding daddys checkbook.Yates is only after the sponsership.Very few drivers are allowed to have a personality anymore. I am glad the season is over since I dont bother with the races in their so called chase.I didnt find out who won last weekends race till now.
John Lockhart said:
Oct 1, 2008 at 7:32 AMWell Jon,you must not be a true NASCAR fan.To stop watching races just because the "chase"is on is really sad.Or is it because your driver is not in the chase.Even so, I hope you get over it you are sure missing out on not watching the races.Good luck there buddy.
Rich Turner said:
Oct 1, 2008 at 7:48 AMWay to go Paul! I do think you will do much better at Yates and are smart enough to bail from a "Sinking Ship". Best of luck in 2009 and beyond.
Keith Johnson said:
Oct 1, 2008 at 11:05 AMDale Jr. was DEI after Dale Sr. was killed. Jr. leaving will be the death blow do DEI as stated last year. Money is not the only think that counts when trying to keep a team competitive and winning. You must be involved and interested in the team which seems not to be happening.
Bill said:
Oct 1, 2008 at 11:41 AMMenard never impressed me anyways,he had the sponsor,that was it.
walter gruner said:
Oct 1, 2008 at 1:15 PMThought this was about Yates and Menard?
clinton pillow said:
Oct 1, 2008 at 4:33 PMJust bide your time Dale Jr, by the time that your contract with Hendricks is up, You'll be able to buy DEI for $50.00 bucks,I'll even loan you the 50, it will be worth it to watch you kick TE's but out the door.
Timothy Schultze said:
Oct 3, 2008 at 9:37 PMPathetic what a bunch of sorry SOBS !!!!!!!!!!! You people that have that much hatred for a single person must really be miserable and jealous in your tiny life. SPEW SPEW SPEW SICK.