What does Teresa Earnhardt and DEI do now?
DEI will focus on the chance to get two cars into the Chase with Martin Truex Jr. (a breakthrough winner two weeks ago at Dover, Del.) and Junior very much in the hunt. The company has attempted to position itself for this scenario. It recently entered an agreement with Richard Childress Racing to build its racing engines and is staking out new ground on the entertainment side of the industry. DEI still controls marketing rights to the Earnhardt name and the lucrative market for Dale Earnhardt Sr. memorabilia. The team is in the market for at least one, possibly two new drivers. Where does Kyle Busch end up? DEI is one possibility. But at 22 and with four Cup wins already under his belt, he’d be an attractive alternative for any of the fledgling Toyota teams. It’s unlikely he’ll join brother Kurt Busch at Penske Racing South, which said this week it plans to continue with a two-car Dodge team next year. It’s unlikely he’d fit at Joe Gibbs Racing, which already has a young crop of drive
