Dale Jr. to make announcement Wed....

[rainjer]

This is from Jayski:

Dale Jr. to make announcement Wed. UPDATE 3 looks like to Hendrick; Kyle Busch to DEI?: could this be the big announcement of where Dale Earnhardt Jr. will go and who he will drive for in 2008 and the future? NASCAR Nextel Cup driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. has scheduled a news conference for Wednesday at 11:00a,/et at his JR Motorsports race shop. [This is NOT open to the public] A full transcript will be released shortly after the news conference.(JR Motorsports PR) SPEED to televise.

UPDATE: must be big....SPEED will interrupt regularly scheduled programming Wednesday morning, June 13 at 10:00am/et in anticipation of a live press conference from JR Motorsports about the future plans of Nextel Cup Series driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. At 11:00am/et, John Roberts will host a special live edition of The SPEED Report, with Bob Dillner on site in Mooresville, N.C. The press conference is expected to last one hour. At 7:00pm/et, SPEED will present a special half-hour edition of The SPEED Report to summarize the day's events. XM Radio Sports Nation (XM channel 144) will also air the press conference live. AND SIRIUS Satellite Radio will provide listeners with comprehensive live coverage of the news conference on Sirius NASCAR Radio channel 128.

UPDATE: Officials with Ginn Racing and Joe Gibbs Racing each said their teams were not involved in the news conference while a spokesperson for Richard Childress Racing said the team owner is out of the country [New Zealand] on a hunting trip and that he is not expected to be back in the country tomorrow. A Hendrick Motorsports spokesman had no comment. A call to Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s spokesman was not immediately returned.(SceneDaily.com)

UPDATE 2: ESPN.com's Marty Smith reports: Dale Earnhardt Jr. on Wednesday will announce his intent to drive the #5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevy in 2008, multiple sources with intimate knowledge of negotiations told ESPN.com Tuesday on condition of anonymity. Hendrick Motorsports declined comment Tuesday, and e-mails and calls sent to Earnhardt's representation were not returned. Kelley Earnhardt Elledge, who has handled contract negotiations for her brother, declined to comment on the report. There was some speculation that the wheels are already in motion to plant Earnhardt in the #5 now driven by Kyle Busch before season's end, but Dale Earnhardt, Inc. president Max Siegel, contacted by phone Tuesday, discounted that scenario, saying Earnhardt would remain in the #8 through season's end. Sources said there are indications that Busch may not finish the year in the #5. Busch is under contract with HMS through the end of next season, and Hendrick had been working to sign the 22-year old driver to an extension. Jeff Dickerson, an attorney for Busch, told ESPN.com that "a lot of things may or may not occur. Out of respect for Hendrick Motorsports, we're not really sure what's going on yet. But we're trying. I don't think anything's changed yet. I can not tell you that Kyle is out of the #5 for 2008." Meanwhile, one potential scenario would be Casey Mears moving to the #5 and Earnhardt moving to the #25 currently being driven by Mears [Budweiser sponsored Hendrick and the #25 for many years]. It is unknown whether sponsor Budweiser will follow Earnhardt to Hendrick.(ESPN.com), the Associated Press is reporting similar news/speculatn.(6-12-2007)

UPDATE 3: Hearing that Dale Earnhardt, Jr. will end up at Hendrick Motorsports, taking Kyle Busch's roster spot. As to what happens to Busch, he'll take Junior's place at Dale Earnhardt, Incorporated.(6-12-2007)

[madjack]

now that would be an amazing set of developments...I just didn't think that HMS had a dog in that fight and thought Jr would end up with Ginn or Gibbs with the possibility HMS signing him on as an adjunct team much in the manner of Ginn...mmmmmmmmmm ...what an unbelievable scenario, with the most popular driver in NASCAR switching places with one of the least popular drivers...I guess if ya can't beat 'em...join 'em...we shall seeeeee
madjack

[rainjer]

I really thought he would end up at RCR in the 33 car. Richard still "owns" that number and Richard is like a 2nd dad to Jr.

I wonder how much money it took to sign him?

[volfanatic72]

First... I'll preface this with the fact I am the unusual combination of a Gordon and a JR fan but....

"If you can't beat em', join em' !!!!!"

[madjack]

I really thought he would end up at RCR in the 33 car. Richard still "owns" that number and Richard is like a 2nd dad to Jr.

I wonder how much money it took to sign him?

...I have read several interviesw with Jr and he has always said..."not until I win a couple of championships" would he drive for RCR...his Dads shadow is just to big for him right now...I always figured Gibbs w/out Bud or Ginn w/Bud...but I sure can't blame Hendrik for dumping Busch for Jr...if it comes about, it will form a team for the ages........
madjack

[bledsoe3]

I thought if HMS booted any driver it would have been Mears. But that was before he won a race. But, Kyle is a wreck waiting to happen and acts like an a$$ to boot.

If JR does go to HMS he'll have no excuse for not winning. I'm sure Rick will give him everything he needs to win. On the other hand, if Kyle starts winning in the scenario of them swapping teams it wouldn't look good for JR.

[madjack]

I have been thinking the same thing Jim...at least we will find out if Jr has the props to go with the name................

[Dean in Eureka, CA]

Besides having more than my fill of the press on this matter, I have three things I'm wondering about...

1. I wonder if Theresa now realizes how much money she really lost?
(She should've just turned control of the company over to Little E)

2. I wonder if cousin Tony Jr. is gonna move with Little E?
(My guess would be yes)

3. I wonder what Kyle Busch thinks about all this?
(He's a punk and needs to grow up)

[madjack]

1)...nawwww, have you ever listened to her talk...and Selig should be taken behind the barn and shot...alll they want, is to make money offa Seniors name and they just let their best bet for doing so, get away from them...
2)...if there is anyway possible, he will...Tony jr has Jrs total trust...afterall, they grew up together...
3)...who cares, he is a punk...and drives like one too...

...so there ya go Dean...ya don't havvta worry now
madjack

[Dean in Eureka, CA]

OK...
Then I wonder what Theresa thinks of Kyle Busch driving for her?
What a pathetic excuse for damage control...
She's gonna wake up one day soon and realize what a mistake it was letting Little E go.

[madjack]

OK...
Then I wonder what Theresa thinks of Kyle Busch driving for her?

I wonder what Truex thinks about Jr leaving...especially if he gets Busch for a teammate.........................

[Dean in Eureka, CA]

He probably puked.

[bledsoe3]

Is Tony under contract with DEI? I don't know if he can leave. She may be pissed enough to make him stay or sit out the remainder of his contract.

[madjack]

Is Tony under contract with DEI? I don't know if he can leave. She may be pissed enough to make him stay or sit out the remainder of his contract.

I dunno, BUT there is always an out... ...................................

[bledsoe3]

I guess that depends how much HMS had to put out to get JR in the first place.