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Where Will Junior Land? Bet on Black

Q: Greg, if I remember correctly, you predicted that Dale Earnhardt Jr. would sign a contract and stay with Dale Earnhardt Inc., and that you felt that would be the best thing to happen. You were wrong and he's leaving DEI, so what do you think will happen now? You've usually been right in your predictions, so I'd like to know. -- Claudia H., North Carolina

A: Claudia, let the bidding begin! I indeed did think he would stay with DEI, but as you see, I was wrong.

Junior will be the most sought-after NASCAR Nextel Cup driver of all-time, and my gut tells me he'll end up where everyone wants him to. This means he'll be driving the black No. 3 GM Goodwrench Chevy his dad made famous. This "prediction" is an easy one, as just about everyone is hoping it happens.

However, a few things "hit me" when the "amicable" DEI/Junior split came.

Specifically, Childress Racing's Kevin Harvick is now running for Royal Dutch Petroleum as his major sponsor (Shell gasoline, Pennzoil lubricants), while his former major sponsor, GM Goodwrench, is "in the background" as an associate sponsor in 2007 with Richard Childress Racing. Is this by design?

Here's the perfect scenario: Junior signs with Childress, the black No. 3 GM Goodwrench Chevy reappears, Budweiser becomes the major "associate" sponsor on all Childress-owned cars, and everyone is happy. It will be a four-car team (now the maximum allowed for car owners in Cup), with Jeff Burton, Clint Bowyer, Harvick and Earnhardt Jr. doing the chores. If Budweiser wants a little red on the Chevy, they'll work it out.

Could Budweiser stay with DEI? Sure, but I just don't feel it will happen, as a relationship that spans years would be broken, hurting the marketing factor of the Earnhardt/Budweiser consumer connection (similar to UPS/Jarrett).

As we all know, Earnhardt Jr. announced recently at a JR Motorsports news conference that negotiations to extend his driving contract with Dale Earnhardt Inc. came to an amicable end. Earnhardt Jr. said he would "look at his options" in the coming months and hopefully announce a decision mid- to late summer.

Since joining DEI in 1998, Earnhardt Jr. posted 17 NASCAR Nextel Cup victories, one Nextel All-Star Challenge win, two NASCAR Busch Series championships and 22 Busch Series victories. He won the Great American Race -- the Daytona 500 -- in 2004 in a season that featured a career-high six victories. The fans have voted him NASCAR's Most Popular Driver each of the past four seasons, an honor he shares with legendary drivers Richard Petty, Bobby Allison and Bill Elliott.

As for other teams outbidding Childress, I don't think it will happen. Childress can offer more than money, so even moguls like Chip Ganassi or Roger Penske, who might divvy up more cash for the rights to Earnhardt Jr., probably don't have a chance. Again, this is just conjecture on my part.

We're talking history here, and it all lies in that black No. 3 sitting in Childress' shop right now. Junior has the right genes and will have first "dibs" for sure, and that's the way it should be.

In ending, Junior is going to be a champ one day, and my money says it will come with Childress. Junior's dad earned more than $41 million in his career and collected seven NASCAR Cup Series championships, all behind the wheel of a Chevrolet.

Write to Greg Zyla in care of King Features Weekly Service, P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL32853- 6475, or send an e-mail to letters.kfws@hearstsc.com.

(c) 2007 King Features Synd., Inc.

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