Dale Earnhardt Inc.: Encyclopedia II - Dale Earnhardt Inc. - NASCAR teams

Dale Earnhardt Inc. - NASCAR teams

Dale Earnhardt Inc. - Car #1 history

Dale Earnhardt, Inc. debuted in Winston Cup in 1996 as the #14 Racing for Kids Chevrolet, driven by Robby Gordon at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Jeff Green drove the car in two more races that year. The next year, Busch Series standout Steve Park drove the car in five races with the Burger King sponsorship. In 1998, the team switched numbers with car owner Richard Jackson, (who was running out of funding for his team), with the car changing from #14 to #1, and receiving sponsorship from Pennzoil and Park making a bid for NASCAR Rookie of the Year honors. (Ironically, Jackson field cars part-time for Jerry Nadeau in 1997, who would compete against Park for Rookie of the Year.) The team got off to a bumpy start after Park failed to qualify at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in just the third race of the year. The next week, Park broke his leg at a testing accident at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Two weeks later, the team hired three-time champion Darrell Waltrip to pilot the car whilst Park recovered from his injuries. Waltrip posted two top ten finishes in the car until Park made his return at the Brickyard 400, where he finished 35th following a crash. He posted two eleventh-place finishes and finished 42nd in points that year. Park fared better the next year, posting 5 top 10 finishes and finishing 14th in points. 2000 turned out to be his best season yet, as he won his first two Bud Pole awards, and won his first race at his home track at Watkins Glen International Raceway. He finished 11th year in points. The race after his boss' death in 2001, Park beat Bobby Labonte in a photo finish Rockingham Motor Speedway. But his career stalled when competing in a Busch Series race at Darlington Speedway, he was T-boned by Larry Foyt and almost died. He gradually recovered and returned, ironically, at the spring Darlington race in 2002. He has since struggled to maintain his career. Midway through 2003, he was released from the ride and was replaced by Jeff Green. (Park took over Green's old ride at Richard Childress Racing, who used to be Earnhardt's owner.) Both Green and Pennzoil left following 2003, and the team moved to part-time status, occasionally popping up to field cars for two-time winner John Andretti. The team will run a part-time schedule in 2005 with Martin Truex Jr. driving a Bass Pro Shops-sponsored car. The team will move to full time in 2006 with Truex Jr. competing for Rookie of the Year honors.

Dale Earnhardt Inc. - Car #8 history - Nextel Cup formerly Winston Cup

The 8 car started out in the NASCAR Busch Series as the #3 ACDelco Chevrolet driven by Dale Earnhardt Jr. in 1997. Junior won championships in both 1998 and 1999 in the Busch Series in this car. In 1999, Little E drove in 5 Winston Cup races in the #8 Budweiser Chevrolet, finishing in the top 10 once, leading one lap, and one DNF. In 2000, Junior made a full time jump to Winston Cup. Despite winning two poles and three races(including The Winston), Junior finished runner-up to Matt Kenseth for NASCAR Rookie of the Year. In 2001, Dale bounced back remarkably from his father's death and ended up winning the first race back to Daytona Beach since his death. Since then, Earnhardt has been a consistent contender for the championship, although he has struggled this year, despite winning at Chicagoland.

Dale Earnhardt Inc. - Car #15 history

The #15 team orginated from the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series as the #16 NAPA Chevrolet driven by Ron Hornaday. The team won two championships and 23 races during this time(1995-1999.) In 2000, the team moved to the NASCAR Busch Series as car #3. Hornaday won twice, finished 8th in points, but finished second to Kevin Harvick for Rookie of the Year in what has turned out to be a relatively weak rookie class. In 2001, the team once agained moved to a different series, but this time, without Hornaday. The team was now #15 and sponsored still by NAPA. Michael Waltrip now handled the driving chores, and won his first race at the Daytona 500, but it was overshadowed by the death of his boss, Dale Earnhardt. Waltrip has won four times over the past three years. It was announced in 2005 that Waltrip will not drive the car next year for DEI. Recently, NAPA and Michael Waltrip signed on with Bill Davis Racing for the 2006 season.

The #15 team will move to a part-time status for 2006 with DEI's Busch Series driver Paul Menard and sponorship provided by Menards Home Improvement stores. It is possible this could lead to a full-time schedule in 2007.

Dale Earnhardt Inc. - Car #81 history

The 81 car made occasional attempts at a Winston Cup race in 2003 with mostly Jason Keller and John Andretti driving. The team hasn't been seen since, and is unlikely to return since NFL legend Tim Brown has acquired the number for his announced Nextel Cup team, backed by Roush Racing. The 81 ran in limited action in 2005 by Dale Earnhardt Jr, at the Daytona, Talledega (superspeedway restrictor place races), and Charlotte races in the Busch Series.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "NASCAR teams", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki