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Some of you all could care less, but some of us kinda care
Earnhardt trusts his title dreams to Hendrick; Busch will bolt.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. will join Hendrick Motorsports in 2008, hopefully moving one step closer to a championship that has eluded him while driving for his late father's company.
Rick Hendrick said Earnhardt will replace Kyle Busch on his star-studded roster of drivers. The announcement Wednesday ended five weeks of recruiting for Earnhardt, NASCAR's most popular driver, who became a free agent May 10 when he said he would leave DEI at the end of this season.
His criteria for a new team included finding a place he could win championships, and Hendrick is the perfect fit. Hendrick has won six championships, and has 10 wins through 14 points races this season.
"It became apparent to me the man I wanted to drive for," Earnhardt said at a news conference. "He competes with integrity and most importantly, he wins races ... So today, it is with great honor to introduce my new boss for 2008, Mr. Rick Hendrick."
It was not immediately clear what number Earnhardt will drive, and who will sponsor the car. Since starting in NASCAR, Earnhardt has driven the No. 8 Budweiser Chevrolet. It's possible that Hendrick could trade Busch's No. 5 to DEI for the No. 8, should he wind up signing with Earnhardt's old team.
"We haven't even began to work around that and see what the options are and opportunities are, and that's something we'll work out down the road," Earnhardt said.
Hendrick has longtime ties to Earnhardt's family. He fielded a car in 1983 for Dale Earnhardt Sr., who drove it to a Busch Series win at Lowe's Motor Speedway. That entry was co-owned by Robert Gee, who is Junior's maternal grandfather.
Joining Hendrick's stable could anger Earnhardt's followers because it will team him with Jeff Gordon, a driver generally despised by Junior's rabid fans. Following several of his recent wins, Earnhardt's fans have thrown beer cans at Gordon, most notably after career win No. 76 in April at Talladega Superspeedway. The win tied Gordon with the elder Earnhardt on NASCAR's victory list.
Junior says, 'I think I will cherish a championship on my mantel when it's all said and done.' (AP)
"We do have a personal competition. If you want to call it a rivalry, fine," Earnhardt said. "He's fun to race with, and especially if you beat him, it's a good feeling. ... We can both challenge each other to be better race car drivers."
Earnhardt hasn't come close in seven full seasons at DEI to winning a Cup title. Hendrick, meanwhile, has won six championships since 1995, and along with four-time champion Gordon, currently fields defending series champion Jimmie Johnson, Busch and Casey Mears.
"I think that I'll have a good opportunity to succeed and win a lot of races," Earnhardt said. "Personally, I think I will cherish a championship on my mantel when it's all said and done.
"I think I can live without it, obviously, but I'll be 90, 95 percent on my goals that I set for myself personally if I can't gather my championship. I really do want it."
With four drivers under contract, Hendrick told the Associated Press last month he had "no room at the inn" for Earnhardt. But Hendrick said Wednesday that Busch, who has a win this year and is currently 10th in the standings, was already talking to other teams when Earnhardt decided to leave DEI.
Some of you all could care less, but some of us kinda care
Earnhardt trusts his title dreams to Hendrick; Busch will bolt.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. will join Hendrick Motorsports in 2008, hopefully moving one step closer to a championship that has eluded him while driving for his late father's company.
Rick Hendrick said Earnhardt will replace Kyle Busch on his star-studded roster of drivers. The announcement Wednesday ended five weeks of recruiting for Earnhardt, NASCAR's most popular driver, who became a free agent May 10 when he said he would leave DEI at the end of this season.
His criteria for a new team included finding a place he could win championships, and Hendrick is the perfect fit. Hendrick has won six championships, and has 10 wins through 14 points races this season.
"It became apparent to me the man I wanted to drive for," Earnhardt said at a news conference. "He competes with integrity and most importantly, he wins races ... So today, it is with great honor to introduce my new boss for 2008, Mr. Rick Hendrick."
It was not immediately clear what number Earnhardt will drive, and who will sponsor the car. Since starting in NASCAR, Earnhardt has driven the No. 8 Budweiser Chevrolet. It's possible that Hendrick could trade Busch's No. 5 to DEI for the No. 8, should he wind up signing with Earnhardt's old team.
"We haven't even began to work around that and see what the options are and opportunities are, and that's something we'll work out down the road," Earnhardt said.
Hendrick has longtime ties to Earnhardt's family. He fielded a car in 1983 for Dale Earnhardt Sr., who drove it to a Busch Series win at Lowe's Motor Speedway. That entry was co-owned by Robert Gee, who is Junior's maternal grandfather.
Joining Hendrick's stable could anger Earnhardt's followers because it will team him with Jeff Gordon, a driver generally despised by Junior's rabid fans. Following several of his recent wins, Earnhardt's fans have thrown beer cans at Gordon, most notably after career win No. 76 in April at Talladega Superspeedway. The win tied Gordon with the elder Earnhardt on NASCAR's victory list.
Junior says, 'I think I will cherish a championship on my mantel when it's all said and done.' (AP)
"We do have a personal competition. If you want to call it a rivalry, fine," Earnhardt said. "He's fun to race with, and especially if you beat him, it's a good feeling. ... We can both challenge each other to be better race car drivers."
Earnhardt hasn't come close in seven full seasons at DEI to winning a Cup title. Hendrick, meanwhile, has won six championships since 1995, and along with four-time champion Gordon, currently fields defending series champion Jimmie Johnson, Busch and Casey Mears.
"I think that I'll have a good opportunity to succeed and win a lot of races," Earnhardt said. "Personally, I think I will cherish a championship on my mantel when it's all said and done.
"I think I can live without it, obviously, but I'll be 90, 95 percent on my goals that I set for myself personally if I can't gather my championship. I really do want it."
With four drivers under contract, Hendrick told the Associated Press last month he had "no room at the inn" for Earnhardt. But Hendrick said Wednesday that Busch, who has a win this year and is currently 10th in the standings, was already talking to other teams when Earnhardt decided to leave DEI.
