Dale Earnhardt, Inc.

Dale Earnhardt, Inc. (DEI) is a former race team founded by Dale Earnhardt and his wife, Teresa Earnhardt, to compete in the NASCAR Cup Series, the highest level of competition for professional stock car racing in the United States. From 1998 to 2009, the company operated as a NASCAR-related organization in Mooresville, North Carolina, United States. Earnhardt was a seven-time Winston Cup champion. He died in a crash on the final lap of the 2001 Daytona 500. Despite his ownership of the DEI racing team, Earnhardt never drove for his team in the Winston Cup; instead, he raced for his long-time mentor and backer Richard Childress at RCR. In the late-2000s, DEI suffered critical financial difficulties after drivers Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Michael Waltrip, and sponsors Anheuser-Busch, National Automotive Parts Association and United States Army left the team; DEI consequently merged with Chip Ganassi Racing in 2009, moving their equipment into the latter's shop, while the former's closed down.[1] Chip Ganassi Racing's NASCAR operations was subsequently purchased by Trackhouse Racing Team in 2021.[2]

Dale Earnhardt, Inc.
Owner(s)Teresa Earnhardt
BaseMooresville, North Carolina
SeriesSprint Cup Series, Nationwide Series, Craftsman Truck Series, ARCA
Race driversDale Earnhardt Jr., Michael Waltrip, Steve Park, Darrell Waltrip, Robby Gordon, Mark Martin, Kenny Wallace, Paul Menard, Martin Truex Jr., Regan Smith, Aric Almirola, Kerry Earnhardt
SponsorsBudweiser, NAPA Auto Parts, Pennzoil, Bass Pro Shops, Menards, U.S. Army, Burger King, Quaker State, Nilla Wafers, Oreo, Peak, Papa John's Pizza, Smith & Wesson, Taco Bell, KFC, Goodwrench, Coca-Cola, Ritz, Wrangler, ACDelco
ManufacturerChevrolet
Opened1980
Closed2009
Career
Drivers' ChampionshipsTotal: 4
Cup Series: 0
Xfinity Series: 2 (1998, 1999)
Truck Series: 2 (1996, 1998)
ARCA Racing Series: 0
Race victoriesTotal: 95
Cup Series: 24
Xfinity Series: 41
Truck Series: 25
ARCA Racing Series: 5

DEI celebrated the life and legacy of Earnhardt through an annual celebration of his birthday on April 29, also known as Dale Earnhardt Day. DEI maintains a showroom at the former race shop in Mooresville where fans can purchase memorabilia and other goods. The organization also pursues partnerships which bring tribute to Earnhardt's memory. Notable drivers for DEI included Dale Earnhardt Jr., Michael Waltrip, Steve Park, Martin Truex Jr., Mark Martin, John Andretti, Kenny Wallace, Darrell Waltrip, and Aric Almirola.

Cup Series history

Car No. 01 History

Mark Martin (2007)
Regan Smith drove the 01 part-time in 2007, then drove the 01 for DEI in 34 of 36 races in 2008, winning Rookie of the Year.
Regan Smith's car from 2008

Before the 01 car ran under the DEI banner, the team ran as MB2 Motorsports, with their cars driven by drivers such as Ernie Irvan, Ken Schrader, and Joe Nemechek. Veteran Mark Martin, coming off his final year with Roush Racing, was signed to drive MB2's No. 01 car for 20 races (18 points races plus the Budweiser Shootout and Nextel All-Star Challenge) in 2007, with Joe Nemechek moving over from the 01 team to the team's new 13 team. Regan Smith was pinned to fill the remaining 18 races of the season, while driving in the Busch Series for the team as well. MB2 Motorsports also changed its name to Ginn Racing to reflect Bobby Ginn's new majority interest in the team.[3] Martin was leading in the final turn of the season-opening Daytona 500, after lining up on the final restart with former Roush teammates Greg Biffle and Matt Kenseth behind him. Coming down the front stretch, and with the field wrecking behind him, Martin looked to have finally come through at Daytona. But the caution was not called, and Kevin Harvick caught Martin on his outside, beating him to the line by two-hundredths of a second.[4] Martin put together more strong finishes, and after the fourth race at Atlanta was leading the points standings in what was supposed to be his first season of semi-retirement. Resisting the chance to capture his first championship, Martin did step out of the car as scheduled, breaking a streak of 621 consecutive starts.[5] In 24 starts for the team, Martin scored 11 top 10s, and finished 27th in points despite missing 12 races.

Regan Smith (2007-2008)

Rookie Regan Smith meanwhile made his debut at Bristol Motor Speedway in March, finishing 25th. Smith would run 6 more races in the car, with a best finish of 24th at Talladega Superspeedway. On July 17, it was announced that Smith would move to the 14 car on a full-time basis, replacing veteran Sterling Marlin. Meanwhile, 23-year-old Aric Almirola, who was granted his release from Joe Gibbs Racing after being pulled out of a car he qualified on the pole during a Busch Series race in favor of Denny Hamlin, signed on to be the new co-driver of the 01.[6] With the merger of Ginn and DEI not long afterwards, Smith was left on the sidelines while Almirola ran 5 races. Aric's results were not much better than Regan's, with a best finish of 26th at Phoenix. Martin and Almirola would move to the 8 car for 2008.

In 2008, Smith was named the full-time driver of the 01 car (now fully operated by DEI), with Martin and Almirola as well as sponsor U.S. Army moving to the 8 car to replace the departing Dale Earnhardt Jr. Principal Financial Group was signed as the primary sponsor for the Daytona 500 and Brickyard 400.[7] Principal often ran as a secondary sponsor on the sides of the car, with a DEI logo on the hood in lieu of full sponsorship. Steak-umm and Coors Light were also sponsors in one-race deals. Ron Fellows replaced Smith at the two road course races, scoring a 13th-place finish at Watkins Glen. Smith almost won the 2008 AMP Energy 500, passing Tony Stewart on the final lap and crossing the finish line in first. Smith, however, was found to be passing below the yellow line upon video review, and per NASCAR had his position revoked, leading to an 18th-place finish.[8] Though he finished 34th in points with no top 10 finishes, Smith became the first rookie to finish every race he entered during the 2008 season and was named Rookie of the Year at the season's end. The 01 team disbanded after DEI merged with Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates, and Smith moved on to Furniture Row Racing.

Car No. 01 Results

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series results
Year Team No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 Owners Pts
2007 Mark Martin 01 Chevy DAY
2
CAL
5
LVS
5
ATL
10
TEX
3
PHO
12
RCH
17
DAR
14
CLT
11
DOV
7
POC
7
MCH
29
DAY
17
CHI
14
IND
6
POC
9
MCH
42
RCH
21
DOV
4
KAN
12
CLT
16
ATL
43
TEX
34
HOM
9
17th 3793
Regan Smith BRI
25
MAR
26
TAL
24
SON
30
NHA
32
GLN
37
NHA
36
Aric Almirola BRI
36
CAL
31
TAL
30
MAR
43
PHO
26
2008 Regan Smith DAY
37
CAL
31
LVS
34
ATL
38
BRI
26
MAR
14
TEX
35
PHO
35
TAL
21
RCH
21
DAR
29
CLT
19
DOV
21
POC
28
MCH
32
NHA
27
DAY
24
CHI
34
IND
31
POC
25
MCH
29
BRI
14
CAL
26
RCH
23
NHA
23
DOV
37
KAN
32
TAL
18
CLT
23
MAR
42
ATL
30
TEX
34
PHO
23
HOM
34
32nd 2872
Ron Fellows SON
29
GLN
13

Car No. 1 history

No. 14 (1996-1997)

In 1996, DEI debuted in the Winston Cup Series for the first of two appearances at Pocono Raceway with the No. 14 Racing for Kids Chevrolet driven by Jeff Green. Robby Gordon also drove the car in an appearance for DEI at Charlotte Motor Speedway later in the season. In 1997, sponsored by Burger King, Busch Series standout Steve Park drove the car in four races, with the team failing to qualify in another four.

Steve Park (1997-2003)

In 1998, the team switched the car number from No. 14 to No. 1 in an agreement with Richard Jackson $100,000, another car owner. DEI received sponsorships from Pennzoil and Park and made a bid for NASCAR Rookie of the Year honors. In the third race of the year at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Park failed to qualify. The following week, Steve suffered a broken femur, collarbone, and shoulder blade in a severe crash during practice at Atlanta. Ron Hornaday Jr. failed to qualify the car in the following weekend at Darlington before the team brought in 3-time champion Darrell Waltrip. He drove the car for 13 races while Park recovered from his injuries and finished in the Top 10 twice. Park returned at the Brickyard 400 and following a crash, he finished 35th. In 1998, Park posted two 11th-place finishes and finished 42nd in points.

2001 Cup car at Dover being driven by Kenny Wallace (injury replacement for Steve Park)

In 1999, Park finished in the Top 10 five times and 14th in points. In 2000, he won his first two Bud Pole awards and won his first race at Watkins Glen International, his home track. He finished the season 11th in points. In 2001, in the first race after Earnhardt's death, he beat Bobby Labonte in a photo finish at North Carolina Speedway. Park's career encountered difficulties at a Busch Series race at Darlington Raceway. During a caution, his steering wheel became disconnected from the column. The car immediately veered to the left and was hit by the quicker-moving vehicle of Larry Foyt. Kenny Wallace filled in for Park while he recuperated from the new injuries sustained at Darlington. In doing so, Wallace won the pole and finished second in the Pop Secret Microwave Popcorn 400 at the North Carolina speedway. Park gradually recovered from his injuries and returned, ironically, at the 2002 spring Darlington race. Park ran strong in his return, taking the lead at lap 18, and proceeding to lead 19 laps. Park, however, crashed while attempting to pass the lapped car of Stacy Compton, pole sitter Ricky Craven, was also collected during the incident. Park would finish 39th, 160 laps down.[9] This was eventually seen as a sign that Park was still likely suffering from a concussion sustained during the Darlington crash the previous year and exacerbated by further impacts since. Park struggled to regain his form and was involved in yet another visually stunning accident during the opening lap of a race at Pocono. Rusty Wallace collided with Park exiting turn 1. The No. 1 then turned dead left and dragged teammate Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s No. 8 car through wet grass towards the short and relatively unreinforced inside guardrail (prior to SAFER Barriers). Park hit the metal guard rail, and proceeded to flip several times, eventually landing on the driver's side. Park's teammate ran to his aide after the dramatic impact and aftermath.[10] In mid 2003, Park was relieved of his driving duties and was replaced by Jeff Green. (Park took over Green's No. 30 AOL Chevy at Richard Childress Racing, previously Earnhardt's car owner)

In a last-second decision in June 2003, Ty Norris suggested a former student of Earnhardt's, Ron Fellows, to drive the No. 1 for the road course events as a road course ringer. In 2001 Fellows was finalizing a deal to drive a Dale Earnhardt Inc. car full-time in 2002 but Earnhardt's death left this invalid. Using advantage of this rare opportunity, Fellows almost won the 2003 Dodge Save/Mart 350 in which he controlled the race late in the event and lost when he waited too long for his final pit stop.

Part time (2004-2005)
2008 Cup car at Daytona driven by Martin Truex Jr.

Both Green and Pennzoil left DEI when the 2003 season finished and the team moved to a part-time status with Pete Rondeau as the crew chief. They occasionally fielded cars for John Andretti, a two-time winner. Ron Fellows returned to the No. 1 for the 2004 Watkins Glen race bringing sponsorship of Nilla Wafers and Nutter Butter with him. During the race, Ron qualified 43rd after qualifying was cancelled due to rain. Despite this, Ron put up an amazing drive through the field in which he charged from 43rd place to finish second behind winner Tony Stewart.

Martin Truex Jr. (2005-2009)

In the 2005 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series, DEI ran a part-time schedule with Martin Truex Jr. making seven starts in the No. 1 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet. The team returned to full-time status in 2006, collecting five Top 10's and finishing 19th in points. On June 4, 2007, Truex scored his first career NEXTEL Cup victory in the No. 1 car at the Dover International Speedway in a COT race. Truex also qualified to race in the Chase for the Nextel Cup that year. He was DEI's only representative in the 2007 Chase for the Cup and his qualification is, to date, the last for a driver in a DEI car. At the end of 2009, Truex left the team for Michael Waltrip Racing to drive the No. 56 NAPA Auto Parts-sponsored Toyota Camry.

Car No. 1 Results

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series results
Year Team No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 Owners Pts
1996 Robby Gordon 14 Chevy DAY CAR RCH ATL DAR BRI NWS MAR TAL SON CLT DOV POC
36
MCH DAY NHA POC
41
TAL IND GLN CLT
38
CAR PHO ATL 47th 147
Ron Hornaday Jr. MCH
DNQ
BRI DAR RCH DOV MAR NWS
1997 Steve Park DAY CAR RCH ATL DAR TEX BRI MAR SON TAL CLT DOV POC MCH CAL DAY NHA POC
DNQ
IND GLN
33
MCH BRI DAR RCH NHA
DNQ
DOV
DNQ
MAR CLT
DNQ
TAL CAR
33
PHO
41
ATL
15
48th 294
1998 1 DAY
41
CAR
31
LVS
DNQ
IND
35
GLN
18
MCH
11
BRI
34
NHA
41
DAR
24
RCH
27
DOV
11
MAR
24
CLT
36
TAL
41
DAY
33
PHO
24
CAR
35
ATL
17
26th 2857
Phil Parsons ATL
DNQ
Ron Hornaday Jr. DAR
DNQ
Darrell Waltrip BRI
23
TEX
36
MAR
40
TAL
15
CAL
5
CLT
17
DOV
20
RCH
32
MCH
12
POC
6
SON
13
NHA
13
POC
13
1999 Steve Park DAY
34
CAR
26
LVS
16
ATL
32
DAR
12
TEX
32
BRI
23
MAR
25
TAL
37
CAL
24
RCH
34
CLT
42
DOV
16
MCH
6
POC
13
SON
42
DAY
42
NHA
12
POC
8
IND
15
GLN
12
MCH
20
BRI
31
DAR
10
RCH
16
NHA
15
DOV
9
MAR
12
CLT
10
TAL
14
CAR
15
PHO
15
HOM
19
ATL
12
14th 3481
2000 DAY
31
CAR
9
LVS
43
ATL
4
DAR
39
BRI
7
TEX
19
MAR
25
TAL
32
CAL
16
RCH
11
CLT
9
DOV
19
MCH
29
POC
15
SON
17
DAY
33
NHA
28
POC
15
IND
16
GLN
1*
MCH
33
BRI
5
DAR
10
RCH
4
NHA
34
DOV
4
MAR
11
CLT
7
TAL
19
CAR
6
PHO
3
HOM
8
ATL
18
11th 3934
2001 DAY
31
CAR
1
LVS
7
ATL
43
DAR
2*
BRI
9
TEX
2
MAR
19
TAL
31
CAL
15
RCH
4
CLT
22
DOV
2
MCH
23
POC
32
SON
40
DAY
20
CHI
41
NHA
6
POC
13
IND
7*
GLN
10
MCH
9
BRI
7
16th 3782
Kenny Wallace DAR
41
RCH
21
DOV
22
KAN
17
CLT
23
MAR
20
TAL
6
PHO
11
CAR
2
HOM
14
ATL
28
NHA
25
2002 DAY
30
CAR
10
LVS
27
ATL
22
30th 2912
Steve Park DAR
39
BRI
24
TEX
20
MAR
24
TAL
34
CAL
22
RCH
34
CLT
38
DOV
39
POC
23
MCH
32
SON
23
DAY
34
CHI
27
NHA
32
POC
43
IND
7
GLN
39
MCH
41
BRI
26
DAR
36
RCH
11
NHA
29
DOV
26
KAN
30
TAL
6
CLT
15
MAR
16
ATL
15
CAR
24
PHO
21
HOM
17
2003 DAY
29
CAR
21
LVS
10
ATL
16
DAR
20
BRI
30
TEX
39
TAL
20
MAR
24
CAL
40
RCH
43
31st 2935
Jeff Green CLT
19
DOV
25
POC
33
MCH
28
DAY
29
CHI
16
NHA
30
POC
31
IND
20
MCH
21
BRI
40
DAR
18
Ron Fellows SON
7
GLN
38
John Andretti RCH
14
NHA
12
DOV
34
KAN
19
CLT
30
MAR
31
ATL
22
PHO
16
CAR
30
HOM
42
Jason Keller TAL
26
2004 John Andretti DAY
13
CAR
29
LVS ATL DAR BRI TEX MAR TAL CAL RCH CLT
19
DOV POC MCH SON DAY
43
CHI
16
NHA POC IND 44th 844
Ron Fellows GLN
2
MCH BRI CAL RCH
Martin Truex Jr. NHA
DNQ
DOV ATL
37
PHO DAR HOM
32
Kenny Wallace TAL
32
KAN CLT MAR
2005 Martin Truex Jr. DAY
34
CAL LVS ATL BRI MAR TEX PHO TAL
21
DAR RCH CLT
7
DOV POC MCH SON DAY CHI NHA POC IND
42
TAL
28
KAN CLT MAR ATL
40
TEX
15
PHO HOM 48th 614
Paul Menard GLN
27
MCH BRI CAL RCH NHA DOV
2006 Martin Truex Jr. DAY
16
CAL
15
LVS
20
ATL
19
BRI
38
MAR
19
TEX
8
PHO
22
TAL
36
RCH
41
DAR
14
CLT
21
DOV
22
POC
24
MCH
15
SON
16
DAY
29
CHI
19
NHA
18
POC
10
IND
19
GLN
28
MCH
30
BRI
18
CAL
18
RCH
40
NHA
22
DOV
6
KAN
11
TAL
5
CLT
31
MAR
36
ATL
37
TEX
14
PHO
12
HOM
2
19th 3673
2007 DAY
29
CAL
42
LVS
12
ATL
8
BRI
37
MAR
29
TEX
7
PHO
20
TAL
10
RCH
28
DAR
11
CLT
16
DOV
1*
POC
3
MCH
2
SON
24
NHA
3
DAY
13
CHI
39
IND
12
POC
22
GLN
6
MCH
2
BRI
11
CAL
6
RCH
15
NHA
5
DOV
13
KAN
38
TAL
42
CLT
17
MAR
19
ATL
31*
TEX
3
PHO
7
HOM
6
11th 6164
2008 DAY
20
CAL
6
LVS
15
ATL
21
BRI
13
MAR
21
TEX
36
PHO
8
TAL
37
RCH
5
DAR
14
CLT
34
DOV
6
POC
17
MCH
17
SON
16
NHA
4
DAY
17
CHI
9
IND
24
POC
15
GLN
5
MCH
16
BRI
35
CAL
19
RCH
16
NHA
7
DOV
20
KAN
43
TAL
41
CLT
14
MAR
10
ATL
15
TEX
8
PHO
43
HOM
10
15th 3839

Car No. 8 History

Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s car from 1999 to 2007
Dale Earnhardt Jr. in the 8 part-time in 1999, Full-time from 2000 to 2007.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. (1999-2007)

The No. 8 car was DEI's second cup series entry, the team was formed to bring Dale Earnhardt Jr. to the Winston Cup Series and opted to use the No. 8 which was formerly used by Stavola Brothers Racing, who ceased operations in 1998. Earnhardt Jr. drove the Budweiser No. 8 in five Cup races in 1999, making his debut at Charlotte in the 1999 Coca-Cola 600. He finished in the Top 10 once and led one lap.

In 2000, Earnhardt Jr. moved to the Cup Series on a full-time basis. That year, Earnhardt Jr. won two poles and three races (including The Winston, where he became the first rookie to win the event), but finished runner-up to Matt Kenseth in the competition for NASCAR Rookie of the Year. On July 7, 2001, Earnhardt Jr. won the Pepsi 400 at Daytona, the first Cup race at Daytona after Earnhardt, Sr.'s death. Using the No. 8, Earnhardt Jr. set a record by winning four consecutive races at Talladega.

In 2002, Earnhardt Jr. had a roller-coaster season. He struggled after enduring an April concussion at the NAPA Auto Parts 500—an injury he did not admit to until mid-September. In the three races following Fontana, he finished no better than 30th. However, Earnhardt Jr. rallied to sweep both Talladega races (leading a dominating 133 of 188 laps in the spring race), a pair of Bud Pole Awards and an 11th-place finish in the standings with 11 Top 5s and 16 Top 10 finishes.

In 2003, Earnhardt Jr. became a true title contender, scoring a record-breaking fourth consecutive win in the Aaron's 499 at Talladega, after being involved in a 27-car crash on lap 4. He struggled for most of the race, and was at points a half-lap down, only catching back up to the pack through a caution. The win was controversial because on the last lap, it appeared that Earnhardt Jr. went below the yellow line to gain position, but NASCAR ruled that Matt Kenseth had forced Earnhardt below the line, making it a clean pass. Earnhardt Jr. scored a victory at Phoenix in October, recording a career best 3rd-place effort in the standings, with 13 Top 5s and 21 Top 10 finishes.

On February 15, 2004, 6 years to the day after his father's win, Earnhardt Jr. won the 2004 Daytona 500. He won a further five races that season. Though he failed to qualify for the Chase Cup in 2005, he did race in 2006 when he finished 5th. On May 10, 2007, Earnhardt Jr. announced that he would not return to DEI for the 2008 season; on June 13, 2007, officially announced his move to Hendrick Motorsports (HMS); and on August 16, 2007, that he would not retain the No. 8 car number.[11]

Mark Martin/Aric Almirola split time in the No. 8 in 2008
Aric Almirola's No. 8 in 2009
Mark Martin and Aric Almirola (2008-2009)

On September 12, DEI announced Mark Martin and Aric Almirola as co-drivers of the No. 8 U.S. Army Chevrolet with crew chief Tony Gibson for the 2008 season, both finishing 28th and 42nd in points respectively. Martin left DEI after the 2008 season to replace Casey Mears in the No. 5 Kellogg's/Carquest Chevrolet and join Dale Jr. at Hendrick Motorsports. In 2009, the Army withdrew their support in favor of Ryan Newman's No. 39 car at Stewart-Haas Racing.

Almirola was engaged to drive the No. 8 Guitar Hero World Tour Chevrolet for the full 2009 season but the sponsorship lasted only four races. Following the 2009 Samsung 500 at Texas, Earnhardt Ganassi Racing announced that the operations of the No. 8 team were being suspended indefinitely due to a lack of sponsorship (which had been operating on a race to race basis). Almirola sued Earnhardt Ganassi Racing but the matter was settled out of court. Crew chief Doug Randolph would depart and join Richard Childress Racing for the remainder of 2009, while Almirola joined Billy Ballew Motorsports for 16 races in the 2009 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.

Car No. 8 Results

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series results
Year Team No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 Owners Pts Ref
1999 Dale Earnhardt Jr. 8 Chevy DAY CAR LVS ATL DAR TEX BRI MAR TAL CAL RCH CLT
16
DOV MCH POC SON DAY NHA
43
POC IND GLN MCH
24
BRI DAR RCH
10
NHA DOV MAR CLT TAL CAR PHO HOM ATL
14
48th 500
2000 DAY
13
CAR
19
LVS
10
ATL
29
DAR
40
BRI
38
TEX
1*
MAR
26
TAL
42
CAL
12
RCH
1
CLT
4*
DOV
10
MCH
13
POC
19
SON
24
DAY
35
NHA
21
POC
13
IND
13
GLN
40
MCH
31
BRI
21
DAR
11
RCH
13
NHA
31
DOV
16
MAR
36
CLT
19
TAL
14
CAR
34
PHO
27
HOM
13
ATL
20
16th 3516
2001 DAY
2
CAR
43
LVS
23
ATL
15
DAR
34
BRI
31
TEX
8
MAR
11
TAL
8
CAL
3
RCH
7
CLT
25
DOV
3
MCH
39
POC
20
SON
19
DAY
1*
CHI
11
NHA
9
POC
2
IND
10
GLN
12
MCH
12
BRI
14
DAR
17
RCH
3
DOV
1*
KAN
33
CLT
4
MAR
27
TAL
1
PHO
37
CAR
15
HOM
15
ATL
7*
NHA
24
8th 4460
2002 DAY
29
CAR
26
LVS
16
ATL
2
DAR
4
BRI
4*
TEX
42
MAR
5
TAL
1*
CAL
36
RCH
36
CLT
35
DOV
30
POC
12
MCH
22
SON
30
DAY
6
CHI
10
NHA
23
POC
37
IND
22
GLN
35
MCH
10
BRI
3
DAR
16
RCH
4
NHA
11
DOV
24
KAN
6
TAL
1*
CLT
9
MAR
4
ATL
5
CAR
34
PHO
5
HOM
21
11th 4270
2003 DAY
36
CAR
33
LVS
2*
ATL
3
DAR
6*
BRI
16
TEX
2
TAL
1
MAR
3*
CAL
6
RCH
3
CLT
41
DOV
11
POC
4
MCH
7
SON
11
DAY
7
CHI
38
NHA
6
POC
3
IND
14
GLN
3
MCH
32
BRI
9
DAR
25
RCH
17
NHA
5
DOV
37
TAL
2
KAN
18
CLT
9
MAR
4
ATL
6
PHO
1
CAR
13
HOM
24
3rd 4815
2004 DAY
1
CAR
5
LVS
35
ATL
1
DAR
10
BRI
11
TEX
4
MAR
3
TAL
2
CAL
9
RCH
1
CLT
6
DOV
3
POC
6
MCH
21
SON
11
DAY
3
CHI
22
NHA
31
POC
25
IND
27
GLN
5
MCH
21
BRI
1
CAL
34
RCH
2
NHA
3
DOV
9
TAL
1
KAN
9
CLT
3
MAR
33
ATL
33
PHO
1
DAR
11
HOM
23
5th 6368
2005 DAY
3
CAL
32
LVS
42
ATL
24
BRI
4
MAR
13
TEX
9
PHO
4
TAL
15
DAR
8
RCH
14
CLT
33
DOV
22
POC
33
MCH
17
SON
42
DAY
3
CHI
1
NHA
9
POC
32
IND
43
GLN
10
MCH
18
BRI
9
CAL
38
RCH
20
NHA
5
DOV
31
TAL
40
KAN
34
CLT
42
MAR
18
ATL
4*
TEX
8
PHO
40
HOM
19
19th 3780
2006 DAY
8*
CAL
11
LVS
27
ATL
3
BRI
11
MAR
4
TEX
12
PHO
23
TAL
31
RCH
1
DAR
5
CLT
11
DOV
10
POC
14
MCH
3
SON
26
DAY
13
CHI
5
NHA
43
POC
43
IND
6
GLN
18
MCH
6
BRI
3
CAL
2
RCH
17
NHA
13
DOV
21
KAN
10
TAL
23*
CLT
4
MAR
22
ATL
3
TEX
6
PHO
9
HOM
19
5th 6328
2007 DAY
32
CAL
40
LVS
11
ATL
14
BRI
7
MAR
5
TEX
36
PHO
19
TAL
7
RCH
13
DAR
8
CLT
8
DOV
22
POC
12
MCH
5
SON
13
NHA
4
DAY
36
CHI
19
IND
34
POC
2
GLN
42
MCH
12
BRI
5
CAL
5
RCH
30
NHA
16
DOV
3
KAN
10
TAL
40
CLT
19
MAR
23
ATL
25
TEX
14
PHO
43
HOM
36
16th 3929
2008 Mark Martin DAY
31
CAL
16
LVS
10
ATL
22
TEX
8
PHO
5
RCH
3
DAR
16
CLT
15
DOV
23
POC
10
MCH
25
DAY
10
CHI
17
IND
11
POC
8
MCH
6
RCH
5
DOV
4
KAN
18
CLT
9
ATL
22
TEX
12
PHO
14
14th 4097
Aric Almirola BRI
8
MAR
42
TAL
33
SON
25
NHA
23
GLN
35
BRI
13
CAL
30
NHA
18
TAL
13
MAR
20
HOM
35

Car No. 15 history

Michael Waltrip drove the No. 15 from 2001 to 2005
Michael Waltrip (2001-2005)

In 2001, the team raced the NAPA sponsored No. 15 (a possible reference to the No. 15 Ford Thunderbird that Earnhardt drove in 1982 and 1983 for Bud Moore Engineering). Michael Waltrip was announced as the driver for the 2001 season. In his first start for DEI, Waltrip won his first race in his 16-year career at the 2001 Daytona 500. An estatic Waltrip's dream come true soon turned into a nightmare, however, as his win was overshadowed by Dale Earnhardt's death. Waltrip soon proved to have prowess at the superspeedways, leading laps at most Talladega and Daytona races. Between 2001 and 2003, Waltrip won four races (three at Daytona and one at Talladega). However, he often struggled to find speed outside of those two tracks. After two disappointing seasons without a win, including a 25th-place points finish in 2005, Waltrip announced he would no longer drive for DEI, taking his NAPA sponsorship to Bill Davis Racing for one year before creating his own race team.

No. 15 Menard's Chevrolet in 2006
2008 racecar
Paul Menard (2006-2008)

For 2006, the No. 15 team moved to a part-time status, entering ten races but only qualifying for seven. Paul Menard, DEI's Busch Series driver, drove and sponsorship was provided by Menards and PPG Paints. Menard finished 7th at Atlanta and moved to full-time in 2007. After the merger of Ginn Racing and DEI, the No. 15 team absorbed the owner points of the No. 14 car (formerly driven by Sterling Marlin), so they would be guaranteed a spot in each race for the remainder of the 2007 season. After the 2008 season, Menard took his talents and sponsorship to Yates Racing driving the No. 98 Ford. The DEI No. 15 team was disbanded.

Car No. 15 Results

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series results
Year Team No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 Owners Pts
2001 Michael Waltrip 15 Chevy DAY
1
CAR
19
LVS
13
ATL
23
DAR
25
BRI
22
TEX
39
MAR
24
TAL
28
CAL
43
RCH
35
CLT
28
DOV
43
MCH
29
POC
30
SON
20
DAY
2
CHI
22
NHA
28
POC
19
IND
25
GLN
18
MCH
36
BRI
39
DAR
36
RCH
20
DOV
39
KAN
38
CLT
18
MAR
19
TAL
37
PHO
23
CAR
21
HOM
2
ATL
26
NHA
40
24th 3159
2002 DAY
5
CAR
40
LVS
22
ATL
40
DAR
15
BRI
30
TEX
28
MAR
13
TAL
2
CAL
10
RCH
24
CLT
8
DOV
21
POC
8
MCH
4
SON
22
DAY
1*
CHI
42
NHA
20
POC
18
IND
16
GLN
9
MCH
15
BRI
22
DAR
24
RCH
36
NHA
8
DOV
12
KAN
26
TAL
8
CLT
11
MAR
18
ATL
11
CAR
19
PHO
20
HOM
41
14th 3985
2003 DAY
1*
CAR
19
LVS
3
ATL
27
DAR
5
BRI
25
TEX
17
TAL
24
MAR
23
CAL
7
RCH
12
CLT
6
DOV
16
POC
18
MCH
5
SON
13
DAY
11
CHI
5
NHA
28
POC
4
IND
16
GLN
13
MCH
7
BRI
42
DAR
37
RCH
32
NHA
26
DOV
42
TAL
1
KAN
39
CLT
14
MAR
26
ATL
38
PHO
5
CAR
37
HOM
41
15th 3934
2004 DAY
38
CAR
33
LVS
37
ATL
23
DAR
35
BRI
10
TEX
20
MAR
15
TAL
12
CAL
32
RCH
10
CLT
2
DOV
6
POC
33
MCH
10
SON
4
DAY
13
CHI
9
NHA
6
POC
36
IND
20
GLN
20
MCH
17
BRI
27
CAL
23
RCH
13
NHA
9
DOV
16
TAL
25
KAN
11
CLT
28
MAR
19
ATL
14
PHO
17
DAR
33
HOM
17
20th 3878
2005 DAY
37
CAL
38
LVS
21
ATL
7
BRI
19
MAR
30
TEX
6
PHO
2
TAL
3
DAR
34
RCH
9
CLT
36
DOV
13
POC
5
MCH
7
SON
22
DAY
40
CHI
36
NHA
17
POC
26
IND
16
GLN
41
MCH
27
BRI
15
CAL
13
RCH
31
NHA
15
DOV
26
TAL
42
KAN
40
CLT
29
MAR
27
ATL
11
TEX
41
PHO
33
HOM
29
25th 3452
2006 Paul Menard DAY
DNQ
CAL LVS ATL
7
BRI MAR TEX PHO TAL RCH DAR CLT
14
DOV POC MCH SON DAY CHI
DNQ
NHA POC IND
DNQ
GLN
29
MCH
20
BRI CAL RCH NHA DOV KAN TAL
34
CLT MAR ATL TEX
41
PHO HOM
17
45th 669
2007 DAY
DNQ
CAL
20
LVS
32
ATL
31
BRI
DNQ
MAR
DNQ
TEX
15
PHO
25
TAL
43
RCH
16
DAR
31
CLT
DNQ
DOV
DNQ
POC
28
MCH
12
SON
DNQ
NHA
39
DAY
21
CHI
42
IND
20
POC
26
GLN
19
MCH
39
BRI
24
CAL
24
RCH
26
NHA
24
DOV
21
KAN
27
TAL
38
CLT
22
MAR
24
ATL
27
TEX
30
PHO
22
HOM
35
34th 2496
2008 DAY
22
CAL
27
LVS
22
ATL
19
BRI
32
MAR
16
TEX
17
PHO
21
TAL
14
RCH
31
DAR
36
CLT
41
DOV
22
POC
25
MCH
11
SON
34
NHA
29
DAY
15
CHI
26
IND
41
POC
42
GLN
28
MCH
24
BRI
16
CAL
37
RCH
34
NHA
21
DOV
21
KAN
27
TAL
2
CLT
26
MAR
27
ATL
31
TEX
22
PHO
26
HOM
30
26th 3151

Car No. 81 history

In 2003, DEI debuted the No. 81 car sponsored by Kraft Foods for the Tropicana 400 at Chicagoland Speedway in July, with driver Jason Keller failing to qualify for the event. Pairing crew chief Kevin Manion with longtime Petty Enterprises driver John Andretti, the No. 81 made its first and only Winston Cup start three weeks later in the Brickyard 400. Andretti crashed after 46 laps and finished 43rd.

Nationwide Series history

Car No. 2 history

The No. 2 was driven in one race, the AC Delco 200 at Rockingham. David Bonnett piloted the car as a teammate to Dale Earnhardt, who was in the usual No. 3. Bonnett was involved in a large crash on lap 94 and failed to finish, placing 35th.

Cars No. 3 and No. 8 history

The No. 8 car was run by DEI starting in 1984, with Dale Earnhardt piloting his self-owned Wrangler Pontiac for the first time in the Mello Yello 300 at Charlotte. The car ran from 1984 to 1988 and then again from 2002 to 2008. Between 1989 and 2000, the No. 8 switched to the No. 3. The car went full time with Jeff Green driving in 1995 and 1996 and later won two championships in 1998 and 1999, with Earnhardt Jr. driving. Drivers of the car from 1984 to 2000 included Dale Earnhardt, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jody Ridley, Kenny Wallace, Michael Waltrip, Neil Bonnett, David Bonnett, Andy Petree, Jeff Green, Steve Park, and Ron Hornaday Jr. During all six full time seasons (1995–2000), the team finished in the Top 5 in points, occurring with four different drivers.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. won two races in the only two starts for the car after the 2000 season (Richmond 2002 and Daytona 2004). Following Daytona in 2004, the No. 8 switched to Chance 2 Motorsports and ran full-time with Martin Truex Jr. Truex won the 2004 and 2005 Busch Series championships, along with twelve races.

The car returned to DEI part-time in 2006 after Chance 2 folded, with Earnhardt Jr. and Truex combining for three victories. Truex and Kerry Earnhardt drove the No. 8 in the final two series races for the organization in 2008, with Truex finishing 11th at Daytona in February after leading 20 laps. At the July Daytona race, Kerry's car featured sponsorships from Freightliner and Bass Pro Shops, with him finishing 17th. From 2006 to 2008, the car was driven by Earnhardt Jr., Truex, Tony Stewart, and Kerry Earnhardt in 16 races, with Earnhardt winning twice and Truex once.

NASCAR Busch Series results
Year Team No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 NBSC Pts Ref
1984 Dale Earnhardt 8 Pontiac DAY RCH CAR HCY MAR DAR ROU NSV LGY MLW DOV CLT
4
SBO HCY ROU SBO ROU HCY IRP LGY SBO BRI DAR
19
RCH NWS CLT
38
HCY CAR MAR - -
1985 DAY
35
CAR
1*
HCY BRI MAR DAR
29
SBO LGY DOV DAR
22
RCH
21
NWS ROU CLT
4
HCY CAR MAR - - [12]
Jody Ridley CLT
29
SBO HCY ROU IRP SBO LGY HCY MLW BRI
1986 Dale Earnhardt DAY
1
CAR
1
HCY MAR DAR
2*
SBO LGY JFC DOV CLT
15
SBO HCY ROU DAR
1*
CLT
1*
CAR MAR 25th 1611
Chevy BRI
2
IRP
25
SBO RAL
3
OXF SBO HCY LGY ROU BRI
2
RCH
1*
DOV MAR ROU
1987 DAY
27*
HCY MAR DAR
1*
BRI
4*
LGY SBO CLT
5*
DOV IRP
31
ROU JFC OXF SBO HCY RAL LGY ROU BRI
32
JFC DAR
35
RCH
31
DOV MAR CLT
21
CAR
3*
MAR 33rd 1107
1988 DAY
37
HCY
8
CAR
27*
MAR DAR
4
BRI
1
LNG NZH
6
SBO
25
NSV CLT
5
DOV ROU LAN LVL MYB
27
OXF SBO HCY LNG IRP
29
ROU BRI
3
DAR
32
RCH DOV CLT
33
CAR
2
MAR - -
Kenny Wallace MAR
11
1989 Dale Earnhardt 3 Pontiac DAY
4
- -
Chevy CAR
2
MAR HCY
10
DAR
6
BRI
27
NZH
37
SBO LAN NSV CLT
20
DOV ROU LVL VOL MYB SBO
28
HCY DUB IRP
5
ROU BRI
5
DAR
4*
RCH
5
DOV MAR CLT
27
Michael Waltrip CAR
7
MAR
1990 Dale Earnhardt DAY
1*
RCH
2
CAR
1
MAR HCY
20
DAR
29
BRI
5
LAN SBO NZH HCY CLT
8
DOV ROU VOL MYB OXF NHA
7
SBO DUB IRP
3
ROU BRI
24*
DAR
38
RCH
4
DOV MAR CLT
4
NHA CAR
2
MAR 26th 1947
1991 DAY
1*
RCH
2
CAR
3
MAR VOL HCY DAR
3
BRI
3
LAN SBO NZH CLT
1*
DOV ROU HCY MYB GLN OXF NHA
35
SBO DUB IRP
33
ROU BRI
11
DAR
1*
RCH
7*
DOV CLT
39
NHA CAR
6*
MAR 27th 1799
1992 DAY
1*
CAR
4*
RCH ATL
31
MAR DAR
17
BRI HCY LAN DUB NZH CLT
28
DOV
16
ROU MYB GLN TAL
4
IRP ROU MCH
3
NHA
2
BRI DAR
4
RCH DOV CLT
41
MAR CAR
12
HCY - -
David Bonnett VOL
9
NHA
1993 Dale Earnhardt DAY
1*
CAR
3
RCH DAR BRI HCY ROU MAR NZH CLT
36
DOV
13
MYB GLN MLW TAL
1*
IRP MCH
41
NHA
42
BRI DAR
40
RCH DOV ROU CLT
3
MAR CAR HCY ATL
QL
- - [13]
Neil Bonnett ATL
35
1994 Dale Earnhardt DAY
1
CAR
38
RCH
DNQ
ATL
10
MAR DAR
6
HCY BRI ROU NHA
31
NZH CLT
23
DOV
39
MYB GLN MLW SBO TAL
3
HCY IRP MCH
32
BRI DAR
41
RCH
3
CLT
45
- -
Michael Waltrip DOV
41
CAR
2
Andy Petree MAR
16
1995 Jeff Green 3 Chevy DAY
7
CAR
10
RCH
36
ATL
DNQ
NSV
10
DAR
27
BRI
25
HCY
29
NHA
14*
NZH
4
CLT
2
DOV
15
MYB
4
GLN
5
MLW
3*
TAL
12
SBO
22
IRP
9
MCH
14
BRI
2
DAR
9
RCH
15
DOV
8
CLT
11
CAR
27
HOM
35
5th 3182 [14]
1996 DAY
25
CAR
20
RCH
37
ATL
32
NSV
40
DAR
11
BRI
2
HCY
7
NZH
3
CLT
43
DOV
7
SBO
3
MYB
5
GLN
6
MLW
7
NHA
4
TAL
14
IRP
36
MCH
18
BRI
8
DAR
7
RCH
27
DOV
29
CLT
8
CAR
8
HOM
13
4th 3059 [15]
1997 Steve Park DAY
7
CAR
32
RCH
3
ATL
42
LVS
8
DAR
34
HCY
13
TEX
35
BRI
6
NSV
1*
TAL
2
NHA
2
NZH
29
CLT
16
DOV
5
SBO
13
GLN
6
MLW
5*
MYB
9
GTY
15
IRP
8
MCH
1
BRI
2
DAR
5
RCH
1
DOV
5
CLT
6
CAL
2
CAR
6
HOM
12
3rd 4080 [16]
1998 Dale Earnhardt Jr. DAY
37
CAR
16
LVS
2
NSV
3
DAR
10
BRI
2
TEX
1
HCY
8
TAL
32
NHA
10
NZH
28
CLT
30
DOV
1*
RCH
2*
PPR
10
GLN
8
MLW
1*
MYB
5
CAL
1*
SBO
13*
IRP
1*
MCH
5
BRI
15
DAR
2
RCH
1*
DOV
8
CLT
3*
GTY
1
CAR
14
ATL
2*
HOM
42
1st 4469 [17]
1999 DAY
14
CAR
35
LVS
6
ATL
3
DAR
11
TEX
10
NSV
9
BRI
2
TAL
6
CAL
3*
NHA
34
RCH
32
NZH
2
CLT
2
DOV
1*
SBO
1
GLN
1
MLW
3
MYB
25
PPR
36
GTY
1*
IRP
5
MCH
1*
BRI
3
DAR
12
RCH
1
DOV
33
CLT
5
CAR
13
MEM
2
PHO
2
HOM
2*
1st 4647 [18]
2000 Ron Hornaday Jr. DAY
32*
CAR
3
LVS
8
ATL
16
DAR
8
BRI
18
TEX
17
NSV
3
TAL
20
CAL
19
RCH
17
NHA
20
CLT
12
DOV
18
SBO
4
MYB
9
GLN
36
MLW
10
NZH
1*
PPR
9
GTY
6
IRP
1
MCH
30
BRI
15
DAR
34
RCH
37
DOV
14
CLT
9
CAR
11
MEM
14
PHO
5
HOM
38
5th 3870
2002 Dale Earnhardt Jr. 8 Chevy DAY CAR LVS DAR BRI TEX NSH TAL CAL RCH NHA NZH CLT DOV NSH KEN MLW DAY CHI GTY PPR IRP MCH BRI DAR RCH
1*
DOV KAN CLT MEM ATL CAR PHO HOM - - [19]
2004 DAY
1*
CAR LVS DAR BRI TEX NSH TAL CAL GTY RCH NZH CLT DOV NSH KEN MLW DAY CHI NHA PPR IRP MCH BRI CAL RCH DOV KAN CLT MEM ATL PHO DAR HOM - - [20]
2006 DAY
17
CAL MXC LVS ATL BRI TEX NSH PHO DAY
1*
CHI
15
NHA MAR GTY IRP GLN MCH
1
BRI CAL RCH HOM
7
- - [21]
[22]
Martin Truex Jr. TAL
1
RCH DAR CLT
5
DOV NSH KEN MLW DOV
30
KAN
Tony Stewart CLT
16
MEM TEX PHO
2007 Dale Earnhardt Jr. DAY
7
CAL MXC LVS ATL BRI
6
NSH TEX PHO TAL
29
RCH DAR CLT DOV NSH KEN MLW NHA DAY CHI GTY IRP CGV GLN MCH BRI CAL RCH CLT
3
MEM TEX PHO HOM - - [23]
[24]
Martin Truex Jr. DOV
2
KAN
2008 DAY
11
CAL LVS ATL BRI NSH TEX PHO MXC TAL RCH DAR CLT DOV NSH KEN MLW NHA - - [25]
[26]
Kerry Earnhardt DAY
17
CHI GTY IRP CGV GLN MCH BRI CAL RCH DOV KAN CLT MEM TEX PHO HOM
- Qualified but replaced by Neil Bonnett

Cars No. 11 and No. 15 history

The No. 11 car was run by DEI in the Busch Series. During part of 2004 and through all of the 2005 and 2006 NASCAR seasons, Paul Menard made 83 starts in the car, logging 31 Top 10 finishes and collecting one victory at the Milwaukee Mile in June 2006. In 2007, Menard made the full-time transition to the No. 15 car in the Nextel Cup Series, with a season-best finish of 12th in the Citizens Bank 400 at Michigan. Martin Truex Jr. ran two final races in the DEI No. 11 in 2007 at Daytona and Talladega, finishing 6th and 41st respectively. Also in 2007, Menard returned to the series in the No. 15 for eleven races, collecting five Top 10s and a best finish of 4th at Watkins Glen.

NASCAR Busch Series results
Year Driver No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 NBSC Pts Ref
2004 Paul Menard 11 Chevy DAY CAR LVS DAR BRI TEX NSH TAL CAL GTY RCH NZH CLT DOV NSH KEN MLW DAY CHI NHA
18
PPR
12
IRP
20
MCH
DNQ
BRI
36
CAL
21
RCH
13
DOV
15
KAN
17
CLT
DNQ
MEM
11
ATL
19
PHO
14
DAR
12
HOM
34
- - [27]
2005 DAY
17
CAL
20
MXC
34
LVS
37
ATL
24
NSH
36
BRI
22
TEX
18
PHO
15
TAL
27
DAR
30
RCH
36
CLT
12
DOV
28
NSH
13
KEN
5
MLW
3
DAY
6
CHI
9
NHA
7
PPR
12
GTY
5
IRP
7
GLN
8
MCH
6
BRI
41
CAL
10
RCH
2
DOV
10
KAN
36
CLT
3
MEM
6
TEX
17
PHO
13
HOM
5
6th 4101 [28]
2006 DAY
38
CAL
17
MXC
5
LVS
20
ATL
10
BRI
16
TEX
7
NSH
9
PHO
17
TAL
9
RCH
8
DAR
13
CLT
24
DOV
35
NSH
5
KEN
9
MLW
1*
DAY
37
CHI
39
NHA
4
MAR
12
GTY
35
IRP
9
GLN
18
MCH
25
BRI
10
CAL
4
RCH
4
DOV
37
KAN
10
CLT
13
MEM
23
TEX
27
PHO
37
HOM
3
6th 4075 [29]
2007 Martin Truex Jr. DAY
6
CAL MXC LVS ATL BRI NSH TEX PHO TAL
41
RCH DAR CLT DOV NSH KEN MLW NHA DAY CHI GTY IRP CGV GLN MCH BRI CAL RCH DOV KAN CLT MEM TEX PHO HOM - - [30]
Paul Menard 15 Chevy DAY
17
CAL
37
MXC LVS
36
ATL
18
BRI NSH TEX
9
PHO TAL RCH DAR
22
CLT DOV NSH KEN MLW NHA DAY CHI
6
GTY IRP CGV GLN
4
MCH
7
BRI CAL RCH
40
DOV KAN
7
CLT MEM TEX PHO HOM 43rd 1208 [31]

Car No. 31 history

The No. 31 car ran as a second entry alongside the No. 3 for several races in the 1990s. Ron Hornaday Jr. attempted one race at Rockingham in 1995 in the No. 16 but failed to qualify for the event. In 1996, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Steve Park both participated in one race, in what was the first series start for Earnhardt and the third for Park. After Park moved to the No. 3 in 1997, Earnhardt drove six races in the No. 31, finishing a season-best seventh at Michigan. He failed to qualify for two more races that season. The car returned in 1999 for Hornaday, failing to finish at Daytona but leading the most laps and finishing sixth at Phoenix. Hornaday finished the season with a twelfth-place finish at Homestead.

NASCAR Busch Series results
Year Team No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 NBSC Pts Ref
1995 Ron Hornaday Jr. 16 Chevy DAY CAR RCH ATL NSV DAR BRI HCY NHA NZH CLT DOV MYB GLN MLW TAL SBO IRP MCH BRI DAR RCH DOV CLT CAR
DNQ
HOM N/A N/A
1996 Dale Earnhardt Jr. 31 Chevy DAY CAR RCH ATL NSV DAR BRI HCY NZH CLT DOV SBO MYB
14
GLN MLW NHA TAL IRP MCH BRI DAR RCH DOV - - [32]
[33]
Steve Park CLT
29
CAR HOM
1997 Dale Earnhardt Jr. DAY CAR RCH ATL LVS DAR HCY
DNQ
TEX BRI NSV
39
TAL NHA NZH CLT DOV SBO GLN
39
MLW MYB GTY
38
IRP MCH
7
BRI DAR RCH DOV CLT
DNQ
CAL CAR
16
HOM
13
- - [34]
1999 Ron Hornaday Jr. DAY
34
CAR LVS ATL DAR TEX NSV BRI TAL CAL NHA RCH NZH CLT DOV SBO GLN MLW MYB PPR GTY IRP MCH BRI DAR RCH DOV CLT CAR MEM PHO
6*
HOM
12
- -

Chance 2 Motorsports

Chance 2 Motorsports was a jointly owned subsidiary of DEI and Dale Earnhardt Jr. The organization was operated by Earnhardt Jr. and Teresa Earnhardt and was a separate operation from DEI. The team won two Busch Series championships with Martin Truex Jr. in 2004 and 2005, in addition to 16 races with Truex Jr. and Earnhardt Jr. After this, Earnhardt Jr. left the partnership with his stepmother to focus on his own race team, JR Motorsports.

Craftsman Truck Series history

Truck No. 16 history

Dale Earnhardt, Inc. was a part of the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series from 1995 through 1999. Ron Hornaday Jr. was the full-time driver of the No. 16 Chevrolet C/K, sponsored by Papa John's Pizza in 1995 and NAPA Auto Parts from 1996 to 1999. Hornaday collected 25 wins for DEI and the 1996 and 1998 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series championships.

NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series results
Year Team No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 NCTC Pts
1995 Ron Hornaday Jr. 16 Chevy PHO
9
TUS
1*
SGS
6
MMR
1*
POR
9
EVG
1*
I70
14
LVL
16
BRI
9
MLW
3
CNS
3*
HPT
1*
IRP
19
FLM
1*
RCH
15
MAR
13
NWS
5
SON
1*
MMR
15*
PHO
5
3rd 2986
1996 HOM
3
PHO
5
POR
1*
EVG
2
TUS
3
CNS
8
HPT
3
BRI
8
NZH
5
MLW
3
LVL
1*
I70
4*
IRP
4
FLM
6
GLN
1*
NSV
2
RCH
2
NHA
1
MAR
4
NWS
22
SON
2
MMR
2*
PHO
7
LVS
10
1st 3831
1997 WDW
30
TUS
1
HOM
6
PHO
4
POR
2
EVG
9
I70
22
NHA
29
TEX
27
BRI
1*
NZH
24
MLW
1
LVL
1*
CNS
1*
HPT
3*
IRP
1
FLM
1*
NSV
2*
GLN
5
RCH
16
MAR
32
SON
26
MMR
28*
CAL
9
PHO
9
LVS
3
5th 3574
1998 WDW
1
HOM
8
PHO
1
POR
6
EVG
2
I70
6
GLN
4*
TEX
24
BRI
1*
MLW
4
NZH
1*
CAL
3*
PPR
1*
IRP
28
NHA
10
FLM
2
NSV
7
HPT
8
LVL
17
RCH
22
MEM
1
GTY
2
MAR
3
SON
23
MMR
4
PHO
3
LVS
2
1st 4072
1999 HOM
4
PHO
1*
EVG
1*
MMR
4*
MAR
16
MEM
6
PPR
6
I70
11
BRI
18
TEX
10*
PIR
27
GLN
5
MLW
7
NSV
23
NZH
24*
MCH
9
NHA
18
IRP
29
GTY
21
HPT
6
RCH
2
LVS
3*
LVL
6
TEX
10*
CAL
6*
7th 3488

Truck No. 76 history

A second DEI truck, the No. 76, only made four total starts. Dennis Dyer and David Green each ran one race in 1995 at Sonoma and Phoenix, and Steve Park made a single start in both 1996 and 1997 at Las Vegas and Phoenix. Dyer was sponsored by Papa John's Pizza, while David Green received sponsorship from Smith & Wesson. Both of Steve Park's starts were in the Action Racing Collectables (now Lionel Racing) colors, a company which Dale Earnhardt partially owned.

NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series results
Year Team No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 NCTC Pts Ref
1995 Dennis Dyer 76 Chevy PHO TUS SGS MMR POR EVG I70 LVL BRI MLW CNS HPT IRP FLM RCH MAR NWS SON
26
MMR - - [35]
[36]
David Green PHO
9
1996 Steve Park HOM PHO POR EVG TUS CNS HPT BRI NZH MLW LVL I70 IRP FLM GLN NSV RCH NHA MAR NWS SON MMR PHO LVS
15
- - [37]
1997 WDW TUS HOM PHO POR EVG I70 NHA TEX BRI NZH MLW LVL CNS HPT IRP FLM NSV GLN RCH MAR SON MMR CAL PHO
25
LVS 111th 88 [38]

Mergers

Ginn Racing

On July 25, 2007, DEI merged with Ginn Racing, formerly known as MB2 Motorsports. The No. 01 team joined the No. 1, No. 8 and No. 15 teams.[39] The merger did not affect the DEI team name.

The acquisition had the following effects:

  • The No. 01 (Mark Martin/Aric Almirola) team was added to the DEI teams. (Martin and Earnhardt Jr. would become teammates again in 2009–2011.)
  • The No. 15 (Paul Menard) inherited the owner points from the former No. 14 (Sterling Marlin), which guaranteed a starting spot for Menard at Indianapolis.
  • The No. 13 (Joe Nemechek) team of Ginn Racing was disbanded.
  • Bobby Ginn was listed as the owner of the No. 01 and No. 15 for the remainder of 2007; these cars were housed at the Ginn Racing shop, renamed DEI West[40] which also houses the team's fabrication work.
  • Teresa Earnhardt was listed as the owner of the No. 1 and No. 8 for the remainder of 2007; these cars remain housed at DEI's shops.

Chip Ganassi Racing

On November 12, 2008, DEI and Felix Sabates' Chip Ganassi Racing (the latter at the time a Dodge team) merged their NASCAR operations into one organization. The team was rechristened Earnhardt Ganassi Racing and moved all team operations to CGR's shop, effectively switching the latter to Chevrolets. The No. 42 team joined the No. 1 and No. 8 for the 2009 Sprint Cup season.[41] In 2014, EGR reverted to the Chip Ganassi Racing name[42] before being sold to Trackhouse Racing Team in 2021.[2]

The merger had the following consequences:

Earnhardt Technology Group

Earnhardt Technology Group (ETG) was created in August 2009 to assist up-and-coming teams. It was founded to contribute resources and opportunities to race in championships.[44] It serves the engineering and parts needs of more than thirty teams in the NASCAR Sprint Cup, the NASCAR Nationwide Series and the Camping World Truck Series. ETG provides a broad range of engineering services to all levels of the racing industry; distribution of Renton springs; machine shop services (now contributing to many varied fields of mechanical engineering); a leasing service; sales of vehicles and component parts; and consultation and support.[45]

Club E

Club E is the official fan club for Dale Earnhardt. It is a membership based fan club with three different levels based on contribution level (ranging from no fee to $49.99). Members of Club E have access to Dale Earnhardt footage, personal items, discounts at the DEI retail store, Carowinds, Kings Dominion, the NASCAR Hall of Fame, Kannapolis Intimidators games, Charlotte Motor Speedway, Dale Earnhardt Chevrolet, and Great Wolf Lodge, Inc. as well as member only events.[46] Club E is currently suspended but does offer a Facebook page for fans to follow to receive news.[47]

The Dale Earnhardt Foundation

The Dale Earnhardt Foundation was founded with a mission to continue the legacy of Dale Earnhardt through charitable programs and grants reflecting Earnhardt's commitments to children, education and environment and wildlife preservation.[48]

Partnerships

RAD Engine partnership

After the Fords were dominating the restrictor plate tracks in the late 1990s, DEI, Richard Childress Racing, and Andy Petree Racing partnered up with each other and formed the RAD Engine Program. Their first win was at the 2000 Winston 500 with Dale Earnhardt (which ended up being his 76th and final win). DEI won the 2001 Daytona 500, 2001 Pepsi 400, 2001 EA Sports 500, 2002 Aaron's 499, 2002 Pepsi 400, 2002 EA Sports 500, and the 2003 Daytona 500. RAD ended after Petree pulled out of the series in 2003 to focus on his Busch series program.

Earnhardt Childress Racing Technology

Earnhardt-Childress Racing Engines (ECR)[49] was formed in May 2007 with cooperation between DEI and Richard Childress Racing, developing and building engines common to the Chevrolet NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR Nationwide Series teams. In mid-2008, a stand-alone facility north of Salisbury in Welcome, North Carolina was completed.[50] ECR employs 130 technicians. Its engines have won in the 2010 Daytona 500 and Brickyard 400 with Jamie McMurray, the 2011 Southern 500 with Regan Smith, Coca-Cola 600 with Kevin Harvick, and Brickyard 400 with Paul Menard.[51][52][53] The company is currently operated solely by RCR as ECR Engines.[54][55]

JR Motorsports, Richard Childress, and Wrangler

On April 29, 2010, at the time of Earnhardt's induction to the NASCAR Hall of Fame, DEI announced a partnership with JR Motorsports, Richard Childress Racing, and Wrangler Jeans where, for one race, as a tribute to his father, Dale Earnhardt Jr. would drive the No. 3 Chevrolet Impala. The blue and gold paint scheme paid homage to the car Dale Earnhardt drove in the 1980s.[56] The car was raced in the Nationwide Series race at Daytona International Speedway on July 2, 2010. It was the first Nationwide Series race to use the Car of Tomorrow. Earnhardt Jr. started third, led for thirty-three laps and won the race. This was his first competitive NASCAR win since 2008, and was also the first and latest time DEI was involved in the NASCAR garage following their exit from NASCAR as a racing team.

Morgan-Dollar Motorsports

In 2007, DEI made a driver development contract with Morgan-Dollar Motorsports to provide trucks for developing drivers in 2007. This was inherited in the merger with Ginn Racing.

Drivers

NASCAR Cup Series

DriverRacesWinsPolesYears
Aric Almirola17002007–2008
John Andretti16002003–2004
Dale Earnhardt Jr.2911771999–2007
Ron Fellows5002003–2004, 2008
Robby Gordon1001996
Jeff Green14001996, 2003
Jason Keller1002003
Mark Martin34002007–2008
Paul Menard74012005–2008
Steve Park156231997–2003
Regan Smith36002007–2008
Martin Truex Jr.117112004–2008
Kenny Wallace17012001–2002, 2004
Darrell Waltrip13001998
Michael Waltrip180412001–2005
Total[57]97224141996–2008

NASCAR Busch/Nationwide Series

DriverRacesWinsPolesYears
David Bonnett2001992
Neil Bonnett1001993
Dale Earnhardt1171761984–1994
Dale Earnhardt Jr.811771996–1999, 2002,
2004, 2006–2007
Kerry Earnhardt1002008
Jeff Green51021995–1996
Ron Hornaday Jr.35201999–2000
Paul Menard94122004–2007
Steve Park31311996–1997
Andy Petree1001994
Jody Ridley1001985
Tony Stewart1002006
Martin Truex Jr.7102006–2008
Kenny Wallace1001988
Michael Waltrip3001989, 1994
Total[57]42741181984–2008

NASCAR Truck Series

DriverRacesWinsPolesYears
Dennis Dyer1001995
David Green1001995
Ron Hornaday Jr.12225131995–1999
Steve Park2001996–1997
Total[57]12625131995–1999

NASCAR Busch East/Camping World East Series

DriverRacesWinsPolesYears
Aric Almirola1102008
Trevor Bayne13122008
Jeffrey Earnhardt24012007–2008
Jesus Hernandez13002008
Ryan Truex1002008
Total[57]52232007–2008

ARCA Racing Series

DriverRacesWinsPolesYears
Aric Almirola1002008
Dale Earnhardt2001991, 1993
Kerry Earnhardt11402000–2001
Ron Hornaday Jr.1101999
Paul Menard1002007
Peter Sospenzo1001987
Total[57]17501987–2008

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