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Happy29
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BROOKLYN, Mich. The season he landed on the fast track to maximum earnings potential in his profession, Dale Earnhardt Jr. was making close to minimum wage.
"I drove that Busch Series car in 1998 for $350 a week," he said, smiling as a group of reporters hung on his every word last weekend at Michigan International Speedway. "So I've always been underpaid."
He was driving for his father on a handshake deal the year he captured his first NASCAR Busch championship.
Five years later, the stakes have changed significantly. The founder of Dale Earnhardt Inc. is gone. His son has replaced him as the sport's most marketable and popular star.
And his unsigned contract with DEI has become a story that won't seem to fade.
The stalled negotiations initially came to light during the preseason but were defused by the team announcing he had agreed to terms.
But Earnhardt hasn't signed the contract and has been coy about the specific details holding up the deal. The dispute originally was thought to involve the number of sponsor appearances required by Earnhardt, but the driver recently has indicated that compensation - particularly salary and perhaps a future ownership share - also is a sticking point.
"As sure as everybody can be about me driving the No. 8 car for as long as I drive, I'm not going to do it for free," he said. "I would expect to get paid and compensated as I would for anywhere else in this business.
"Compared to other pro sports, we are underpaid. We make good money, plenty to live the lifestyle we want. There is a lot of money in this sport and much of it doesn't go to the drivers, and they put on the show. So that can get frustrating sometimes."
One surefire method of achieving a salary bump is by switching teams. Tony Stewart's deal with Joe Gibbs Racing runs through 2004, but he reportedly is weighing an offer from Chip Ganassi that could push his salary to an unprecedented level.
In the past, Earnhardt has spoken wistfully about winning at Daytona with Richard Childress' Busch car in 2002.
"I've entertained the idea for driving for somebody," Earnhardt said. "But it was never anything I thought would be a reality. On the other side, I'm definitely out to get what I feel like I deserve."
If he ever decided to leave the family business, there likely would be no shortage of teams heavily courting the 28-year-old. The most obvious suitor would be Richard Childress Racing, which fielded cars for Earnhardt's father in six of his seven championship seasons.
"As long as DEI is going, you'll see him racing for DEI," Childress said. "I hope that if he ever did decide to race somewhere else that he would come talk to me and would want to drive an RCR car."
His father followed Childress' lead into ownership in building DEI, and Earnhardt Jr. has expressed a fascination with also becoming a power broker. He owns half of DEI's Chance 2 Busch team but isn't concerned yet with controlling interest.
"I haven't even gotten to where I want to be as a race car driver," he said. "Ownership is just way, way out of the picture right now."
Even if he doesn't possess the assets of a NASCAR owner, he carries an approximate amount of clout. His merchandise sells millions annually. His mug has adorned best-selling books and mainstream magazine covers.
He has a corporation in his corner that probably will align its well-funded sponsorship with whatever decision its star driver makes.
"Budweiser is going to wait until our issues are secured until they can sign an extension," Earnhardt said. "They're like everyone else, including the press and the public. They don't know the whole story and my true feelings. If they did, I feel like everybody would just calm down. My mind and my heart are in driving the No. 8 car, and it always has been."
But the prospect of that commitment wavering provides power - far more than he had in 1998.
"It's nice to have a little leverage," he said. "I've been without leverage for a long time."
"I drove that Busch Series car in 1998 for $350 a week," he said, smiling as a group of reporters hung on his every word last weekend at Michigan International Speedway. "So I've always been underpaid."
He was driving for his father on a handshake deal the year he captured his first NASCAR Busch championship.
Five years later, the stakes have changed significantly. The founder of Dale Earnhardt Inc. is gone. His son has replaced him as the sport's most marketable and popular star.
And his unsigned contract with DEI has become a story that won't seem to fade.
The stalled negotiations initially came to light during the preseason but were defused by the team announcing he had agreed to terms.
But Earnhardt hasn't signed the contract and has been coy about the specific details holding up the deal. The dispute originally was thought to involve the number of sponsor appearances required by Earnhardt, but the driver recently has indicated that compensation - particularly salary and perhaps a future ownership share - also is a sticking point.
"As sure as everybody can be about me driving the No. 8 car for as long as I drive, I'm not going to do it for free," he said. "I would expect to get paid and compensated as I would for anywhere else in this business.
"Compared to other pro sports, we are underpaid. We make good money, plenty to live the lifestyle we want. There is a lot of money in this sport and much of it doesn't go to the drivers, and they put on the show. So that can get frustrating sometimes."
One surefire method of achieving a salary bump is by switching teams. Tony Stewart's deal with Joe Gibbs Racing runs through 2004, but he reportedly is weighing an offer from Chip Ganassi that could push his salary to an unprecedented level.
In the past, Earnhardt has spoken wistfully about winning at Daytona with Richard Childress' Busch car in 2002.
"I've entertained the idea for driving for somebody," Earnhardt said. "But it was never anything I thought would be a reality. On the other side, I'm definitely out to get what I feel like I deserve."
If he ever decided to leave the family business, there likely would be no shortage of teams heavily courting the 28-year-old. The most obvious suitor would be Richard Childress Racing, which fielded cars for Earnhardt's father in six of his seven championship seasons.
"As long as DEI is going, you'll see him racing for DEI," Childress said. "I hope that if he ever did decide to race somewhere else that he would come talk to me and would want to drive an RCR car."
His father followed Childress' lead into ownership in building DEI, and Earnhardt Jr. has expressed a fascination with also becoming a power broker. He owns half of DEI's Chance 2 Busch team but isn't concerned yet with controlling interest.
"I haven't even gotten to where I want to be as a race car driver," he said. "Ownership is just way, way out of the picture right now."
Even if he doesn't possess the assets of a NASCAR owner, he carries an approximate amount of clout. His merchandise sells millions annually. His mug has adorned best-selling books and mainstream magazine covers.
He has a corporation in his corner that probably will align its well-funded sponsorship with whatever decision its star driver makes.
"Budweiser is going to wait until our issues are secured until they can sign an extension," Earnhardt said. "They're like everyone else, including the press and the public. They don't know the whole story and my true feelings. If they did, I feel like everybody would just calm down. My mind and my heart are in driving the No. 8 car, and it always has been."
But the prospect of that commitment wavering provides power - far more than he had in 1998.
"It's nice to have a little leverage," he said. "I've been without leverage for a long time."
