DOVER, Del. - Dale Earnhardt Jr. appears to be closing in on a decision as to where he'll race in 2008, though NASCAR's most popular driver shed no new light on what team that will be.
Friday at Dover International Speedway, Earnhardt Jr. spoke at length about the process he and sister/agent Kelley Earnhardt Elledge are using to determine for what team Earnhardt Jr. will drive after leaving Dale Earnhardt Inc. after this season.
And Earnhardt Jr. changed his tune a little bit as far as why he left DEI - insinuating that a conflict with stepmother Teresa over how the company is run was the main reason he left.
As part of his free agent tour, Earnhardt Jr. has visited other race shops for the first time in his Cup career. He's been surprised with what he's seen, saying he hasn't noticed any "golden eggs" at other shops.
"I was surprised at how on par in some places DEI really is," Earnhardt Jr. said. "I never really felt like me and crew chief Tony [Eury] Jr. had any trouble being competitive at DEI. The reasons why I left were truly personal and not competition related.
"You look at look at these other teams that are winning more races, and there's an obvious difference between the two companies - or three or four companies."
The equipment is same across the board, Earnhardt Jr. said. But it's the things behind closed doors that are different, he said, noting that some machines he's seen do things "you can't comprehend."
Earnhardt Jr. said he doesn't want to be in the situation he finds himself in and hates talking about it, knowing fans will grow tired of reading about it. But when asked if he's narrowed or expanded his search, Earnhardt Jr. said his moving toward a decision.
"I've drawn a pretty good bead on where I want to be, with respect to a small handful of teams," Earnhardt Jr. said. "It's been weird. I've always been gracious and tried to be respectful. I want to give everybody an opportunity, and I feel really uncomfortable saying that.
"I want to hear what these other guys say when it comes to every team, but there's really within reason a good trio or three or four teams that we're looking at and talking with extensively."
Earnhardt Jr. reiterated his stance about remaining with Chevrolet, which automatically narrows his choice to Hendrick Motorsports, Joe Gibbs Racing, Richard Childress Racing, Ginn Racing and Hall of Fame Racing.
"Things are looking good," Earnhardt Jr. said. "We are making forward progress every day. I'm getting really excited. The time that Kelley wants something done is going to be OK. ... I thought it would take a lot longer than that, but I'm bad to sit on a decision and waste a lot of time trying to make sure I make the right one. The horizon's pretty clear on what I feel like I need to."
Earnhardt Jr. said an announcement could be made within a month.
Friday at Dover International Speedway, Earnhardt Jr. spoke at length about the process he and sister/agent Kelley Earnhardt Elledge are using to determine for what team Earnhardt Jr. will drive after leaving Dale Earnhardt Inc. after this season.
And Earnhardt Jr. changed his tune a little bit as far as why he left DEI - insinuating that a conflict with stepmother Teresa over how the company is run was the main reason he left.
As part of his free agent tour, Earnhardt Jr. has visited other race shops for the first time in his Cup career. He's been surprised with what he's seen, saying he hasn't noticed any "golden eggs" at other shops.
"I was surprised at how on par in some places DEI really is," Earnhardt Jr. said. "I never really felt like me and crew chief Tony [Eury] Jr. had any trouble being competitive at DEI. The reasons why I left were truly personal and not competition related.
"You look at look at these other teams that are winning more races, and there's an obvious difference between the two companies - or three or four companies."
The equipment is same across the board, Earnhardt Jr. said. But it's the things behind closed doors that are different, he said, noting that some machines he's seen do things "you can't comprehend."
Earnhardt Jr. said he doesn't want to be in the situation he finds himself in and hates talking about it, knowing fans will grow tired of reading about it. But when asked if he's narrowed or expanded his search, Earnhardt Jr. said his moving toward a decision.
"I've drawn a pretty good bead on where I want to be, with respect to a small handful of teams," Earnhardt Jr. said. "It's been weird. I've always been gracious and tried to be respectful. I want to give everybody an opportunity, and I feel really uncomfortable saying that.
"I want to hear what these other guys say when it comes to every team, but there's really within reason a good trio or three or four teams that we're looking at and talking with extensively."
Earnhardt Jr. reiterated his stance about remaining with Chevrolet, which automatically narrows his choice to Hendrick Motorsports, Joe Gibbs Racing, Richard Childress Racing, Ginn Racing and Hall of Fame Racing.
"Things are looking good," Earnhardt Jr. said. "We are making forward progress every day. I'm getting really excited. The time that Kelley wants something done is going to be OK. ... I thought it would take a lot longer than that, but I'm bad to sit on a decision and waste a lot of time trying to make sure I make the right one. The horizon's pretty clear on what I feel like I need to."
Earnhardt Jr. said an announcement could be made within a month.