Diecast Crazy Forums banner

DEI expands to 4 teams following merger with Ginn Racing

788 views 14 replies 8 participants last post by  KK3869 
#1 ·
Dale Earnhardt Incorporated is absorbing Ginn Racing, making it a four-car team in time for this weekend's race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

The deal, set to be announced Wednesday morning, was confirmed to The Associated Press Tuesday night by a person familiar with the deal who requested anonymity because an official announcement had yet to be made.

DEI will immediately add the No. 01 Chevrolet, which is co-driven by Mark Martin and rookie Aric Almirola, and take the season points from Ginn's No. 14 team and apply it to DEI 's No. 15 entry of Paul Menard.

The No. 14 has been driven this season by Sterling Marlin, but the two-time Daytona 500 winner was released from the ride last week as team owner Bobby Ginn reorganized the operation he purchased last summer. Marlin was 29th in the points, which assured that car a spot in the field each week. Menard is 38th, outside of the top 35 that are locked in, and using the points from the No. 14 will now guarantee him a spot in the field.

Ginn will be listed as the owner of both the No. 01 and the No. 15, the source said.

The merger was first reported by ESPN.com.

Meanwhile, DEI will continue to run Dale Earnhardt Jr. in the No. 8 and Martin Truex Jr. in the No. 1, both owned by Teresa Earnhardt, Earnhardt's stepmother.

The future of rookie Regan Smith, slated to replace Marlin in the Cup ride, remained uncertain. Smith is still scheduled to drive for Ginn Racing in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck race Friday night at Indianapolis Raceway Park.

Ginn, who bought controlling interest in the MB2 Motorsports team last year and changed the name, made sweeping changes last week when he released Marlin and Joe Nemechek. He also shifted Smith, who had been sharing a ride with Martin, to Marlin's car, while saying he would suspend operations on Nemechek's No. 13.

The team also made a deal with Joe Gibbs Racing to hire 23-year-old Almirola, who was part of the Gibbs driver development program, to replace Smith as Martin's co-driver.
 
See less See more
#4 ·
Sall7987 said:
so what happens to the #13s owner points? they are still in the top 35 as well, hell joe go find a car and take your points with you
There gone, there were rumors saying that the points were going to be sold to the 78 team, but according to Jayski for some reason they can not be sold.

So with the 13 gone that leaves an open spot in the top 35 so that moves the 21 up into that spot.
 
#8 ·
selby92 said:
So now Almirola is with MB2? He leave Gibbs cause of the Milwaukee deal I'm assuming.
he was not happy after been pulled from the car guess its a step up being a part time DEI driver mind you when he went to ginn there said he would still be driving for gibbs in the busch for a few more races is that still true ?
 
#10 ·
Almirola is in the 20 car in the Busch Series this weekend. He's going to fullfill his contract with Gibbs for the rest of the season as well as platooning with Martin in the 01 Army DEI car in the Cup Series. Probably a better fit for him than Gibbs... they didn't have any secured plans for him next year (sponsorship). This way he'll run in Cup a bit more, maybe DEI will revive its Busch #8 car and put Almirola in for a full season (speculation, of course).
 
#12 ·
taterracing said:
Almirola is in the 20 car in the Busch Series this weekend. He's going to fullfill his contract with Gibbs for the rest of the season as well as platooning with Martin in the 01 Army DEI car in the Cup Series. Probably a better fit for him than Gibbs... they didn't have any secured plans for him next year (sponsorship). This way he'll run in Cup a bit more, maybe DEI will revive its Busch #8 car and put Almirola in for a full season (speculation, of course).
thanks
 
#13 ·
This is what has me thinking now... DEI and Ginn have been rumored to merge for a while, right?

What I'm thinking is that DEI wasn't interested in Regan Smith, but were interested in another young, top-flight driver. So they told Ginn to get Almirola if they could. They did, and they made the deal. I think Ginn made the decision to dump Marlin and Nemechek when he did so they could both pursue rides before Indy (last week was an off-week). But, this really screws Smith out of a ride. Although I've always thought he was never ready for Cup do begin with.

Anyone else see this being true? DEI telling Ginn to dump three of its drivers, keep Martin and grab Almirola before the merger ever happened?
 
#14 ·
taterracing said:
This is what has me thinking now... DEI and Ginn have been rumored to merge for a while, right?

What I'm thinking is that DEI wasn't interested in Regan Smith, but were interested in another young, top-flight driver. So they told Ginn to get Almirola if they could. They did, and they made the deal. I think Ginn made the decision to dump Marlin and Nemechek when he did so they could both pursue rides before Indy (last week was an off-week). But, this really screws Smith out of a ride. Although I've always thought he was never ready for Cup do begin with.

Anyone else see this being true? DEI telling Ginn to dump three of its drivers, keep Martin and grab Almirola before the merger ever happened?
got to agree with you on this it stinks first dropping sterling and joe both drivers given the right gear could win and a few days later the merger and smith gets sidelined too btw how many races did wm appear on the #14 this season ?
 
#15 ·
PAUL BARTLE said:
taterracing said:
This is what has me thinking now... DEI and Ginn have been rumored to merge for a while, right?

What I'm thinking is that DEI wasn't interested in Regan Smith, but were interested in another young, top-flight driver. So they told Ginn to get Almirola if they could. They did, and they made the deal. I think Ginn made the decision to dump Marlin and Nemechek when he did so they could both pursue rides before Indy (last week was an off-week). But, this really screws Smith out of a ride. Although I've always thought he was never ready for Cup do begin with.

Anyone else see this being true? DEI telling Ginn to dump three of its drivers, keep Martin and grab Almirola before the merger ever happened?
got to agree with you on this it stinks first dropping sterling and joe both drivers given the right gear could win and a few days later the merger and smith gets sidelined too btw how many races did wm appear on the #14 this season ?
They were on for 8 races, at least they honored thier contract unlike Panasonic who pulled out after thier 4th race at Fort Worth. As for the other races Pep Boys sponsored him in 2, WileyX sponsored him at Sonoma at Ginn Resorts sponsored him for the west of the races. Louden was the only race in which he raced without a spnosor.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top