Upstart team owner Bobby Ginn made it clear earlier this year that he planned on doing whatever he could to land free agent Dale Earnhardt Jr. for his Nextel Cup team.
When Junior put himself on the open market back in May, the dark horse Ginn put his team right in the mix.
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| Bobby Ginn couldn't lure Junior, but gets with DEI. (AP) |
Although Earnhardt Jr. eventually decided to make Hendrick Motorsports his future home, the changing fortunes of NASCAR racing have somehow brought Junior and Ginn together, at least for the rest of this season.
Ginn Racing's merger with DEI puts Earnhardt Jr. in the middle of a newly constructed four-car stable with current teammates Martin Truex Jr. and Paul Menard along with Mark Martin, whose No. 01 ride with Ginn gets folded into the lineup.
The deal had been rumored for months, and when Ginn decided to release veteran drivers
"NASCAR'S cap of four teams per company meant we had to give something up," said Ginn, who in essence eliminated two teams who were both in the coveted Top 35 in owners points, meaning a guaranteed starting spot at this weekend's 400 at the Brickyard in Indianapolis.
"We felt so strongly about this merger that we surrendered the intangible value of the 13 car," Ginn said of the decision to completely shut down his team Nemechek drove for. "We all were completely comfortable that the benefits of working together far outweighed the value of points."
Menard becomes the immediate beneficiary of Ginn's former No. 14 car piloted by Marlin; the rookie driver will get those owner points as part of the merger. That puts him into the Top 35 and secures all four of the new entity's cars into Sunday's race.
The acquisition was something the DEI management team, led by owner Teresa Earnhardt, had been contemplating since Earnhardt Jr. announced his departure as the organization looked to rebuild.
"This merger is great for both companies," said Max Siegel, president of global operations for DEI. "Our stated goals included an expansion to four cars as quickly as possible and, in order to do that, we had to acquire more shop space. This relationship with Bobby Ginn and his company allows us to accomplish both, which makes this a perfect transaction."
Rather than taking on the enormous task of replacing Earnhardt Jr. while also adding a brand new team to get to the mandated four-car cap, the merger gives DEI instant advantages Siegel is excited about.
"There are three huge benefits to us -- the real estate, Mark Martin and an ability to work with Bobby Ginn on strategic development projects that Teresa has been planning for years," Siegel said.
DEI will utilize its current headquarters as well as Ginn's.
"The value of additional square footage is easy to see, but the value that Mark will bring to our company is harder to measure and may be even more impactful. Mark has pledged his complete support to our young drivers and our entire company in an effort to make us all better. Given his stature in the sport, this type of benefit cannot be quantified.
"Teresa and Bobby have discussed some very high level strategies concerning her development objectives, and who would be better to partner with than Bobby? This is a win-win relationship in its truest form."
Despite the negative feedback Ginn received for his unceremonious dismissal of the popular Nemechek and Marlin last week, the colorful team owner believes this is the right move to follow the blueprint he laid out for success.
"When I purchased Ginn Racing last year it was done with a goal of fielding a multicar effort capable of winning races and championships," Ginn said. "We came very close to winning the season's biggest race earlier this year with Mark and today we feel as if we have done one better by partnering with a company with the legacy of Dale Earnhardt Inc."
