Dale Jr. leaving Earnhardt Inc.? It's possible

Don't be completely shocked if, a year from now, Dale Earnhardt Jr. walks away from his famous No. 8 Chevrolet, and possibly even his popular and lucrative Budweiser sponsorship, to drive for another Nextel Cup team.

It's unlikely, but not out of the question given the tense relationship between him and his stepmother, Teresa Earnhardt, the owner of his Dale Earnhardt Inc. team.

The relationship between Dale Earnhardt Jr. and stepmom/boss Teresa has been frosty at times. (Getty Images)

Their relationship has always been a bit rocky. Since his father died in 2001, Junior's boss has been Teresa, and he has not always been happy with the way she runs the team that bears his father's name.

Three years ago, the two had an ugly contract dispute, with Earnhardt Jr. at one point saying it was difficult to negotiate when Teresa was rarely around.

A year ago, Earnhardt Jr. had to battle the company just to get the rights to his own name.

Now, Teresa has fired the latest salvo when she questioned Earnhardt Jr.'s commitment, telling the Wall Street Journal that he needed to decide "whether he wants to be a NASCAR driver or whether he wants to be a public personality."

It's not the first time someone has questioned Earnhardt Jr.'s commitment, but it's particularly scathing when it comes from his own boss, one with whom he already has a tense relationship.

Earnhardt Jr. is NASCAR's most popular and most marketable driver, a role that has led to numerous off-track business deals and opportunities.

He has taken full advantage of that, hosting his own TV and radio shows, making cameo appearances in movies, TV shows and music videos and hanging with some of entertainment's top celebrities.

Two years ago, he started his own Busch Series team, one that is run by his sister Kelly and employs several family members. He drives for the team on occasion and said last year that he prefers running Busch races for his own team rather than for DEI.

Whether running his own team and his extracurricular activities have affected his performance on the track has been a matter of debate, and it doesn't help when he has slumped the past two years.

In 2004, he was one of the sport's top drivers, winning six races and finishing in the top five in points. Last season, he won just one race and missed the Chase.

After his dismal 2005, DEI reorganized its entire operation, reuniting Earnhardt Jr. with crew chief and cousin Tony Eury Jr. in an effort to return their team to the top.