DEI Looking To Sell or Find Backer

by Bruce Simmons:

Teresa Earnhardt has tapped the services of Bear, Stearns and Company to find a financial backer for Dale Earnhardt Inc.  Reports say that she is looking to either sell all of DEI outright, or will accept a financial backer to come on board as a minority investor.  And thus, DEI appears to have hit that hurdle where it's make it or break it time.  (sirius-speedway.com)

I'm thinking their best option is a full-on buyer for the company that has been on the down side of the hill for quite some time.  Since the passing of the late and great Dale Earnhardt, the way the DEI was run changed drastically as the publicly introverted Mrs. Earnhardt played absentee owner, and just didn't mix with the NASCAR garage well enough to make the best connections. 

From where I sit, she seemed to want to do it her way, outside the normal processes of networking that would have rather done her better.  Her stubbornness is exacting it's price now.  But this isn't too much of a surprise to any of those who have been following this travesty since that fateful day in 2001, or not, to the new fan.

I can't see any minority investor coming on board.  Most investors want majority control, like Jr. did.  Teresa wouldn't even budge on giving Dale Earnhardt Jr. controlling ownership and since his and Budweisers' departure, the business version of the black hooded sickle carrier has been standing on the front lawn of DEI, patiently waiting for the inevitable.  Every thing she's done has been a stop gap and very little seems geared toward the leap frog ahead mentality.

And all she had to do was give Dale Jr. 51% ownership.  Instead, he moved on to a revitalized career and the selling point for the whole DEI garage having left, the mice are scurrying off the ship.  Jr. and Budweiser were subtle add-ons with the other sponsors of the DEI stable and with that leverage gone, no one can find reasons to pour money into this cause.

Mark Martin is leaving at the end of this year, and Regan Smith's No 01 car is not lined up for a sponsor and Paul Menard may be shopping his sponsorship also.  And if anyone has got an eye on the talent of Martin Truex Jr., someone should get that man an offer.  Heck, his own garage just dumped on his Cup  contention chances with the recent rules violation and confiscation of his car last weekend.

I truly wish them the best of luck in whatever they end up doing.  For some though, this is the just deserts.