tool name
closeDEI-Ginn deal impacts points
as well as the people involved
Veteran Mark Martin headlines transaction
DAVID POOLE
The Charlotte Observer
Wednesday, Jul. 25, 2007
Wood Brothers JTG Racing is not part of the merger between Dale Earnhardt Inc. and Ginn Racing formally announced Wednesday, but that doesn’t mean that the deal is without impact on the No. 21 team.
Since the DEI-Ginn deal eliminates the No. 13 team that was 34th in the Nextel Cup owner points standings, the Wood Brothers’ Ford moves up from 36th into position to take the 35th guaranteed spot.
Bill Elliott, currently the driver of that car, is eligible for a former champion’s provisional. But because Terry Labonte will drive the No. 55 Toyota for Michael Waltrip Racing at Indy, and because Labonte won a championship more recently than Elliott, Labonte would have been first in line for that provisional if both needed it.
“NASCAR's cap of four teams per company meant we had to give something up," said Bobby Ginn, the owner of Ginn Racing who will be listed as owner on the new team’s No. 01 and No. 15 entries.
“We felt so strongly about this merger that we surrendered the value of the 13 car. We all were completely comfortable that the benefits of working together far outweighed the value of points.”
The newly constituted DEI will field Mark Martin in the No. 01, Martin Truex Jr. in the No. 1, Dale Earnhardt Jr. in the No. 8 and Paul Menard in the No. 15. With Menard’s team assuming the points garnered by Sterling Marlin in the No 14 Chevrolets for Ginn in the season’s first 19 races, all four teams are in the top 35.
The change also alters the battle for that highly valued 35th spot in the standings.
There was a 225-point gap between the No. 70 team from Haas CNC Racing and driver Johnny Sauter in 35th and the Wood Brothers in 36th. Now, however, Dave Blaney’s No. 22 Toyota team from Bill Davis racing goes into the season’s 20th race only seven points back. Scott Riggs’ No. 10 Dodge team from Evernham Motorsports is 67 points behind the No. 21.
DEI and Ginn officials said their merger is about creating one strong four-car team to compete in the multicar team-dominated Nextel Cup arena.
“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,” said Max Siegel, DEI president.
“This relationship with Bobby Ginn and his company allows us to accomplish both, which makes this a perfect transaction.”
DEI will operate teams both out of its existing 100,000-square foot complex and the 180,000-square foot Ginn Racing complex. Both are located in Mooresville.
Siegel said that while DEI needed room to grow, he considers adding Martin to the company’s driver roster another key factor in the deal. Martin and Aric Almirola will share the schedule in the No. 01 this year and in 2008.
“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,” Siegel said.
“Mark has pledged his support to our young drivers and our entire company in an effort to make us all better. Given his stature in the sport, this benefit cannot be quantified.”
Siegel said that DEI owner Teresa Earnhardt also plans to employ Ginn’s help with “strategic development projects that Teresa has been planning for years.”
Regan Smith, scheduled to drive the No. 14 for the rest of this year, will instead drive in Friday’s Truck Series race at O’Reilly Raceway Park in Indianapolis.
A statement announcing the merger said specific schedules for Martin, Smith and Almirola will be announced later. The company will continue to field cars in the Busch Series and Busch East Series, but its future in the Truck Series is being “analyzed.”
The future of Ginn Racing’s development drivers, including motorcycle champion Ricky Carmichael, was not directly addressed.
DEI’s current management team will be responsible for all day-to-day activities and transition plans. John Story, vice president of motorsports operations for DEI will oversee the expansion of the company’s racing efforts.