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Some NASCAR insiders have said that of all Dale's children, Kelley is the most like him. That dogged determination combined with the education that Dale insisted on for his kids...looks like it turned out better than Dale Sr. could have ever imagined.

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All these great things from the person that was unable to secure a single digit for her brother. I still say she never even tried. She made a move that was financially the smartest thing to do and should be cheared for it. I am greatly surprised AB has allowed the marketing our of the new sponsor while they hold the current contract. I wonder how much of the profit Kelly had to give to AB to do so? Gee, giving up your profit so you can market your new number instead of giving up some profit so you could market the old number. Never would have seen that one coming.
mikey mike levan

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Wait, because Kelley couldn't get the 8 for Junior, she's a hack? Huh. *shrugs* I'm not going to try and argue the point, because I know that most of us on here aren't negotiating high profile contracts, so we don't know how they go down or the intricacies involved. But the fact is, Teresa owned the 8. It was hers to decide what to do with. Whether Junior could take it to Hendrick wasn't up to Kelley. And Junior and Kelley chose to make the official *complete* split with Teresa so she didn't have control over him and his career forever. So, using the logic put forth of possibly having to give up some profits to AB - give up a little bit now that has a finite ending date at the end of the 2007 season, or give up a percentage of profits for the entirity of his career should he use the 8 for the rest of it? Looks like the money maker is giving AB a little bit to me.

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Give up some of the profit for the remaining 2007 season?

Or give up 20% Profit to Teresa for the rest of Junior's career so he can keep the 8?

From a fan's standpoint....Kelley is CLEVER and BRILLIANT. It tell's me she has the fans interest at heart and knows how hard this transition been for them. To work on a deal with 2 different sponsors to share a % of the profit on merchandise sales in order to get the gear out there for THE FANS is very smart business.

It also gives me the giggles....that Teresa has no stake in those sales...WHAT-SO-EVER!

God, she must know she BLEW Step-Mother of the Year!

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Kelley is an outstanding business woman. I admire what she has been able to accomplish this past year. Clearly, Kelley has done an excellent job for Junior. It's also very clear that Teresa is the big loser. Teresa couldn't have done a worse job if she tried to.

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Hey Cynthia, I have missed you.
Before everyone goes all postal on me please make sure you read what I wrote. "She made a move that was financially the smartest thing to do and should be cheered for it."
I ALSO believe no serious attempt was ever made to keep the 8 strictly for financial reasons and all you peoples arguments only support that opinion. Why pay 20% of something FOREVER when you can pay 20% for ONE month instead? I have said numerous times that no serious effort was made to keep the number for financial reasons. You people want to beat me up over it but your own arguments are the best argument I could ever make.
Here's your sign.

mikey mike

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I agree Mike,

I beleive Kelley & Jr. tried to obtain the 8 without any royalty rights to Teresa ( for a little while). But Teresa wouldn't give up that % of generated revenue for Jr. to have it.

I think Teresa asked for an obscene amount/and or % of the generated revenue of merchandise sales from Jr. and HIS NAMESAKE IF HE KEPT THE 8. But Jr. has said in interviews that he was trying to get away from Teresa and that he wanted to CUT ALL ties.

He has also stated that he knew LONG LONG before the final decision was made on the 8 that he wouldn't get it. Comments like: "I've delt with her in situations like this before, and the outcome never turns in your Favor".

I can only imagine....how it must have been there ( @ DEI)for him.

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Kelly Earnhardt Elledge has shown that she is as sharp as they come. She did a great job for her brother this season and all of Junior Nation should be grateful. Dale Jr will actually have a shot at the Championship next year !!! Can't wait for Daytona !!!!!!!

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Well, well well. Theresa does not own the number 8 Nascar owns it. Dont you ever read or listen to the new commentators that have told you many times that Theresa just leases the number 8. Kelly is a very smart person and it has paid off for JR. More power to her.

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When Brenda E. Jackson said that her two chidren are definitely a team, she didn't lie. Dale Jr knows exactly what he wants, and Kelley knows how to get it for him. He now has the sweetest deal in every respect that any Nascar driver has ever had and he certainly deserves it. Until June of 2006, Teresa still owned Dale Jr's name. The first thing he & Kelley did was get Dale Jr the rights to his name. JMO but I think that's when the stuff hit the fan, and it was when Teresa obviously was thinking that if she couldn't get the majority of Dale Jr's money from merchandising, then they would let him go. Even if I weren't a major Dale Jr & Kelley fan, I would still be applauding their smarts, knowledge, tenacity, honesty and negotiating skills. What Kelley has pulled off for Dale Jr and JRM this season is astounding!! And it seems it is continuing. I also love how their mother, their grandmother Martha Earnhardt, and their Aunt Cathy (Earnhardt) attended every news conference and stood by Dale Jr even though they were sad for him.
And to the person still harping on Rick Hendrick having the trouble a few years back, I would say "That's old, old news, long forgotten by thinking persons." Rick showed just a little of what he is made of by helping Kelley find the right doctors when she had a serious, life-threatening illness and the surgery that followed. Rick has also helped countless other people. He is THE most fantastic owner in Nascar and Dale Jr has never been in a better place in his career.

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I have a question that many DEI fans, and not fans, may be able to answer. I have heard many times that Little E did not even own the rights to his name until 2006. Well who is it that set that up? In other words, was daddy E screwing him or was that Teresa. I am sure the popular answer will be Teresa but it sure sounds like daddy E was bending over his own son if daddy E is the one that set that up. Otherwise, how can you complain that Little E did not even own his name if Daddy E is the one that took it away from him?

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That's a good question Mike. For most part I don't think Sr was "screwing him". I would assume being they had the same name there had to be some sort of protection provided for them both. Being Jr probably had no business experience when he started racing,I would have to believe Sr provided that protection. How could Sr have known that Jr's popularity would rise to this level. Had there been a plan by Sr to give Jr his name rights back at some point? We will never know. I'm sure Teresa was in no hurry to do that.

Ron

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Well I will say Mike the real winner is HMS. Since they will be getting a percentage of the merchandise before Jr even runs a race for 6 months. He hasn't paid Jr a salary yet!

Hats off the Kelley. She did a great job, because how could Bud not agree. They were losing money with Jr's move to HMS. Kelley appealed to their business sense. I am the older sister and just like Jr my brother is also a Jr he is not business savy I would do the same thing for him.

As long as DEI was investing in the lastest and greatest and Jr was winning there would have not been an issue. He probably would have left things the way it was. Once Kelley was involved she made him aware of how much DEI was getting from the sales of his merchandise.

That became an issue when people started to leave in 2004 and Teresa did not invest to keep some of it's talented staff. Of course the issue is between Teresa and Kelley, she knows without Kelley supporting Jr she would be able to manipulation him into going along with whatever she said. She wanted to keep the gravy train going. Why wait 3 frigging years to do this. I think she was shamed into getting her butt in gear.

Took long enough I wonder where she got the money all of a sudden. Out of spite and to prove something. It's a shame she couldn't have done that before it took a stranger and so many speaking out about it.

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Well that answer may well be the one that makes the most sense. Big E sets it up and may have had some intent on changing it, but dies before any possible changes are made. Then TEI keeps the status quo until Kelly, the manipulator, outs her for it.
Sometimes I feel sorry for Little E. So, if that is the case, that daddy did it for whatever reasons he had, I do not think anyone can blame Teresa for not changing it. After all, it was Dale's wish to do it that way.

I agree that Big E could not have forseen his sons huge popularity. He would not have it today if his father were still alive. I am sure he would trade that fame to have his father back every day. By now the two of them together would have made an impressive team. I would still pull for Jeff though.

Kelly is proving to be a very good manager but I wonder just how much of all the hubbub that has occurred has been a result of her managing Jr or her manipulation. I am still not totally convinced asking for control in the company was Little E's idea. I personally believe it was sis that wanted all that. Now we have this new release that DEI is spending a ton of money to upgrade everything and will be a leader in technology. You have to wonder, was all this in the works and Teresa let Kelly and Jr hang themselves by walking away from the company or is this a result of Teresa realizing she either does something quickly or run risk of the company going into a spiral.

mike levan

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Well financially I do not think there is any question Little E will gain far more over the next two years with the move. However, I have never thought Jr did it for the money. He really does think the move was his only chance to win a championship.
And yes, HMS has hit the jackpot. They have the two winningest drivers in Nascar currently and the driver 40% of the fans expect to be the best. That has to give HMS about 80% or more of the fan base. I hope buying all the best drivers works out better than when the Redskins owner bought all the best football players, they sucked. The problem with an all All-Star team is that none of the stars like to share the spotlight.
mike

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I'm not ready to sit here and call Kelley a manipulator though she may well be. If she is perhaps it's by necessity to counter another manipulator. Perhaps she was getting fed up with the goings on at DEI and decided to take Jr's best interests at heart. Jr obviously had not the spare time to keep his business interests, his busy schedule with sponsors demands and his racing to keep tabs on other important issues. Who better to put those issues in the hands of someone you trust than your own flesh and blood and a very savvy sister with a strong will and the intelligence to take on DEI. I believe Jr feels very comfortable with the situation as it stands now. We can come on here and create all sorts of scenarios to satisfy ourselves but I bet Jr feels that he is now in a comfort zone he has not experienced since Sr's death. Hats off to Kelley for helping get that done.

Ron

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When you are the fan fav and a halfway decent driver there is no way to do it all yourself. Many successful celebs need a good manager. And a good manager is worth the fee they charge. Perhaps manilulator is a harsh term but you know me, I do use shock value at times. Perhaps a more accurate term would be "muse". My personal feelings are that someone has been whispering things in Jr's ear that he would not have otherwise come up with on his own. The big question now is "will his record improve any next year?" We already know his bank account will. I think Octane said it very well when he said if Jr was ever going to get out of his daddy's shadow he almost had no choice but to leave DEI.
mike levan

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When you are the fan fav and a halfway decent driver there is no way to do it all yourself. Many successful celebs need a good manager. And a good manager is worth the fee they charge. Perhaps manilulator is a harsh term but you know me, I do use shock value at times. Perhaps a more accurate term would be "muse". My personal feelings are that someone has been whispering things in Jr's ear that he would not have otherwise come up with on his own. The big question now is "will his record improve any next year?" We already know his bank account will. I think Octane said it very well when he said if Jr was ever going to get out of his daddy's shadow he almost had no choice but to leave DEI.
mike levan

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Jr has stated publicly many times that he has sought advice from many people including DW, Dale Jarret, Mark Martin and others that he trusts and knew they would steer him in the right direstion. That tells me he was not ready to put all his eggs in one basket so to speak, but was smart enough to gather as much advice and direction possible. As far as Jr not being able to come up with "something on his own" Mike, maybe you could elaborate on that comment a little. Did you mean he is too stupid or what did you mean specifically? Also what was the "something" were you refering to?

Ron

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T-shirt that I saw last weekend in Texas "JR why dont'you Amp up then Mount and Dew me" Lots of next years JR stuff selling at the track.

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