DEI wants third Cup team, two Busch teams

LONG POND, Pa. -- If Dale Earnhardt Inc. director of motorsports Richie Gilmore has his way, announcements over the next two weeks will confirm DEI fielding up to five full-time NASCAR teams by the end of this season.

DEI expects to have John Andretti in a full-time Nextel Cup ride in about two months -- in time for the last 16 events in the 36-race season.

In addition, Gilmore said Friday at Pocono Raceway that the team plans to field two full-time Busch Series teams by the end of the season.

	DEI hopes to put John Andretti back behind the wheel soon. Credit: Autostock

DEI currently fields the No. 8 Budweiser Chevrolet for Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Michael Waltrip's No. 15 NAPA Chevrolet. It has entered a No. 1 Chevrolet in three events for Andretti, who also drove its No. 1 at the end of last season.

Gilmore said a third full-time Cup team is overdue for DEI.

"We're very, very close -- I'd say 99 percent sure to have a deal put together in time (for Andretti) to run Indy," Gilmore said of the Aug. 8 Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. "We'll hopefully come full-time for the rest of the year with this new sponsor and John will be the driver through the end of 2005."

Gilmore said the team had hoped to open the new program on July 25 at New Hampshire International Speedway but that Indy was a more likely target. Before that, they plan to field the No. 1 at Daytona and Chicagoland Speedway in early July.

DEI hopes to confirm a three-year deal with its new backer, with Andretti the beneficiary.

"The races at Daytona and Chicago will be with existing sponsors we have at DEI that stepped up when the 1 program shut down," Gilmore said. "We had hoped to have a full-time program for John right from the get-go (this season).

DALE EARNHARDT INC.  •  Team Page  •  Gilmore gives Waltrip vote of confidence  •  Gillette Young Guns Challenge

"That's been our major focus all season -- going all the way back to January -- to get the No. 1 car back on-track. The last two weeks we've had some great meetings and I think it's just a matter of getting a signature (on a contract)."

Gilmore said the organization is a big believer in Andretti, who has run a limited number of races since this weekend last season, when Petty Enterprises released him as driver of the No. 43 Dodge.

"John fits our company real well," Gilmore said. "He's a good drafter, he's a good road racer and he's almost to the point where he's a good engineer on the car.

"He's got a great feel (for the cars) and we just feel like we haven't had the right people in the right situation for John to show his potential. That's why when we come back out we want it to be a full-time deal so John can show what he can do."

Gilmore said Andretti had tested extensively for DEI this season.

"A lot of the success that we've had this year with Junior and Michael has been because of John. A lot of people don't know that last year John, when he wasn't under contract to DEI, went to Talladega and ran 500 miles drafting in a test with Martin Truex.

"That's what's so good about John -- he's a real team player. He knew that here was another young kid (Truex) coming along, getting an opportunity before he did, but he helped Martin and showed Martin a lot about drafting."

Gilmore said DEI has a "farm system" in place to secure up-and-coming talent, and Menard, a promising youngster that DEI has had its eye on while he's competed this season in the Busch Series, fits that bill.

"There's been a lot of talk about Paul Menard and a long-term relationship with DEI," Gilmore said. "That's something that's been ongoing and something I hope we can announce probably in the next four or five days.

"Paul's another young driver that we've been looking at, that reminds me a lot of Martin Truex, personality-wise. He doesn't tear a lot of equipment up and that's what we're trying to build."

In that vein, Gilmore said DEI is also supporting Ryan Moore, the son of former Busch North champion Kelly Moore, in that series this season.

"We have a deal we're working on with Ryan Moore up in the Busch North Series," Gilmore said. "We're trying to help him with engine support and on the aero side.

"We're looking at guys for when Michael wants to retire and even replace Junior, down the road. You've got to have this young farm team going."