DEI's interest in the No. 88 is not based on owner points. Credit: Autostock

DEI interested in buying Yates' No. 88 for space

Technical director said move would be for land, not owner points

AVONDALE, Ariz. -- Dale Earnhardt Inc.'s interest in purchasing the No. 88 team of Robert Yates Racing is about real estate, not owner points.

Technical director Steve Hmiel on Sunday denied reports that DEI was interested in purchasing the No. 88 team so their new third Nextel Cup team with Paul Menard would be guaranteed a spot in the first five races next season based on owner points.

He said the motivation is to purchase the building currently housing RYR's No. 88 and No. 38 Cup teams and some adjacent land with plans to eventually expand to four Cup teams and move the entire DEI organization there.

He said the owner points would be a bonus.

"We don't care anything about the number,'' Hmiel said before Sunday's race at Phoenix International Raceway. "We won't buy the 88. We are interested in buying a piece of property to expand our facility.

"If the 88 comes along with that, that's OK. Now [Toyota's Team] Red Bull, they're offering a ton of money just for the number. We never even considered buying just the number. The focus is on the facility.''

Hmiel added that it's unlikely a deal will be reached unless Yates, who fields Fords, would move completely out of the building.

Yates, who lost Elliott Sadler to Evernham Motorsports earlier this season and will lose Dale Jarrett to Michael Waltrip Racing after the season, is committed to running the No. 38 next year with rookie David Gilliland.

"We could probably do that,'' Hmiel said of simply purchasing the No. 88. "But how can you have a Chevrolet team in one side and a Ford team in the other? It's a nice piece of property and we'd like to do that, but when you really get into the gist of it, it's kind of seemingly impossible.

"Either Robert will have to move away and run the 38 team as he's committed to doing, or we wouldn't buy it. That's the deal-breaker in the whole thing.''

Hmiel said DEI has outgrown the 108,000 square-foot facility called the "Garage Mahal'' that sits adjacent to the Mooresville, N.C., home of owner Teresa Earnhardt.

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He said discussions are centered on moving to a new location that could field four Cup teams and one or two Busch Series teams. He said only the engine shop would remain at the current location.

A source close to DEI said the current facility would be turned into a museum.

"We're not very comfortable about building anymore buildings in Teresa's front yard,'' Hmiel said.

Yates reportedly would like to make a decision on the No. 88 before next weekend's finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

Hmiel doesn't see how that's possible from DEI's standpoint.

"Robert told his guys it was a done deal,'' Hmiel said. "He told them that Wednesday. We just started talking. We are not even close.''