DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Dale Earnhardt Jr. is the kind of guy who apparently likes to leave his audience hanging.

During Thursday's media day at Daytona International Speedway, when asked about his ongoing contract negotiations with Dale Earnhardt Inc., Junior suddenly blurted out that he wants majority ownership of the team founded by his father, promptly got up from his seat and walked away without further comment.

"The main factor is the ownership part," Junior said. "It has nothing to do with money and nothing else really. I would really like my team, I like how things are going. ... The motors are improving, everything is on an upswing. My father has been gone for almost six years now, I want majority ownership."

The race team has been under the control of Teresa Earnhardt, Junior's step-mother, since Earnhardt died in 2001.

Contract negotiations between Junior -- represented by his sister, Kelley Earnhardt Elledge -- and DEI have been contentious, especially after Teresa Earnhardt was quoted in the Wall Street Journal in December as saying Junior has to "decide on whether he wants to be a NASCAR driver or whether he wants to be a public personality."

During preseason testing here last month, Junior claimed "I want to be very involved in the company. Aside from [DEI], I have no interest in ownership."

Teresa Earnhardt has said that she wants Junior to stay with the company as a driver, and was willing to discuss a larger role. Whether that includes any portion of ownership is unknown.

Elledge has stressed that talks are ongoing and an agreement could be in place, possibly as early as the middle of 2007.

However, it's unclear what Junior's newest pronouncement will do to the negotiations, which reportedly included a meeting as recently as Wednesday, with representatives from both sides, including new DEI president Max Siegel, sitting down for an update.

When asked if he would start his own Cup team, Junior said that wouldn't be his first choice.

"I really don't want the headaches of being a Cup owner," Junior said. "I would just as soon drive, save as much money as I can and retire. I want to race a long, long, long time.

"The older I get, the better I feel about my ability to compete longer and not run into the burnout of just wanting to get out of it. Once I am done driving, I really don't want to do anything else as far as ownership."