Gibbs may not pursue Earnhardt, but Ginn will

DARLINGTON, S.C. -- He's good friends with two of the team's drivers, Denny Hamlin and Tony Stewart. He's a big fan of the Washington Redskins, the football squad coached by the team owner. He'll bring a big-money sponsor to an organization that's won three championships and has room to start up a fourth team.

Earnhardt Jr. leaving DEI at end of season

In a news conference at his JR Motorsports race shop on Thursday, Dale Earnhardt Jr. announced he will leave DEI at the end of this season.

• Complete story, click here
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• Junior wants time to ponder
• Childress to give Junior room
• Gibbs may not push, Ginn will
• Effect on licensing industry

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• DEI, Budweiser reactions
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But Joe Gibbs Racing may not want Dale Earnhardt Jr.

"Hey, if the opportunity is there, we'd love to sit down and talk to him," team president J.D. Gibbs said Saturday at Darlington Raceway. "But right now, I think he's just focused on his deal, and we're just focused on our deal."

Earnhardt, NASCAR's most popular driver, announced Thursday that he would leave his Dale Earnhardt Inc. team when his contract expires at the end of this season, becoming as high-profile a free agent as the sport has ever seen. His stated desires to continue to drive Chevrolets and compete for a contending team leave Hendrick Motorsports, Richard Childress Racing and the Gibbs organization as the apparent top three contenders.

But Earnhardt's car sponsor, Budweiser, could prevent a marriage with Gibbs from happening. The Gibbs organization, whose owner Joe Gibbs is an ardent Christian, is clearly reticent about bringing an alcohol sponsor on board. Even if Budweiser doesn't follow Earnhardt to his new team, the driver has a personal services agreement with the beer company through next year.

"I'm not sure if that would fit for us," J.D. Gibbs said, just before rain struck at Darlington to delay the start of the Dodge Avenger 500. "Even though we really appreciate what they're doing and they're a great group, that would be a hard deal for us to do."

There are no such concerns at Ginn Racing, the three-car organization owned by Florida real estate developer Bobby Ginn, which plans to make an underdog play for Earnhardt. Jay Frye, the team's general manager and minority owner, is a St. Louis native who once worked at Anheuser-Busch, Budweiser's parent company, and has close friends within the Busch family.

The team also has Mark Martin, whose near-miss in the Daytona 500 and repeated top-10 runs in Ginn's flagship No. 01 car gives the operation needed credibility when pitted against other Chevrolet squads with multiple championships. Their sales pitch: look at the potential, and what you could help build. (Continued)