Notes: Martin, Almirola to split DEI's No. 8 car in '08

RICHMOND, Va. -- Before he agreed to step into Dale Earnhardt Inc.'s flagship racecar, Mark Martin wanted the blessing of the one man who might best know the late team owner's wishes. So he sat down with Richard Childress.

"I know what Dale's intentions were when we had the 3 car," said Childress, who owned the car Earnhardt made famous. "He wanted the number to stay with us. He was going to pick the person to drive the car, and Mark Martin was one of the guys we had talked about. Jeff Burton was who he wanted to see in the 3. I explained that to Mark. I said, 'Mark, Dale would have wanted to see you in that 8, and he'll be proud to see you drive it.'"

That was enough for Martin, who agreed to run a limited schedule for the next two years in the No. 8 car being vacated by Dale Earnhardt Jr., who is moving to Hendrick Motorsports. Martin will split the vehicle with Aric Almirola. Crew chief Ryan Pemberton and sponsor U.S. Army will both move over from the No. 01, Martin's current car.

"I spent a lot of years on the racetrack racing with Dale Sr., and we had a lot of battles," Martin said. "And I know following that legacy is big shoes to fill. But I think he'd really be pleased with where this company is headed."

The four-man lineup also includes Martin Truex Jr., who will return to the No. 1 car, and Paul Menard, who will return to the No. 15. The fourth car will be driven by Regan Smith, who split time with Martin this year when both worked for Ginn Racing, the organization later absorbed by DEI. Smith's sponsor and car number have yet to be determined.

But only Martin faces the prospect of succeeding Earnhardt Jr., NASCAR's most popular driver.

"I know that there will be a backlash from a certain number of his fans, but you have to understand that that number has a lot of meaning to Dale Earnhardt Inc., and I raced against Dale Sr. in the No. 8 Busch car owned by DEI in 1984," Martin said.

"So it's very important to this company and it's part of keeping Dale Earnhardt's legacy alive. I'm sorry for the ones that don't like it, but for the ones that do, I appreciate them. I appreciate all the fan support. I talked to Richard Childress, and it was very important to me to have the blessing of RCR as well as the rest of the Earnhardt family, because it was a very touchy subject. But it's important to the company and I'm proud to be a part of it."

Still a Chevy man

Two days after it lost three-time series champion Joe Gibbs Racing to Toyota, Chevrolet announced a multi-year extension with six-time NASCAR titlist Hendrick Motorsports. The deal continues a relationship between the two camps that goes back 25 years.

"I'm looking forward to many more years of racing and selling Chevrolets," said team owner Rick Hendrick, who made his fortune in the automobile dealership business.

Hendrick became the second team, along with the Childress organization, to officially re-sign with Chevy. Hendrick didn't seem fazed by Gibbs' defection to Toyota, saying his deal with Chevrolet was completed before the Gibbs deal was announced.

"That doesn't mean much to me," Hendrick said. "I've got to compete against them. They're good friends and they've got good race teams. Joe actually, when he started, came down and I built cars for him and rented him engines. It's good to see them have the success over the years that they've had. As far as we're concerned, we just compete against everybody in the garage area. It's not going to be any different to us."

The announcement featuring all Hendrick drivers offered something of a changing-of-the-guard moment: Dale Earnhardt Jr., seated in a director's chair, alongside 2008 teammates Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson and Casey Mears. Like his future teammates, he wore a simple white golf shirt bearing a small Chevy logo, with one difference -- the tail of his shirt was untucked.

Earnhardt's grim reality

Speaking of Earnhardt, he may be mathematically eligible for a berth in the Chase, but he sounded Friday like a driver facing a harsh reality. Earnhardt is 128 points behind 12th-place Kevin Harvick for the final playoff berth, and can only secure a shot if he finishes fifth or better and calamity befalls Harvick.

"You set a lot of goals, and making the Chase was, we thought, an easier goal for my team this year. I felt like we would make the Chase without any doubt," he said. "Even with about six races to go, I felt like there was no team around me within reach that I couldn't beat. We just weren't able to put it together or get it done. We don't have excuses. We'll just have to try to learn what we can learn the rest of the season. We've been in this boat before where we take this opportunity to maximize what we can learn for next year and have some fun. I don't think there's a guy on that team that's going to lay down."

Friday's lone practice wasn't a good sign; Earnhardt was 43rd fastest among the 47 cars that took to the track, while Harvick was fourth and 11th-place Kurt Busch was seventh. Barring the unlikeliest of scenarios -- such as Earnhardt finishing fifth, leading the most laps, and Harvick placing last -- Earnhardt will end his tenure at Dale Earnhardt Inc. without a championship.

"I've been extremely happy with the way the team's performed, but the results aren't there, and that's what matters in this business," said crew chief Tony Eury Jr., who will follow his driver to Hendrick. "You're always going to feel empty because you didn't win a championship there, but you've also got to look at how bright the future is, and how many championships we can win with Mr. Hendrick."

Eury's 'ultimate' move

For Eury, making the jump to Hendrick along with Earnhardt was a natural move. Hendrick has a photo of a 13-year-old Eury attending his first race, a Busch event at Road Atlanta. The young Eury, wearing a baseball cap turned sideways, was there because his grandfather co-owned a car along with Hendrick.

"I've known him since he was a puppy," Hendrick said. "It's not like we don't know each other."

Eury will become crew chief for the Hendrick team now affiliated with the No. 25 car, whose number will change to likely something in the 80s before Earnhardt slides into the seat. He'll replace Darian Grubb, who will move into a front-office position similar to that held by longtime Hendrick employee Brian Whitesell, who helped develop the symbiotic relationship between the teams of Gordon and Johnson.

"I've been with DEI for 14 years, and these guys are the ones I've always idolized. I thought they've always been the top-notch team in the garage, and when Dale Jr. started to make his move, I thought this was the ultimate team," Eury said.

"I kind of always had in my mind that if I ever had an opportunity to work for Rick, that I would. I'm leaving a lot of guys I've been with for seven or eight years. That's the downfall. But when you're in this business and you can go forward, that's what you have to do."