DEI's new direction is evident in the shop decor

MOORESVILLE, N.C. -- The iconic black No. 3 car greets visitors as they enter the main lobby at Dale Earnhardt Inc. Make a left turn into the museum area, and there's the vehicle Martin Truex Jr. drove to the 2005 Busch title, still dusty with debris from the track. There's a display case featuring trophies and memorabilia from Mark Martin, who joined the organization last season. There's another case for Truex, still another for Paul Menard, and constant reminders of the team's late founder, from framed firesuits to candid photos to the Wrangler blue jeans he once wore.

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But to find any trace of the most popular driver ever to compete for DEI, you really have to hunt. There is no display case honoring Dale Earnhardt Jr., who won two Busch titles and 17 Cup races for his father's team. There are no photos, other than a few shots of that familiar, red No. 8 car in action. There's little in the gift shop, aside from a few baby clothes under a sign reading "re-priced merchandise." The familiar face of the young Earnhardt is seen only on the package of a die-cast car from his old Late Model days, and along with sister Taylor and stepmother Teresa on the front of a driving instructional DVD.

Make no mistake about it, the Junior era at DEI is over. The driver who for seven years was the face of the organization has moved on, and so has his old team. When the Lowe's Motor Speedway media tour stopped at Earnhardt's old shop Wednesday, there were no lamentations from team executives over Earnhardt's decision to leave for Hendrick Motorsports. There was hardly any mention of his name at all. From opening remarks by owner Teresa Earnhardt to a presentation from president Max Siegel to the question-and-answer session with reporters, the DEI brass repeatedly hammered one point: Nobody is looking back.

"It's not a transition year," vice president John Story said. "We know where we're going."

And that, he believes, is up. Story said anything less than a championship from Truex, who earned his first Cup victory and first Chase berth last season, would be a disappointment. He believes the revamped No. 8 car, piloted by Martin for 24 races, should win multiple times. He believes Regan Smith should win the Sprint Cup rookie of the year award. They have more space, a seven-post shaker rig, an engine alliance with Richard Childress Racing, and Doug Richert to bolster their crew chief lineup. Who needs Junior?

"I think when Dale Jr. was here, yeah, he was No. 1," said Kevin Manion, Truex's crew chief, and the first on the DEI panel to mention the prodigal driver's name. "He's gone, and we're moving on. The company is moving on to bigger and better things. To feel like we are one team with four cars, four drivers, four crews, and a big, big support staff feels really good."

And the disappearance of all things Junior? Nothing intentional, Siegel said. "I think on any given week, we look that we have eight opportunities in three companies to make a positive impact on the Earnhardt legacy," he said. "Dale Jr. and Hendrick, the drivers over at RCR that are powered by Earnhardt-Childress power, and our five Cup drivers [sharing four cars] here. This company is focused on its objectives, to be a premier race team and a fine organization across the board."

To find Junior these days, you have to leave DEI, drive south on N.C. Highway 3, take a right onto Odell School Road and pull into the parking lot of the giant Hendrick complex in north Charlotte. That's where you'll see Dale Jr. T-shirts hanging on racks in the team store, which is about to undergo a renovation. That's where you'll see photos of Junior -- testing in a Hendrick car, joshing around with new Hendrick teammates, standing in front of a tank in a National Guard spot and sitting atop a camel in an ad for Amp. And that's where you'll see the man himself, radiating with anticipation, soaking in his new surroundings, and not at all surprised that his former employers are starting over.

"I don't know what else you would expect," Earnhardt said. "I'll tell you one thing, I don't think there's any animosity, and I don't think they would do anything to directly insinuate we're totally free of that, or we don't want to have anything to do with him, or we don't want to recognize his time here, whatever. I don't think there's any intention on that. I don't think Max is like that. I don't think Teresa is like that. It doesn't matter to me. I'm sure it looks different over there."

It does. These days, Earnhardt said, the fact that he's no longer at DEI doesn't even cross his mind. He doesn't feel strange being at Hendrick. He doesn't feel awkward conversing with former teammates. The inevitable split with DEI, the conflicts with Teresa, the dispute over ownership -- now they all linger like a bad dream, one that's forgotten upon awakening.

"I'm still great friends with Truex," Earnhardt said. "We talk every night. Literally, every night. We don't talk about DEI, we don't talk about Hendrick. But I know if there was something to happen, if there was something uncomfortable or interesting that he felt like I needed to know, I think we'd discuss it. An unfortunate part of the whole process is that it had to happen. I didn't want to be there anymore, regardless of where I was going to go. It ended OK. It could have been a whole lot uglier. It's unfortunate that that's part of the process to get to where I am now."

Where he is now is a place where they celebrate the past as much as the future. In one of the Hendrick buildings, there are banners remembering champions today and yesterday, from Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson's Cup titles to Jack Sprague's truck triumph and Brian Vickers' Busch crown. There's the racecar former Hendrick driver Ken Schrader rolled at Talladega in 1995. There are trophies won by Terry Labonte and Kyle Busch, photos of Tim Richmond and Geoff Bodine. Etched on a frosted glass wall are all of Hendrick's Cup victories, from No. 1 with Bodine at Martinsville in 1984 to No. 167 with Johnson in Phoenix last year.

"I try not to burn any bridges," team owner Rick Hendrick said. "I think I'm as close to any driver who's ever been here. I still help Kenny Schrader. I talk to Ricky Rudd. Darrell and I are friends. Ray Evernham. I try not to have conflicts, and I try to honor the people who made it what it is. Ricky Rudd's wins count. Darrell's wins count. Geoff Bodine's wins count. They all count. They're part of our heritage and the history of our company."

And now, so is Dale Earnhardt Jr. The trophies he wins and memorable moments he records in the No. 88 car will eventually find a place of their own in the Hendrick museum. And they'll still be there, long after he leaves.

The opinions expressed are solely those of the writer