No More #8 For Dale Jr.

Everybody thought his step mother would allow him to bring the #8 with him when he moved to Hendrick motor sports, but that won't happen.

Deal Can't Be Reached to Bring No. 8 to Junior's New Team

Dale Earnhardt Jr. will start completely anew in 2008 -- new team, new sponsors and now, new car number.

Hendrick Motorsports and JR Motorsports officials confirmed Wednesday in separate e-mail statements to ESPN.com that they were unable to reach an agreement with Dale Earnhardt, Inc. to bring the No. 8 to HMS with Earnhardt.

I think it's a shame what his step mother is doing. I can remember when Dale Sr. passed away, and the next year she was talking about the negotiations that were going on between her and Dale Jr., and she said that the only reason Dale Sr. started DEI was for his son Dale Jr.

Now, not only is he having to move from the race team his father started for him, but she won't even let him keep the car number (one that Dale Sr. used [the #8] at the beginning of his career) that his father gave him to drive in DEI.

DEI officials were not immediately available for comment.

[edit on 16/8/07 by Keyhole]

As far as I know, he will be driving the no. 5 car next year. This is because Kyle Busch may be going to Gibbs next year.

In the article I posted it says his preference would be the number 81, which is a number he has run in the past in the Busch series.

Elledge said there is no specific timetable on announcing Earnhardt's new number. What number his car will carry has not yet been determined, but Earnhardt has told ESPN on multiple occasions his preference is 81. He has run 81 at times in the NASCAR Busch Series.

Earnhardt has driven the No. 8 his entire Nextel Cup career.

I was watching SportsCenter yesterday and they said that Hendricks Motorsports is talking about transferring the #38 for next season.

Updated: August 28, 2007, 10:36 AM ET
BRISTOL, Tenn. -- Dale Earnhardt Jr. in the No. 38?

Sources close to the situation told ESPN.com on Monday that Yates/Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing and Hendrick Motorsports are discussing a transfer of that number for 2008. The No. 38 currently is being used by David Gilliland.

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