Runnin' Bare is a Bolingbrook resident who will offer guest blogs about motorsports, giving his views on both the local tracks and the national circuits. This is his first post for The Brook Blog. He can be reached at richrunninbare@sbcglobal.net.
There was a time after Dale Earnhardt Sr.'s death when DEI had the most popular and highest revenue generator in USA Motorsports in Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Remember Budweiser paying $10 million to Mr. and Mrs. Earnhardt before Jr. ever raced a Winston Cup event?
Paul Menard is a Wisconsin boy and son of John Menard, owner of Menard's and hard core racer with a resume of race teams second to none at Indianapolis in the 1990's. He funded of the famous DEI engines. Which as you know now does not exist on its own any longer.
The brains are now at RCR or Richard Childress Racing.
Martin Truex Jr. was a young up and coming hard charger in the North East, whose father owns and operates commercial fishing boats on the Atlantic. Seems to me to be a perfect business to business fit for a long term deal and the key to the Museum vs. Motorsports Team question.
Now the present.
Max L. Siegel is the president of global operations at Dale Earnhardt Inc. With over fifteen years of brokering deals and project management, Siegel is known for his shrewd and savvy business expertise. The former Sony BMG/Zomba Label Group executive held dual positions as senior vice president of Zomba Label and president of Zomba Gospel. Siegel served on the executive team that produced number one pop artists such as Britney Spears, Usher, Justin Timberlake, N'Sync and R.Kelly.
The US Army decided to leave DEI for the newly formed Stewart/Haas Racing Ryan Newman car after campaigning a part time Mark Martin/Aric Almirola in 2008. Mark Martin is going to drive a full season with Hendrick Motorsports, teaming up with wonder wheel men Jeff Gordon, Jimmy Johnson and Earnhardt Jr.
Siegel is I assume an accomplished entertainment executive, attorney, author, conference organizer and television & film producer. He is one of the most sought after persons in the entertainment industry. He has appeared on Oprah, twice in one year, Tavis Smiley's NPR and has been featured in national major media such as Wall Street Journal, USA Today, The New York Times, Crain's New York Business, ESPN, CNBC, Black Enterprise and Billboard Magazine, among others.
This is important because Regan Smith, who should have wrecked the 20 car at Talladega for the win, instead decided to race smart and clean and suffered. (This will be the topic for next week's short track editorial.)
He needs Mr. Siegel to generate funding for him to race next season. So does Aric Almirola.
The only driver that has funding for the rest of his contract with DEI is Truex Jr. That deal is up in 2010.
Menard takes his money to be a feature driver at Yates Racing in 2009.
So lets recap. 4 race teams and 1 Bass Pro Shop Sponsor for Martin Truex Jr., who also has key relationship with Tony Stewart Racing. My prediction is that in 2010 Bass Pro Shop will be with Stewart/Haas.
Unless Bass Pro Shops all over the USA can support 4 race teams or copyrighting revenue for DEI, that created all the issues between Mrs. Earnhardt and Dale Jr., Dale Earnhardt Inc. will be a Museum sooner than later.
For the record, I hope not.
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