Welcome to the Hornets Nest Trevor
Just two weeks after Dale Earnhardt Jr. announced he would be leaving DEI (Don’t Expect Interest) the team has signed 16 year old Trevor Bayne to a development contract.
“Who wouldn’t like to work with Dale Earnhardt, Jr.? He’s the top person in NASCAR, as far as marketing and sponsors and fans,” the former Gibbs High School student said Friday on the News Sentinel’s radio show, The Sports Page.
“But then again, it also gives me a chance to shine and I’m not going to be following in his footsteps as much.”
He better get all the work with Dale Jr. as possible for obvious reasons.
Seems the “norm” today is for young drivers to not be so young experience wise. The youngster is a veteran of 11 years, eight in dirt go-karts, in which he won 22 championships. He then competed in the Allison Legacy 3/4-scale car circuit and beat Cup star Brian Vickers’ record for youngest rookie and youngest championship.
Now, Bayne is competing in the USAR Hooters Pro Cup Southern Division, where he was named rookie of the year in 2006. He’ll also run in three NASCAR Grand National Busch Series East events this season.
“He’s proven that he has great potential,” Max “Mr. Entertainment” Siegel, DEI’s president of global operations, told the Associated Press. “With our people and resources behind him, we know he can fulfill it.”
Welcome the the hornet’s nest Trevor. I have a feeling the kids going to need talent, luck and a lot more support from the racing side of DEI that has been sorely missing recently.
UPDATE: File this under “the other end of the age spectrum.” The racer Montreal fans love, or love to hate (pssst, it ain’t just Montreal fans - ed), seems destined for another go at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve when NASCAR’s Busch Series makes it’s first Canadian appearance in August.
Tracy broke the news during a break in a two-day Champ Car test at Circuit Mont Tremblant, where the open-wheel series will race on July 1.
“I’m 90% sure I’ll be racing NASCAR in Montreal,” said Tracy, who with 30 career victories is the winningest active driver in Champ Car competition. “I’m pretty close to putting a deal together [which] should come together in the next couple of weeks.”
Ah-huh. What’s that they say about “famous last words?”
I’ll believe it when I see it, RCR was none too impressed when Tracy tested for Childress last year. Richards said something to the effect of “don’t call us, we’ll call you.”
Tracy claims the deal is with “a top team, and a top-level car that’s won races this year.”
That narrows it down to RCR, Roush, Ganassi, Petty and Gibbs.
I’m guessing Ganassi will snag another “foreigner.” Wouldn’t that be something. The combustible Montoya and the incendiary Tracy. On the same team. On the same road course.
If they ever got together and took each other out there wouldn’t enough gigabits in enough digital recorders to contain all the quotes.
I heard lawyers will be in the Gordon birthing room and will be signing baby Jeffie to a development contract on the day of her entry into our vrooming world!
That probably happened during the first sonagram.
Tracy will probably be in a Roush car putting Carl Edwards run of success at risk. I think RCR saw enough, Ganassi will pass as will Gibbs. Petty? Richard has been seen schmoozing in Canada recently.
I’m stickin’ with Jr. going to Ginn.
Hendrick was out before Riggs resurrected his job prospects with the team Sunday.
The RCR/DEI engine would seem to preclude a move there, a move there would be like divorcing a sister only to marry her sister, the ties to Evil Step-Mom would be too close.
And Gibbs is out because of Bud sponsorship.
That leaves me as the winner in the Jr. sweepstakes when he signs with Ginn about mid-july.