Dale Earnhardt Incorporated

Dale Earnhardt Incorporated or Inc or DEI is a NASCAR Cup Series team founded by Dale Earnhardt Sr. in 1998 and owned by Teresa Earnhardt from 2001-2009. The team last competed full-time in 2009.

In the late-2000s, DEI suffered critical financial difficulties after drivers Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Steve Park left for separate teams after 2007, and sponsors leaving, DEI would only run two more full seasons after the fact, ultimately closing their doors after the 2009 season.

## Car no.1 History

### The Beginning

In 1996, DEI debuted in the Pepsi Cup Series for the first of two appearances at Pocono Raceway with the No. 14 Racing for Kids-sponsored Chevrolet driven by Jeff Green. Robby Gordon also drove the car in an appearance for DEI at Charlotte Motor Speedway later in the season. In 1997, sponsored by Burger King, Steve Park, a Mnt. Dew National Series standout, drove the car in four races.

### Steve Park and Ron Hornaday, Jr. (1998)

In 1998, the team switched the car number from No. 14 to No. 1 in an agreement with Richard Jackson, another car owner for $100,000. DEI received sponsorship from Pennzoil and Park and made a bid for NASCAR Rookie of the Year honors. Park was ogringally planned to run the full season, but Park suffered a broken femur, collarbone and shoulder blade in practice for the fourth race of the year at Atlanta. Ron Hornaday Jr. filled in for Park in the following fifteen races with two topes tens, including a top five at California. Park then returned at Indianapolis and finished out the year. Park's best finish was 11th at Michigan and Dover. The team finished 26th in owner's points.

### Steve Park (1999-2007)

Beginning in 1999, Park ran the full season, scoring five top tens, and finished 14th in points.

In 2000, he won his first two Quaker State Pole awards and won his first race at Watkins Glen International, his home track. He finished the season 11th in points with one win, five top fives, and seven top tens.

In 2001, in the first race after Earnhardt's death, he beat Bobby Labonte in a photo finish at North Carolina Speedway. Like 2000, Park had one win, five top fives, but his top ten count increased to eight.

In 2002, Park won at Chicagoland, he also collected 7 top 5s and 13 top 10s. On August 9th 2002, it was announced Park had signed a contact with DEI that went through the 2004 season.

## Car No.8 History

### Dale Earnhardt, Jr. (1999-2007)

he No. 8 car was DEI's second cup series entry, the team was formed to bring Dale Earnhardt Jr. to the Pepsi Cup Series and opted to use the No. 8 which was formerly used by Stavola Brothers Racing, who ceased operations in 1998. Earnhardt Jr. drove the Budweiser-sponsored No. 8 in five Pepsi Cup races in 1999, making his debut at Charlotte in the 1999 Coca-Cola 600. He finished in the top ten once at Richmond and led one lap.

## Car No.15 History

### Micheal Waltrip (2001-2005)

In 2001, the team raced the NAPA sponsored No. 15 (a possible reference to the No. 15 Ford Thunderbird that Earnhardt drove in 1982 and 1983 for Bud Moore Engineering). Michael Waltrip was announced as the driver for the 2001 season. In his first start for DEI, Waltrip won his first race in his 16-year career at the 2001 Daytona 500. An estatic Waltrip's dream come true soon turned into a nightmare, however, as his win was overshadowed by Dale Earnhardt's death. Waltrip soon proved to have prowess at the superspeedways, leading laps at most Talladega and Daytona races.

## Car no.81 History

### Martin Truex, Jr. (2006-2007)

The team went full-time status in 2006 with Truex, collecting five Top 10's and finishing 19th in points.

On June 4, 2007, Truex scored his first career Pepsi Cup victory in the No. 1 car at the Dover International Speedway in a COT race. Truex also qualified to race in the Chase for the Pepsi Cup that year. He was DEI's only representative in the 2007 Chase for the Pepsi Cup and his qualification is, to date, the last for a driver in a DEI car.

After Steve Park left for Richard Childress Racing, Truex was moved to the no.1 and the no.81 was shut down after 2007.