Menard Leaving DEI For Yates

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) -- Paul Menard will leave Dale Earnhardt Inc. at the end of the season to drive for Yates Racing, The Associated Press has learned.
Menard is expected to announce Tuesday that both he and his sponsorship will move to Yates, a person familiar with Menard's decision told The AP. The person requested anonymity because Menard had yet to make his announcement.
The loss could ultimately cripple DEI because Menard's sponsor is his father's midwest-based hardware chain. The loss of driver and sponsor leaves DEI with just one full-time sponsor and three drivers signed for next season.
DEI is a four-car team this year, but has lacked full sponsorship for rookie Regan Smith's team all season.

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Permalink Reply by Matt on September 29, 2008 at 10:52pm

Hey, Im the first to admit if Im wrong, but where is any announcement about any other those sponsors for 2009? Menards was extended from an associate to a co-primary after the season started this year so who knows about next year, Monster still seems touch and go, and I heard Beam was waiting to decide on next year based on the rest of this year.

Has something been announced? Do you know something us common folk dont? :)

Id be excited to hear anything positive at this point, you know its been a crap season when your cheering because a Waltrip team failed to qualify... LOL!

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Permalink Reply by Turtle7 on September 29, 2008 at 8:06pm

With Paul going to Yates with his sponsor, I wonder who Yates will dump as he will not bring owner points with him. I think Yates will be 3 cars next year with the 26 from Roush coming over to Yates. Likewise, DEI will have 3 cars ready and locked in for Daytona 500. So my guess is they will have a sponsership fire sale for a 5 race package on two cars - the 15 and the 8. I don't think that there will be a RGM / DEI tie in. IMO, RGM will stay a single car Dodge team.

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Permalink Reply by Blue Ridge Rob on September 29, 2008 at 8:14pm

No disrespect intended at all Turtle but I hope you are wrong. I don't think he will be able to struggle through another year as a single car team. It's just too big a mountain to climb. Brian France had a chance to do it right. If he had set a 2 car limit per owner it may have been possible. Back in the old days it was rare to have a 2 car team. But now the economies of scale of having 4 cars plus all of the extra input that is derived from those extra cars is impossible to compete with for a single car team. If Robby is going to do this he needs to merge otherwise he will probably have to bail out.

BRR

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Permalink Reply by Matt on September 29, 2008 at 8:32pm

Ive been saying it will be a Ford for a month now due to what I heard from friends in Mooresville, but I have not heard anything about RGM in a while. The last thing I heard was he was having employee issues (whatever that means) and that he is looking at his options.

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Permalink Reply by Lance on September 29, 2008 at 9:20pm

So, if Robby doesn't go to DEI as some have been quite forceful about, what does DEI do for next season? 3 drivers and presumably only 1 sponsor for four teams. I guess Scott Riggs could bring state Water Heaters...they are good for about 12-14 races. Kyle Petty could bring Wells Fargo, good for 12 races. Still, to me it Robby makes the most sense. It's that or go out of business.

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Permalink Reply by Kevin Sweeney on September 29, 2008 at 10:30pm

just a small tid bit, state water heaters is looking for a new team for next season....they could always go back to the #4 lol. Bring old ward burton back hahaha.

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Permalink Reply by Lance on September 29, 2008 at 10:06pm

Why do I have a feeling RG will STILL be trying to make it work with RGM next year? Career suicide.

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Permalink Reply by TOG on September 29, 2008 at 10:20pm

your feeling is probably 100% correct.

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Permalink Reply by Lis on September 29, 2008 at 11:30pm

I'd guess that Robby is only interested in allegences, not partnerships..... An allegence with Yates would be great - maybe DG or TK will be in a 2nd RGM car? Except there's no sponsorship for a 2nd car at RGM BECAUSE THEY HAVE TOTALLY STUNK UP THIS SEASON!!! (Sorry, had to release a little frustration - between the Packers mgt. stupidity and RGM's mgt. stupidity, my sports have SUCKED this year!)

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Permalink Reply by Lance on September 30, 2008 at 10:47am

He made the statement not too long ago that he wanted to merge with GEM. GEM wanted out so that didn't happen.

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Permalink Reply by Mike Andersen on September 29, 2008 at 11:28pm

Well lets narrow it down abit. Chevy has around 16 teams. I'm gonna rule them out right now. Toyota if they gain GEM that should give them 12 or 13 teams so I would say their out as well. That leaves Dodge, and is about to be reduced to 7 teams and Ford at 7 teams. Ganassi Looks to be having trouble with sponsers and drivers at this point. Petty is kinda in the same boat. Then you have Penske which at this point is another somewhat struggling Dodge team and losing Newman. From the public point of view Dodge is not the best team to be signing with as far as sponser dollars. That leaves Ford as the most logical choice. I say Go with Menards and Yates make the merger happen.