DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Dale Earnhardt Jr. didn't mince words on Thursday when asked what it would take to get him to re-sign with the Nextel Cup organization his father built.
"I want majority ownership, basically," Earnhardt Jr. said for the first time during media day at Daytona International Speedway.
As in more than 50 percent?
"Absolutely," Earnhardt Jr. said emphatically.
Earnhardt Jr.'s contract with Dale Earnhardt Inc. expires at the end of the 2007 season. Negotiation on a new deal began in the middle of 2006, with ownership of the company a major sticking point.
Asked if stepmother Teresa Earnhardt, who inherited sole ownership of the company when Dale Earnhardt was killed on the last lap of the 2001 Daytona 500, was willing to budge, Earnhardt Jr. said, "We'll see."
Earnhardt Jr. and his sister, Kelley, met with Max Siegel, DEI's new president of Global Operations, on Wednesday along with director of motorsports Richie Gilmore.
Earnhardt Jr. said it was more of a get-to-know-you meeting with Siegel than a contract negotiation, but added Siegel could expedite the process he initially hoped would be concluded by April or May.
"He's a great guy to talk to and a great guy to work with," Earnhardt Jr. said of Siegel. "He's going to speed things up. He's going to improve negotiations and help those things make it a little bit easier."
Not in the meeting was Teresa, who has been asked to step aside in negotiations because of her somewhat tumultuous relationship with Earnhardt Jr.
"A lot of the problems in the past, it was very clunky in how it went along," Earnhardt Jr. said. "Really, you could never get gears meshed. I think he can improve that."
David Newton covers NASCAR for ESPN.com. He can be reached at dnewtonespn@aol.com.
"I want majority ownership, basically," Earnhardt Jr. said for the first time during media day at Daytona International Speedway.
As in more than 50 percent?
"Absolutely," Earnhardt Jr. said emphatically.
Earnhardt Jr.'s contract with Dale Earnhardt Inc. expires at the end of the 2007 season. Negotiation on a new deal began in the middle of 2006, with ownership of the company a major sticking point.
Asked if stepmother Teresa Earnhardt, who inherited sole ownership of the company when Dale Earnhardt was killed on the last lap of the 2001 Daytona 500, was willing to budge, Earnhardt Jr. said, "We'll see."
Earnhardt Jr. and his sister, Kelley, met with Max Siegel, DEI's new president of Global Operations, on Wednesday along with director of motorsports Richie Gilmore.
Earnhardt Jr. said it was more of a get-to-know-you meeting with Siegel than a contract negotiation, but added Siegel could expedite the process he initially hoped would be concluded by April or May.
"He's a great guy to talk to and a great guy to work with," Earnhardt Jr. said of Siegel. "He's going to speed things up. He's going to improve negotiations and help those things make it a little bit easier."
Not in the meeting was Teresa, who has been asked to step aside in negotiations because of her somewhat tumultuous relationship with Earnhardt Jr.
"A lot of the problems in the past, it was very clunky in how it went along," Earnhardt Jr. said. "Really, you could never get gears meshed. I think he can improve that."
David Newton covers NASCAR for ESPN.com. He can be reached at dnewtonespn@aol.com.
