Great Work If You Can Get It

It's been quite a month for Aric Almirola.

He went from having no Nextel Cup ride, to having a third-rate Cup ride to possibly taking over what is now the most popular Cup ride on the circuit.

According to Marty Smith, DEI might solve their "too many drivers not enough cars and lack of a new high-caliber driver to replace Dale Earnhardt Jr." with the most obvious solution: putting veteran Mark Martin behind the wheel of the #8.

DEI President Max Siegel:

"If there's anyone that would represent Dale Earnhardt Inc. and what the No. 8 means to this company it would be Mark Martin."

Martin doesn't want a full-time Cup ride, though, so he'd split the season with Almirola, but nothing is written in stone yet.

The car would be sponsored by The Army and presumably this means that Regan Smith could still have a job driving the #01 for 2008 with sponsor TBD. But, it sounds like DEI is keeping their "several options" open and is still looking at Greg Biffle for 2009.

Almirola will make his DEI debut Saturday night in the Sharpie 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway in the #01. I don't know what to make of his racing abilities yet since I haven't seen him race too much and he hasn't completed even one full season in any NASCAR series. But I do know he's gonna have to work his a** off to get the same kind of love showered on the #8 car as it gets now.

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

8-23-2007 @ 11:38PM

Mike said...

I cannot wait to see how the idiot nation reacts with Mark Martin driving the 8. I cannot think of a single race fan I know that does not like him. He may not be their favorite, but nobody doesn't like him. Brilliant move by TEI if she pulls it off.

Lacey said...

I don't like Mark. I was never a fan of his, but I couldn't beleive him on the ABC special. Apparently I'm supposed to feel sorry for him because he's a NASCAR driver? Boohoo, you picked that career for yourself.

Whenever I hear people mention a driver was rude, short, impolite etc. I ignore it figuring they might have had a bad day. I've heard enough people say those things about Mark Martin that I'm starting to beleive them.

8-23-2007 @ 11:39PM

CJ said...

I like Mark, but that does not mean i approve of Teresa's decisions and it's a desperate move because DEI couldnt lure any talented driver to come to that ride and it's only goin to happen just for next year, and i think they are goin to pursue Biffle very hard next year, but i still think RCR will get him for his fourth car cause it's lookin like that fourth car might be a part time ride next year. And unless Mark was to be in the car full time next year, which he wont, then that car still isnt goin to be anything impressive. Mark's car now just fell out of the top 12 in owner points so now they are out of contention for the owner's championship, not to mention i question Mark's analysis of drivers cause he thinks Regan Smith has talent, and i havent seen any out of him and dont think you ever will.

8-24-2007 @ 1:52AM

racing20guy said...

Mark Martin may be the ondriver that could be put in that withou being boo-ed out of it. I feel sorry for anyone else that may end up in that ride. That person will be forever hated by the Jr Nation. (which I am NOT a member of!)

8-24-2007 @ 4:27AM

Don Emerson said...

To hear it, you'd think the only fans in Nascar are the ones in the Jr nation. I for one am sick of hearing about Jr and his precious number. Let him prove himself on the track, and then you'll have something to write about. The nation needs to be hunting excuses for next year, when he has a good ride and still doesn't produce. Give us a break.

8-24-2007 @ 8:15AM

Kristin said...

GREAT way to put the #8 to use DEI...let's take it away from someone who has built an identity with the freakin' number, and give it to not one, but two drivers, one of which needs to retire for good, and one that is a rookie.

8-24-2007 @ 11:50AM

B.A. said...

Where are all these Mark haters coming from?
I'm scared of them.
Mark was in the 6 car a heck of a lot longer then Jr. was in the 8. I'm not throwing out any of my 6 stuff. I follow the driver not a number.
That being said,
If you're a Bud fan then I suppose you will now be a Kasey Kahne fan (not written in ink yet).
If you're a #8 fan then you will stick with DEI and Mark Martin.
But if you're a true Dale Jr. fan you will follow him - wherever he goes.

8-24-2007 @ 2:03PM

dj said...

It is cute that it would bother a poster that a driver would have fans or too many fans. I feel bad that someone would post on this site continually and 'get sick' of hearing about Jr and his number. When there is an article about someone that I don't like then I avoid it. Since this is under the Dale Jr category then I wonder why someone sick of it...would still read it. But now we know that 'the haters' are wanting Jr to fail so bad that they began on day 1 of the announcement of Jr going to HMS proclaiming that now everyone will see their truth. Jr will finally have to produce or everyone will know that he's never been good, he's been riding his daddy's fame, etc. Jeff Gordon wanted Junior to race at Hendrix and he could have any driver in Nascar but he wanted Jr. I would guess that a huge number of drivers would gladly change their career stats for Jr's. Junior lost his father at a young age, had fans that wanted him to fill that void they felt when Sr died, had to deal with it all in the spotlight. He is humble, respects the other drivers and respects the sport. Junior is not my favorite driver. But I do not understand people that are jealous of his popularity and want to see him fall on his face at Hendrix. Maybe people like this aren't actually fans of Nascar.

8-24-2007 @ 10:29PM

I don't see what the problem is. Is the truth going to be that bad? The truth is simply that either Jr is a great driver that has been held back by inferior support and equipment OR Jr is the most over rated driver in the history of Nascar. Either his fans are right or his fans are wrong. It still does not change the fact that he comes across as a great guy. It is his fans that are generally rude, crude, and obnoxious. Seeing his fans throw their trash at another driver after Jr loses another race makes it easy to dislike his fans. It really is not possible for Jr to fall on his face. If the reason he has failed to win a cup is due to poor equipment at DEI and people truly believe the equipment is so much better at Hendrix then Jr can only get better. If it is not the equipment, just the drivers are better at Hendrix, then Jr should do no worse.
I understand that most of Jr's fans jumped to his team when his father died but it is not fair to Jr to expect him to be something he is not. And he is most certainly not his Dad.