Bad for his fans though. I know he wants a Championship under his belt, but he needs to look at the bigger picture. He essentially sold his soul to try to get a cup. He has pissed off alot of JR fans, and rightfully so! His polar opposite (as was Daddy's) is the California based-themed Gordon and J. Johnson. The fact that Dale went to their team will piss off alot of true old school southern NASCAR fans. I think it would be appropriate for his fan base to drop significantly (and I am a fan of his too).
The natural move would be to have gone to RCR. Dad drove there, and they are contenders for the cup each year. If JR didn't want to "stay in dads shadow' then there was Gibbs, Evernham, or even a new team. All I can say is THANK HEAVEN HE'S NOT AT ROUSH!!!![/QUOTE
EVERYBODY is missing the big picture! Dale Jr. is a very good racecar driver that had a famous Daddy. No one could live up to Dale Sr.'s persona then and no one can do it today either. But somehow, when Sr. died, Jr. inherited the majority of his fans (where else were they gonna go?). And apparently they expect him to carry on the legacy. Dale Jr. is his own man. He proved that when he announced his split from DEI. I personally believe DEI was meant to be his at some point but obviously his step-mother didn't see it that way. Jr. wants to win a championship. Don't blame him for doing what he feels he needs to do to make this happen. Also, you have to realize, contrary to many Earnhardt fans train of thought, Dale Jr. and Jeff Gordon are not mortal enemies! Sure, they are fierce competitors on the race track, but they have lives off the track too. Jr. even made the statement that his Dad and Jeff Gordon had several mutual ventures together that most people were not aware of. I respect Jr. for being man enough to make such a major decision, even though some of his fans may abandon him for it. Give him a chance, let's see what he can do now! I think if his true fans will put themselves in his shoes, they may come to the realization that Jr. is just doing what's best for Jr.