Siegel says DEI, Junior still working on deal

Max Siegel, president of global operations for Dale Earnhardt Inc., said business dictates that contract negotiations with Dale Earnhardt Jr. be resolved soon. And what exactly does that mean in terms of a timetable? "If I had a goal, it would be by May," Siegel said in a telephone interview. "That's probably what makes sense." Siegel said dialogue among DEI owner Teresa Earnhardt (who founded the company with her late husband, Dale Earnhardt) and her stepchildren (Kelley Earnhardt Elledge and Dale Earnhardt Jr.) has been open and candid. Elledge is business manager of her brother's JR Motorsports and his negotiating partner. "I wanted to cut through all of the clutter to see what needed to be addressed," Siegel said. "We've done that. The tone of the conversation last week between me and their team was very positive. Everyone is working on a solution to keep Dale Jr. at DEI. Everyone would argue the continuation of this business is a top priority. If not, [Dale Earnhardt Jr.] could have walked away and driven for anyone else." He said Elledge and Dale Jr. have been very much involved with infrastructure issues at DEI the past few weeks, so much so that Siegel described their involvement as "diligent" and "refreshing." It is that future that Siegel is eager to begin expanding. He comes from a music and entertainment background and sees the potential in digital entertainment and developing original programming, to name a few things on the to-do list he intends to explore. More at ESPN.com