"What's DEI without Dale Jr.? A museum": When Darrell Waltrip recalled Tony Stewart's remark about Dale Jr. leaving Teresa Earnhardt

Dale Jr. dropped a bombshell in 2007 when he announced he would leave Dale Earnhardt Inc., a team built by his late father Dale Earnhardt, and put himself in the free agency pool ahead of the 2008 season. The news sparked a number of different reactions from drivers of the past and present, including three-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Darrell Waltrip.

Midway through the 2007 season, Dale Earnhardt Jr. announced he was leaving DEI at the end of the year after eight seasons with the team. The organization was taken over by Teresa, Earnhardt Sr.'s widow, after the seven-time Cup Series champion tragically lost his life in a last-lap crash in the 2001 Daytona 500.

When the news broke, several major NASCAR figures were asked their thoughts on Earnhardt Jr., often referred to as "Little E," about leaving his late father's team. Waltrip, an 84-time Cup Series winner and long-time broadcaster for FOX NASCAR, was quoted in the New York Times referencing a comment from now-retired NASCAR star Tony Stewart.

Waltrip said it's fair to echo Stewart's statement that without Earnhardt Jr. racing for DEI, it's nothing more than a "museum," suggesting that without an Earnhardt racing for the team, the name "DEI" is essentially meaningless.

“Well, the most classic statement that I’ve heard, and it came from Tony Stewart: ‘What’s D.E.I. without Dale Jr.? A museum,’" Waltrip said. "And that’s a pretty good analogy, I would say.”

Dale Jr. went on to sign with Hendrick Motorsports to drive the #88 Chevrolet, where he would spend the rest of his Cup Series career. The North Carolina native won seven races across 10 seasons with the team, including a high of four in 2014.

Earnhardt most notably won his second Daytona 500 with HMS in 2014. He retired from full-time competition at the conclusion of the 2017 Cup Series season, but still made yearly appearances in the Xfinity Series in the years after. Earnhardt was NASCAR's Most Popular Driver for 15 seasons, spanning from 2003-2017.

---

Dale Jr. continues to own a race team in the Xfinity Series

Dale Jr. continues to be a team owner in his own right in the NASCAR Xfinity Series with Jr. Motorsports. The team has won 88 Xfinity Series races and four championships, including the 2024 championship with Justin Allgaier.

Jr. Motorsports has also seen championships with current Cup Series stars Chase Elliott in 2014, William Byron in 2017, and Tyler Reddick in 2018. Elliott later went on to win a Cup Series title in 2020 with Hendrick Motorsports.

This past season, Jr. Motorsports fielded four full-time cars. Allgaier wheeled the #7 car to two victories and a championship. Meanwhile, Sam Mayer drove the #1 to three victories in 2024, while Sammy Smith picked up a win at Talladega in the #8 car. Brandon Jones was the only Jr. Motorsports full-time entry to go winless in his #9 car.