Post by dalejrfan on Jun 18, 2006 0:38:48 GMT -5
BROOKLYN, Mich. -- Dale Earnhardt Jr. emerged from his father's shadow long ago, forged his own path personally and professionally. But the name was never his.
It is now.
Earnhardt told NASCAR.COM on Saturday that he and Dale Earnhardt, Inc. had agreed to terms Friday evening that awarded him sole ownership of the trademark rights to his lucrative name.
Amazingly, it won't affect the earning potential of an asset estimated at some $5 million annually. Earnhardt said the current agreements between he and DEI won't change.
But it's not about that, anyway. He makes plenty of money.
It's really about one man's sense of maturity, growth and independence, the latest step in a life full of these types of developments.
Before Dale Earnhardt died, Junior willingly let his father handle everything from trademarking his name to his preferred banking location.
He didn't care. In less than five months' time his salary would surge from $250 a week to $1 million a year.
And of course, Junior trusted the old man with anything and everything.
He's said before that if his father were still alive, Big E would likely still own the trademark. And that would be just fine. Even after he passed, and Teresa Earnhardt assumed control of the entire Earnhardt estate -- including Junior's name -- he didn't consider it a big deal.
He still lived across the street from DEI headquarters in a house DEI owned, and he was giddy at the money he was bringing home. He felt he was getting what he deserved as far as that goes.
When he'd earned enough money to buy some property of his own, he began to realize the value of true independence. If he wanted to dig a hole, he dug a hole, didn't have to ask permission from a soul to do so.
That's precisely how he views the trademark situation.
He's fine with Teresa owning the trademark to his father's name, but he wanted something for himself, felt he was mature enough and educated enough to handle the responsibility.
On Friday, she legally handed it over, no strings attached.
And you can't blame Teresa Earnhardt, Junior said, for wanting to protect her late husband's name, its worth, its legacy.
Essentially, it came down to trust. Once she trusted him enough to cherish what Dale Earnhardt means, she obliged the deal.
It is now.
Earnhardt told NASCAR.COM on Saturday that he and Dale Earnhardt, Inc. had agreed to terms Friday evening that awarded him sole ownership of the trademark rights to his lucrative name.
Amazingly, it won't affect the earning potential of an asset estimated at some $5 million annually. Earnhardt said the current agreements between he and DEI won't change.
But it's not about that, anyway. He makes plenty of money.
It's really about one man's sense of maturity, growth and independence, the latest step in a life full of these types of developments.
Before Dale Earnhardt died, Junior willingly let his father handle everything from trademarking his name to his preferred banking location.
He didn't care. In less than five months' time his salary would surge from $250 a week to $1 million a year.
And of course, Junior trusted the old man with anything and everything.
He's said before that if his father were still alive, Big E would likely still own the trademark. And that would be just fine. Even after he passed, and Teresa Earnhardt assumed control of the entire Earnhardt estate -- including Junior's name -- he didn't consider it a big deal.
He still lived across the street from DEI headquarters in a house DEI owned, and he was giddy at the money he was bringing home. He felt he was getting what he deserved as far as that goes.
When he'd earned enough money to buy some property of his own, he began to realize the value of true independence. If he wanted to dig a hole, he dug a hole, didn't have to ask permission from a soul to do so.
That's precisely how he views the trademark situation.
He's fine with Teresa owning the trademark to his father's name, but he wanted something for himself, felt he was mature enough and educated enough to handle the responsibility.
On Friday, she legally handed it over, no strings attached.
And you can't blame Teresa Earnhardt, Junior said, for wanting to protect her late husband's name, its worth, its legacy.
Essentially, it came down to trust. Once she trusted him enough to cherish what Dale Earnhardt means, she obliged the deal.