by Darrell Waltrip

Updated: May 13, 2007, 10:24 AM EST

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Richard Childress Racing

Having talked to Dale Jr. quite a bit, I'm not sure Dale Jr. wants to drive for Richard Childress Racing. Dale Jr. wants to create his own legacy, and he wants to be his own man. If he drove the black No. 3 car with Goodwrench on the side, people would always compare him to his dad. He doesn't think that's a bad thing, and he considers it a great honor. But as he builds his career and decides where he wants to end up, I'm not sure he wants people to say, "Well, he didn't drive the 3 car like his dad did." Or "Well, he never won races like his dad did." Or "Well, he never won championships like his dad did."

There's a real hesistancy on Junior's part to try to recreate the magic that Childress and his dad had, which makes me doubtful about the Childres situation. There's a great friendship there. Richard cares about Dale Jr., and that's important to Dale Jr. But the only thing that would make it work for is if Cingular went away after the AT&T vs. NASCAR lawsuit. Richard would need a sponsor, and Junior would bring Budweiser. There's talk about Junior driving a car with the No. 33 on the side. It's something Junior could do, and I'm sure it would be fine. I'm just not sure that's what he wants to do.

Hendrick Motorsports

Then, there's Hendrick Motorsports, and I love Rick Hendrick. Rick would take care of Junior like he's never been taken care of before. One of the things Junior really longs for is an owner that will embrace him and appreciates him for who he is, what he can do and what he brings to the table. He wants someone that will put an arm around him and say, "Junior, you did a great job today. Thank you. We love you. We appreciate you." Junior wants to be appreciated. As I've said over and over again, he wants the respect of his competitors, but he also wants to know that the organization he's driving for appreciates the job he's doing.

That was the breakdown at Dale Earnhardt Inc. He was being treated as just another driver, and he wasn't being recognized for the person he was and what he meant to the company. It was probably one of the problems between him and Teresa, who just wanted him to be part of the company, drive a car and be like any other driver. That was really unfair to Junior because he's not just another driver. He brings so much to a race team: sponsors, fans, merchandise, commercials. Yeah, he's a busy guy, but he can handle it. And he can handle it a whole lot better if he's embraced by his owner.

I know Rick would take care of him, but I don't believe you can have an Earnhardt and a Gordon in the same house. They are the two biggest stars in the sport. It sure would be great to have a Junior in your camp, but when you've already got Jeff Gordon, I just don't see it being a very good idea.

BlogJam... Dale Earnhardt Jr. is out at DEI after this season and now the obvious question is where he's headed next. Weigh in with your thoughts here. More coverage McReynolds: Intrigue ahead Spencer: Earnhardt leaving Byrnes: Split had to happen Spencer: Q&A with Junior Teresa Earnhardt's statement Race Trax: Darlington

Joe Gibbs Racing

One option that makes a lot of sense is Joe Gibbs Racing. Tony Stewart and Dale Jr. are great friends. They've worked together well on the racetrack. They've helped each other. They've been buddies. Plus, Junior loves the Washington Redskins so I'm sure Coach Gibbs could give him season passes without any problem. If the coach had those two drivers, he would have the same firepower as Hendrick has with Gordon and Johnson, and it would elevate his team right to the top of the list or equal to what Hendrick Motorsports.

Coach is a great guy, a great leader and a very ethical man. You can trust him, and those things are very important to Dale Jr. as he goes forward. Tony and Dale Jr. would be Gibbs' two stars with Denny Hamlin, who is going to be there for a long time. Hamlin's certainly the future of Joe Gibbs Racing. But when you add Earnhardt in there with Stewart, other than needing someone to control the two of them all of the time — Coach Gibbs's son, J.D., could do that — it makes a lot of sense to me.

Driver 18?

I'm taking anything away from J.J. Yeley, who has done a good job, but if Junior can't have No. 8, you could have No. 18. That would be close to 8, and the 18 is in the top 35 in points. Junior and I laughed that if Teresa wouldn't let my brother, Michael, have 15, I'm pretty sure she's not going to let Dale Jr. have 8. I don't think Junior is really interested in driving the 3 car all the time. I think he wouldn't mind driving it sometimes.

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I'm not trying to kick J.J. out of his ride. JGR could do like Ginn Racing did with Joe Nemechek. They'll put J.J. in another car, and J.J. will be fine. Trust me, I'm not trying to cost J.J. Yeley his job. I'm just looking at what might work and what options are out there. So J.J., don't call me up and ask me, "What am are you trying to do, get me fired?" No, I'm just saying that hypothetically a lot of things make sense. I like J.J. As a matter of fact, I said I'd help get him a Silver Crown ride at Darlington, and he ended up in one with A.J. Foyt. He had the best car, but the engine blew up. So, I love you J.J. Let me please make it perfectly clear that I'm not trying to cost you a ride.

Oh, by the way...

It's kind of ironic that Dale Jr. leaving DEI is coming down on Mother's Day weekend. At the news conference, there sat his mom Brenda, who he loves and who has been by his side pretty much all along. There sits his grandmother Martha, his aunt Cathy and his sister Kelley. I think he has two sisters. It seems like part of the problem is certainly not Brenda, his mother, but his stepmother.

Oh, by the way 2

I guess now Dale Earnhardt Inc. can be TEI instead of DEI.