UPDATE #4 Richie Gilmore, vice president of motorsports at Dale Earnhardt Inc., hinted Friday that Dale Earnhardt Jr. and crew chief Tony Eury Jr. could be reunited as soon as next week at New Hampshire International Speedway. "If me and Tony Jr. are going to work together next year, that'd be a good idea to begin working on that relationship,'' Earnhardt said. Gilmore said the team announced all its changes for next year to its employees but is waiting to make those decisions public. "We don't really feel like we need to take away from anybody in the chase,'' Gilmore said. "Maybe at Loudon, we'll go there and we'll announce our plans there.'' Gilmore said the team plans to use the last 10 races preparing for next season. "I feel we can go to Daytona and run great again with our plate program, but I want to focus on … California and Las Vegas,'' Gilmore said of the second and third race next season. "Coming out of the box those have never been great race tracks for us and we can work on that the rest of the year. Looking at the season as one big test.''
Roanoke Times 08/18/05 This rumor us upgraded to 'fact' today. See Hot News page for press release.
08/15/05 Tony Eury Jr. was scheduled to meet with Teresa Earnhardt Monday to talk about signing a contract with DEI. Eury said has had talks with several other teams although he would not name names. “Yeah, I probably got about four or five teams and there have been some pretty impressive offers but like I told Dale Jr. I don’t really have a desire to leave this company. It’s just a matter of I want what the going rate is for Tony Jr. I’ve been there for 14 years and I’ve never really asked for a raise so I’m just listening and seeing what people have to say." Eury Jr. has never had a formal contract with DEI saying “Dale Sr. wanted me to sign a contract about seven years ago and me and him left on a handshake. We had that kind of trust in each other…and like I told him…you don’t ever screw me around and take care of me and I’m always here. I have the same attitude toward Dale Jr."
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08/07/05 DEI director of motorsports Richie Gilmore said he is close to signing Tony Eury Jr., an employee of 15 years who is currently crew chief for the #15 for Michael Waltrip. "The Eurys have never had contracts; they've always just been there," Gilmore said. "It's always been an agreement and a year-to-year deal and Tony Jr. has told me he's not going anywhere. We're working on a deal and it would be his first contract ever." St Petersburg Times 08/07/05 Dale Earnhardt Jr. and former car chief Tony Eury Jr. are making plans to reunite in 2006, with Eury taking over as the crew chief for NASCAR’s most popular driver. “Me and Dale Jr. are pushing pretty hard for it," Eury said Friday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, where practice for Sunday’s AllState 400 was washed out. “The people upstairs are the ones that have a problem with it. We’re trying to sort through that now. Me and him are gung-ho ready to go." Eury, who was moved from car chief of Earnhardt’s car to crew chief of Michael Waltrip’s #15 car during the off-season after helping Earnhardt to six wins and a fifth-place finish in the championship chase, said a decision could be finalized in the next few weeks. Waltrip has announced he will leave Dale Earnhardt Inc. after this season because the organization would not assure him that Eury would be his crew chief next year. Earnhardt has been looking for a full-time crew chief since Pete Rondeau, who began the season with him, was replaced by interim crew chief Steve Hmiel in May. “We’re supposed to have several meetings this week," Eury said. “I’d say the next few weeks they ought to really know something about who is going where. We’re kind of waiting on NAPA (sponsor for Waltrip’s car) to tell us what they want to do, whether they want us to have a third car at our place." The State
