Rick Ware terminates Jeffery Earnhardt’s contract
Rick Ware Racing terminated Jeffrey Earnhardt’s contract
Tuesday, alleging the 21-year-old driver has been talking to other
teams about a new ride.
Team owner Rick Ware also alleged that Earnhardt, the grandson
of the late seven-time NASCAR champion Dale Earnhardt, is trying to
entice the team’s sponsor to leave with him.
”We have been informed by several team owners that our driver
and his management company has been shopping around for another
team, alluding that sponsorship was coming with them,” Ware said
in a statement.
”It is disheartening that all the effort, time and money spent
on Jeffrey have been for nothing, but we have been given no choice
but to look for another driver.”
Earnhardt was scheduled to drive the entire Truck Series
schedule for Ware this season. He’s 10th in the series standings
through three races, with a best finish of seventh at Daytona.
Earnhardt later issued his own statement, claiming he only began
looking for a new job after sponsor Fuel Doctor told Ware it is
looking at other options.
”The facts support that we did reach out to other race teams
after the sponsor notified Rick Ware and my group that they were
pursuing alternative marketing venues and after we were contacted
by Rick Ware informing us that he would be unable to support me
without the sponsor’s funding,” Earnhardt said.
”To suggest anything other than these facts does not reflect
the truth and is unfair to the fans and us.”