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.”