As a longtime fan of Dale Earnhardt, Elliott Sadler can't imagine that when the late legend was making plans his company, that he didn't intend for Junior to be part of it.
Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s friend and fellow driver is blown away that DEI has let their star driver go and says he can't imagine his own father asking his children to buy their way into the family business.
Sadler also stops just short of saying that the evil stepmother will screw Junior out of his own legacy in the #8 car just to spite him. Not to mention that whoever they put in that car in the future will be overshadowed by the identity Junior has given it.
But his most interesting, perhaps not surprising, comments are with respect to who might be willing to go drive for DEI:
As far as getting into that car, and who might go to DEI? I don't know, and that's a tough question. DEI just let the best-known driver and the biggest face our sport has ever had just walk out the door.
So as a driver you have to ask, 'what kind of commitment do they really have?'
A valid question indeed. And one that could keep available drivers of Junior's caliber and better looking in another direction.
I hear Derrike Cope is available.