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Thursday, January 28, 2010

No wins, but the most money

So guess which NASCAR driver made the most money last year … that’s right, Dale Earnhardt Jr. He’s ahead of Jeff Gordon on a list of the top-50 earners among American athletes, No. 11 overall with more than $20 million earned, mostly from endorsements. Gordon is No. 21, and four-time champ Jimmie Johnson didn’t even crack the list.

Sometimes, it appears, it is good to be an Earnhardt. If he can do this well without even winning, imagine how much money he might make if could actually win a bunch of races.

More bad luck for Almirola
Depending how a tribe vote goes, the Miccosukee Indian tribe sponsorship may be leaving the sport. The tribe has been a sponsor in recent years of James Finch’s Cup car, which won a race last year with Brad Keselowski. Aric Almirola is slated to drive the car this year. But if the sponsorship goes away, he may continue his run of bad luck when it comes to Cup rides, and end up back in Trucks.

Also affected are the new Truck team owned by Kyle Busch, though he can probably subsidize that effort by winning every other week. Finch’s Nationwide team, scheduled to feature driver James Buescher, would be affected as well.

At this point of the year, it’s very hard to find a sponsor, so these teams may all be in rough shape. I feel the worst for Almirola, who has proven he can drive and just can’t find a ride that will let him compete in Cup.

Condolences to Marc Davis
Before I go, I must mention the untimely death of the father of young driver Marc Davis’ father Harry, who passed away at age 62 unexpectedly this week.

"Marc Davis Motorsports has lost a father, a leader, and a true inspiration with the passing of Harry Davis,” said a statement released by the Marc Davis Racing team late Thursday. "We will always remember his courage, dedication, and the marks he left on the challenging road to make his son's dreams a reality."

Marc, who was a developmental driver with Joe Gibbs Racing, will no doubt be racing with a heavy heart this year, and I wish him well as he continues his journey in NASCAR and elsewhere.

Fans may send a note of condolence to: 136 Bridle Path Lane, Mooresville, NC 28117 or by e-mail at: rememberingharry@marcdavismotorsports.com.

https://twitter.com/MattMyftiu

1 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

With the way Kenny Wallace kept saying the Tony Stewart was outselling Jr. at the tracks, I expected to see Tony on the top of the list. Marybeth

January 28, 2010 at 3:47 PM 

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