Martin Truex Jr. waits while his crew works on his backup car during practice for the Coke Zero 400 auto race at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla., Thursday, July 3, 2008. His main car was impounded by NASCAR Officials. (AP Photo/John Raoux)

And now some are asking, could the loss of points for the driver and team make an already cloudy future even murkier?

--(Cont'd From Front Page)-- The No. 1 car was found to have a roof that was too wide at Daytona. The car was eventually taken and the team was forced to a backup. Both driver and owner were fined and docked 150 points each and while Truex made the Chase last year he ‘s now in 17th spot in the standings.

Truex is now 233 markers behind the 12th and final cutoff spot to make this years Chase with only seven races remaining; slim chance that he will be representing DEI for a championship run this season. He’s also handicapped by the loss of his crew chief, Kevin ‘Bono’ O’Manion who is suspended for the next six of the remaining seven races.

The points infractions come on the heels of the loss of Mark Martin who is leaving at the end of the year to head to Hendrick, and the reported loss of marquee sponsor the US Army.

Truex is also in the final year of his contract and may be one of the silly season pawns ready to make a move. His departure could mean the loss of another sponsor as his current one may be inclined to follow wherever Truex hangs his hat. Rumors have Truex heading to Penske to take over for Ryan Newman, or to the new Tony Stewart venture as a second or even third driver.

There was even talk that there may be a sale of the entire organization, a rumor that was quickly denied.

DEI may seem to some to be a sinking ship with crewmembers putting on lifejackets and heading to the lifeboats. But is it all doom and gloom at the organization founded by legend Dale Earnhardt Senior?

With teams shuttering some operations (Ganassi closing one of its teams for example) and others searching for outside partnerships (read money) and even sponsors looking to cut back the horizon may seem very dark for a team that isn’t performing as well as it’s potential.

DEI however has a few things going for it when it comes to securing the financial resources it needs to regain its competitive edge. While other teams are extremely sensitive to the loss of revenue, the Earnhardt organization has the advantage of the legend that founded the team. Dale Earnhardt Senior properties and licensing remain one of the biggest moneymakers in NASCAR even years after his loss. While dipping into the Earnhardt cash fund may not be ideal, it is most certainly an option; one that others don’t have.

The US Army sponsorship may be quite comfortable right where they are at, at least for another year. Aric Almirola, the young driver slated to take over the No. 8 car in 2009 fulltime, and while unproven, the young man is the exact demographic that the Army is trying to appeal to. Martin has proven that the team can be competitive and as Kyle Busch as shown this year, the right combination of driver and team can pay off in victory lane visits, something he’s done seven times this year so far, so the Army may very well want to stand fast for one more season.

As for the question of Truex. He’s won races with his current team and although they are in a bit of a slump, the ebb and flow of the sport could have them back in the mix in 2009. And with the departure of Mark Martin and the salary he commanded, DEI can now make a financial offer to Truex that could prove hard to refuse.

So while Dale Earnhardt Incorporated may be down, they certainly aren’t out. 2008 may be the year they want to forget, but 2009 could be a watershed year. It could be the season that DEI will sink if they don’t perform or have them proving many of their critics very, very wrong.

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