European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - July 13, 2007, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 38 stars and stripes july 2007 ill a j i j 4wrfmyioqkffmqtompohr8 Junior mainstreams his marketability news of Earnhardt team change brings High profile sponsors by Jenna Fryer the associated press Daytona Dale Earnhardt was a freshman in High school when he figured out that image is every thing and for him to be consid ered he had to have a pair of old school Adidas Samba classic with a clean look and simple the Sambas were an Exten Sion of Earnhardt quiet per when you Are in High school in Mooresville your shoe is your Earnhardt what kind of shoe you have that where you stand in the Chain of it was really and i thought Adidas was the Best eighteen years earn Hardt still chooses his brands carefully and Adidas again made the Cut As Nastars most popu Lar Driver mainstreams his endorsement his signing last week with Adidas America on a multiyear personal services con tract came just two weeks after he announced a similar Deal with both companies Are International and significantly broaden earn hardts marketing Al though Hes a superstar in Ameri sponsors Budweis Chevrolet and wrangler Haven made Earnhardt an inter National his new deals could As Earnhardt becomes just the fourth athlete to receive his own clothing line with also in that group International super Star David As Well As new Orleans saints running Back Reggie Bush and Houston Rock ets Star Tracy its a Little admitted who played soc Chris Omear vap Dale Earnhardt recent deals with Sony and Adidas America could help to make Nastars most popular Driver an International Earnhardt is Only the fourth athlete to receive his own clothing line with joining David Reggie Bush and Tracy cer in High i look up to Beckham and the things Hes been Able to accomplish and the Persona Hes built up Over the now Earnhardt has the Opportunity to do the he announced in May that he was leaving Dale Earnhardt and decided a month later to sign with powerhouse Hendrick to the Adidas and Sony deals came right and the timing is not lost on Earnhardt has spent his entire career with his late fathers race and often found himself locked into deals that the late Dale Earnhardt picked for that didst ease after the elder Earnhardt death in As Junior had to take Over Many of his fathers contracts to help Dei re Tain the we had All them sponsors that Dei was bringing whoever they wanted to work and they didst always match perfectly with Earnhardt and when dad died i had to help out to keep the contracts they were Selling pieces of me Here and there just to keep things but when i decided to Cut my ties with the phones started ringing and it was like we want to work Dale Earnhardt suddenly had his pick of endorsement and Adidas was 1 on the hed tried five years earlier to land a sneaker Deal with the company for his self owned race but German based Adidas want in the conversations resumed shortly after Earnhardt hired Thayer a former vice president with Loreal to run marketing and Brand develop ment at or motor sports last although Adidas didst commit until after earn Hardt decided to leave Dei at the end of this said Mark Cli business director for motor sports at Adidas obviously you sign him be cause Hes enormously but this focus on wanting to get better and committing to doing everything he can to win a championship just really fits perfectly with Clinard when peo ple get serious about winning and make some really Tough decisions like he its really a Natu the Dei decision May have pushed Adidas Over the but Lavielle said Earnhardt expand ing portfolio Doest correlate directly to changing its a culmination of the work she has done with his Kelley Earnhardt in the year since Lavielle joined or motor now that Treyve inked two significant Lavielle said they will wait to see How sponsorship of his new Hendrick ride shakes out before making More Budweiser has sponsored earn hardts cup car since 1999 and wants to stay with but Hen Drick might not be interested in signing the Earnhardt has a personal services contract with Bud through whatever company ends up sponsoring Earnhardt new ride will use an intense marketing and Lavielle said they dont want the Driver to become a rolling his late father was widely recognized As a pitch Man for just a handful of Compa and Earnhardt wants the same we want a Small stable of part to align him with brands that Hes comfortable with and projects that Are fun for la Vielle this sport by its riddled with sponsor but we Are in a Good Posi Tion where we can say i dont know if that one fits for and make careful choices when it comes to his lifestyle manage one Deal already in the pipe is a Candy bar that Earnhardt has had a hand in de he wont reveal Many Only that he and the or motor sports staff tasted endless combinations looking for the perfect Earnhardt has been involved with How the bar will be what it will look like and if its going to break into pieces when you take a you gotta have it How you want it if your name is on he Hes come a Long Way since his Days As a Skinny kid just try ing to fit in at and earn Hardt has Clear ideas on How he wants to be he believes carefully choosing his endorsement deals helps him con vey his desired i would like to be the your Friend next door that you Hope gets Home Early so you can Start playing video he i want to be that Sextel cur race 19 us sheetrock 400 at Chica Goland Speedway 10 sunday of extra last race Jamie Mcmurray ended a 166race wingless Streak in dramatic ral lying from 35th after an Early penalty for driving below the yellow line to set up a drag race with Kyle Busch to the finish of the Pepsi last year Jeff Gordon spun out Matt Kenseth with four laps to then held on to win the us sheetrock fans showered the track with debris after the an apparent protest of Gor dons racing Gordon and Kenseth tangled earlier in 2006 Dur ing a race at Bristol motor Speed Driver to watch two years Dale Earnhardt moved All the Way up from 25th to he has yet to win a race this Dri Vbk standings after 18 of 36 races Demy Ham Fei Matt Branie Jeff Burton cart Edwards Tony Stewart Kyle Kevin Martin pm Dale Earnhardt Jamie Ryan Kurt Greg Mark Casey Bobby Busch series this week us Durock 300 at 9 last race a risky Man Euver propelled Kyle Busch to the front and eventually to his first Lascar Victory at Daytona International Speedway a win in the rain delayed win Dixie Busch swerved drove through the passed several cars and took Trie Lea coming off pit last Yean Casey Mears squirted away on a restart with 28 laps to then cruised to Vic tory in the us Durock next race Gateway july craftsman trucks this week built Ford Tough 225 at last race Travis Kvapil passed a spinning Brad Keselowski with nine laps to go and pulled away on the restart to capture the Oreilly 200 at his second Victory in three last year Ron Hornaday started but extended his career victories to a be Rie record 29 by taking the built Ford Tough next race Power stroke diesel july for More coverage indy racing this week Firestone indy 200 at 7 last race Scott Dixon regained the Lead after a fast pit Stop on Lap 45 and held off Sam Hornish series Leader Darlo franc hit Tony Kanaan and Marco Andretti Over the final 14 laps to win the Watkins Glen grand last Dixon held off target Chip Ganassi racing teammate Dan Wheldon in the final laps and won at Nashville next race Honda july one last race Kirn Raikkonen won his second straight race and Rookie Star Lewis Hamilton made his ninth podium in a next race German grand july nuer Chai if cars last race australian will Power drove from fourth to first in 14 finally splash ing past Rookie Ryan Dalziel to take the Lead with 23 minutes to and went on to an easy Victory in the Messy Seelback grand prix of next race grand prix of july standings for other series on Page