NEGOTIATIONS ON A SLOW TRACK.

Byline: TIM HADDOCK

MOTOR SPORTS

It appears it is a question of when, not if, Dale Earnhardt Jr. will have a new contract with Dale Earnhardt Inc.

Earnhardt Jr. has spent his entire NASCAR Nextel Cup Series career with Dale Earnhardt Inc., the team his late father started years ago.

But negotiations to renew his contract with the team have gone slowly. Eight races into the season, Earnhardt Jr. does not have a new deal with DEI. His current contract expires at the end of the season.

But he said he is confident a deal will be worked out.

However, Earnhardt Jr. said he is worried that the slow pace of his contract negotiations is going to make the story grow stale.

"One of my favorite shows is 'Around the Horn' on ESPN," said Earnhardt Jr., driver of the No. 8 Chevrolet for Dale Earnhardt Inc. "They were talking about it on there. I know it's getting old when 'Around the Horn' is debating whether it's getting old, 'cause they were debating whether it was an old story, we were hearing too much about it, whatever."

Kelly Elledge Earnhardt, Earnhardt Jr.'s sister and his business manager, has been handling her brother's contract negotiations. She had surgery last month and her health has stalled contract negotiations.

"This is a pretty big -- pretty full plate she's got right now," Earnhardt Jr. said. "She was dealing with a lot of things in the past, a lot of small circumstantial stuff, business deals here and there. It was a real full plate for her then. But she never really tackled the big monster, the real deal like a contract negotiation until now."

Negotiations have deliberately been kept quiet, Earnhardt Jr. said. He and his stepmother, Teresa Earnhardt, who owns Dale Earnhardt Inc., want to keep contract discussions private and not release any details to the media or public until they are all finalized.

"We're just trying to work on it without any press, which is kind of difficult," Earnhardt Jr. said during a teleconference with the media on Tuesday. "Maybe typically it ain't fair to you or the public, but we like to do this on our own terms here."

He said he is confident in his sister's abilities to get a deal worked out. It's just a matter of time before it's made public.

"We both learned a lot over the last several years and learned it together," Earnhardt Jr. said. "But I wouldn't have her in that position if I didn't trust her, and she wouldn't want to be in it if she didn't feel confident. She wouldn't want to put herself or me in that position if she didn't feel like she could get it done."

Trash talk the subject at Talladega

Jeff Gordon won the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series race at Phoenix International Raceway on Saturday night and tied Dale Earnhardt for sixth place on the career win list.

It was the 76th win of Gordon's career. A win at Talladega Superspeedway in Alabama, site of Sunday's race, would push Gordon past Earnhardt on the career win list.

But winning at Talladega has put Gordon in a precarious position in the past.

He has been pelted with beer bottles and cans after winning at Talladega, a track Earnhardt dominated and could seemingly win at will.

But Dale Earnhardt Jr. said he doesn't like seeing Gordon get showered with beer cans and bottles by angry NASCAR fans.

"I don't feel comfortable with beer cans flying on the race track at any point in time, to be honest with you," Earnhardt Jr. said. "You see a lot of them are full, half full, hitting people 'cause they're not making it over the fence, knocking people in the back of the head. I've seen that happen on occasion. It's a dangerous business. I don't think it's cool. It ain't cool at all."

Earnhardt had some suggestions for fans who find it necessary to throw things on the race track after a race.

"Go out in the parking lot and wail a couple beers at your car," Earnhardt Jr. said. "Don't throw them at my car or anybody else's, for that matter. Take a couple shots at your own. I think it's ridiculous, to be honest with you. The first time it happened between me and Jeff, it was funny. Then I heard later that people got hit in the head. You could see it on TV, beer cans, full beer cans, were being thrown onto the track."

And some of those beers don't make it all the way onto the track and their intended target. Earnhardt Jr. said he doesn't want to see innocent fans -- first-timers, woman or children -- getting hit with beer cans or bottles.

"Maybe get some toilet paper," Earnhardt Jr. said. "If you're unhappy with it, throw some toilet paper. It's hell to clean up, but it won't hurt anybody."

CAPTION(S):

2 photos, 2 boxes

Photo:

(1) Dale Earnhardt Jr. said he is confident negotiations to stay with Dale Earnhardt, Inc., will be completed soon.

Jason Smith/Getty Images

(2) no caption (Jeff Gordon)

Box:

(1) THIS WEEK

(2) Etc.