[cashflyer]

Dale Earnhardt Jr. announced this morning that he is leaving DEI, where he started his NASCAR career at 21 in the Busch Series, to become a free agent.

DEI, Dale Earnhardt Incorporated, is the company his father founded in 1980.

This comes after comments were made earlier this year by Teresa Earnhardt, in which she suggested that Jr. "ought to decide whether he wants to be a race car driver or a celebrity."

Dale Jr. had also been trying to get control of DEI, and had made this a stipulation of him staying with DEI.

Teresa Earnhardt is a mostly "absentee owner" and has even been referred to as a "deadbeat".

"You have to be at the race track and you have to play the politics of the sport and you have to be a part of your team and you have to understand what's going on."

She doesn't.