Todd Dudek / AP

Martin Truex Jr. is currently 10th in the rankings for the Chase for the Championship.

There’s been speculation that this sudden surge is related to Earnhardt’s decision. After all, Junior said the inability to win a championship at DEI was one of the reasons he’s leaving.

But in the seven weeks since, Truex has emerged as a legitimate title contender and is currently ranked 10th in the race to make the Chase for the Championship. He’s 48 points ahead of Earnhardt, who is holding down the 12th and final Chase spot and giving DEI hope that it might have two drivers racing for the Nextel Cup title this season.

Siegel said the timing — particularly as it pertains to Truex — is coincidental.

“Martin’s equipment has been good all year,” Siegel said. “His team had good momentum at the end of last year, and the chemistry is gelling for that whole crew. And we’ve been focusing on performance for some time now.

“So it makes sense that things are clicking. If there’s any relation at all, it’s that there might be an added determination to validate what we’ve known all along: We are a good company.”

Although Truex is showing he can carry DEI into the future, team officials don’t want to burden him with that. They learned through Earnhardt’s parting that it’s never healthy to have one superstar surrounded by a supporting cast.

“Not that Martin is even trying to step into Dale Jr.’s shoes, but he’s almost been pushed into it and has accepted it an eager and mature way,” Siegel said. “And can he be our marquee driver? Absolutely. But we want to be stronger as an entire company, we want to have four strong teams, not just one. And I don’t think we want to put the pressure on him that he’s responsible for the future of DEI.”

Either way, Truex’s success has made it easier for Earnhardt to walk away from his late father’s company.

“It takes a lot of pressure and worry off of me for what everybody’s plans were with DEI and what everybody assumed would happen,” Earnhardt said. “He’s going to be able to provide that company the success it needs to garner the sponsorship dollars it needs to garner to bring in the corporate interest it needs to compete.”