It’s official. Dale Earnhardt Jr. has signed Supercross superstar — and hottie —Jeremy McGrath to his JR Motorsports team. McGrath will be racing late model cars sponsored by Monster Energy Drink.

Here’s more from the press release:

MOORESVILLE, N.C. (April 11, 2007) — JR Motorsports introduced seven-time Supercross champion Jeremy McGrath as its newest late model driver on Tuesday, pairing one of the most popular Supercross stars of all time with NASCAR’s four-time most popular driver, Dale Earnhardt Jr.

The announcement was made at the grand opening of the team’s new 66,000-square foot shop. McGrath will compete in a limited 10-race schedule in a Chevrolet late model stock car sponsored by Monster Energy Drink, with R&B Auto Body Transport Refinishing as an associate sponsor. His first race is slated for April 21 at Southern National Raceway Park in Kenly, N.C.

“This is something I’ve always wanted to try, and I’m really grateful that Dale Jr. is giving me this opportunity to drive one of his race cars,” McGrath said. “We are going to test this week, weather permitting. I’ve got a lot to learn when it comes to racing something with four wheels, but I’m confident I can pick it up pretty quick.”

The addition of McGrath and the Monster Energy car gives JRM its third late model entry. Scott Young and Curtis Truex Jr. currently compete in full-season touring schedules in late model cars sponsored by R&B. JR Motorsports also fields a full-time NASCAR Busch Series team with driver Shane Huffman and full-time USAR Hooters Pro Cup team with driver Richard Boswell. All of these teams operate out of the new JR Motorsports facility located in Mooresville, N.C.

“I’m proud to have Jeremy here, and it’s cool to see how excited he is about getting into one of these late models,” Earnhardt Jr. said. “I like his approach, his mentality, and the energy he brings to this shop. I know this isn’t just some fleeting interest on his part. He is as serious about this as anyone I’ve ever been around.”

McGrath is easily one of the most recognizable motorcycle racers of all time, as he dominated Supercross from 1993-2004, compiling 74 main event victories and seven titles. He also won the gold medal in the 2004 X-Games Step-Up competition, and earned silver in the 2005 X-Games Supermoto.

“I’ve been fortunate to have a lot of success in Supercross, but this is a new type of racing for me,” McGrath said. “I want to succeed at this. It’s not like I’m coming in here and saying that I’m going to be a Nextel Cup driver or anything like that. I want to focus on this chance.”

JR Motorsports
JR Motorsports, a Mooresville, N.C., based company solely-owned by NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series driver Dale Earnhardt Jr., is a growing team in NASCAR Busch Series, USAR Hooters Pro Cup Series and late model stock car competition. Founded in 2002, the team is entering into its second season in the NASCAR Busch Series with the U.S. Navy and driver Shane Huffman. In addition to fielding the No. 88 Navy Accelerate Your Life Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS in the NASCAR Busch Series, JR Motorsports also fields the No. 88 Champion Chevrolet in the USAR Hooters Pro Cup Series with driver Richard Boswell. Scott Young and Curtis Truex Jr. are a part of the R&B Late Model Driver Development Program in the Nos. 71 and 73 R&B Chevrolets and compete at short track across the Southeast. For more information on JR Motorsports, visit www.jrmotorsport.com.

Dale Jr. still wants to own the majority of DEI, duh, and I think the acquisition of McGrath to his JR Motorsports team proves that he’s really into growing a team, putting together a solid foundation for the future. For DEI there is no future without Junior as far as I’m concerned, if they don’t give him the majority stake in the team then they’ve got nothing.