HOMESTEAD, Fla. --- Dale Earnhardt Jr. only wants his helmets, a couple driver suits and racing season when he cleans out his locker this week at Dale Earnhardt Inc. In return, he won't be taking any technical information or company secrets with him when he moves to Hendrick Motorsports next year.

Earnhardt closed out his career with the company his father founded at Sunday's Ford 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway, ending a tumultuous working relationship with the stepmother, Teresa Earnhardt .

The son of seven-time series champion Dale Earnhardt announced in May he was leaving the family race team. He announced a month later he was headed to Hendrick to replace Kyle Busch .

His final three months at DEI were rocky, at best. He had four blown engines and two major crashes since the announcement and fell to 16th in the final points standings.

Earnhardt was 36th Sunday after crashing on pit road, then spinning out during a re-start after a caution. He said his departure will be emotional because he believes his father wouldn't approve of the team's direction.

"I will be sad for my father that things aren't different," he said. "I'm sad for him, not for me or anybody else. I'm just sad because his vision was different. He was such a great person and his visions were great and worthy and should be realized. That'll be a shame.

READY FOR A CHANGE: Tony Stewart is like a lot of other drivers -- he's glad the season is finally over.

Stewart, who finished sixth in the standings, said Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon were so overwhelming in the playoffs, the focus for many quickly turned to next year.

"It has been a long year for everybody," Stewart said. "We obviously aren't in the position we want to be in this time of year. The only way to get to the next chapter is to start the next chapter."