Dale Earnhardt Jr’s Sister at Peace With Ending Hendrick Motorsports Partnership Should NASCAR Cup Series Move Materialize

For co-owner duo, Dale Earnhardt Jr and Kelley Earnhardt Miller, Rick Hendrick has been the perfect business partner, the perfect mentor, and the perfect investor. Their NASCAR Xfinity Series team, JR Motorsports, has enjoyed a happy marriage with Hendrick Motorsports, but it is a marriage that could soon file for a divorce.

This is because Kelley Earnhardt Miller recently spoke about taking her successful team from NASCAR’s second-tier to the first, the Cup Series.

Doing that will require Mr. H to end his professional association and investment with the Earnhardts, as the NASCAR rules require a team owner to only be invested in one Cup team.

But this is something that Earnhardt Miller wants anyway, not to take out Rick Hendrick, but to have complete control when their team makes the next step.

“In a perfect world, I don’t want partners,” Earnhardt Miller told NBC Sports. “I like doing things. I think we’re capable of doing things, where we have a great group here and management here and would have to fill out our team.”

Having said that, or rather before it, the JR Motorsports co-owner revealed that their first call about this subject was to Rick Hendrick only.

“He was our first call because there’s not much that he’s put his finger on that hasn’t went well,” Earnhardt Miller said. “How do we do this? Can we do this? What do you think about us doing this? And they’ve been right alongside of us to try to answer questions and help us navigate what it could look like.”

Dale Earnhardt Jr’s personality could help attract new partners

Kelley Earnhardt Miller’s comments had one key phrase – “in a perfect world.” “In the perfect world, we would either be majority (owner) or not have a partner but, you know, the world’s not perfect,” she said.

So the JR Motorsports co-owner described that having a partner as an aid when they move to the Cup Series, would be a good thing.

She’s confident that all things considered, especially her brother’s goodwill, finding a partner shouldn’t be a big ordeal, especially when the NASCAR Hall of Famer is himself inclined towards the big step up.

“We have a good track record, we’ve got a great brand in JR Motorsports, we’ve got a great personality with Dale Jr.,” Earnhardt Miller said. “He really wants to participate and be in the Cup Series.”

Also Read: From Dale Earnhardt to Chase Elliott: NASCAR Drivers to Win a Race on April Fool’s Day