“That’s What Our Dad Wanted”: Kelley Earnhardt Discloses Fulfilling Dale Earnhardt’s Wish With Jr, Despite a Begrudged Stepmother’s Intervention

The night was about to get crazy in 2009 when an Anheuser-Busch executive told ESPN’s David Newton that Kelley (not Junior, mind you) had it in her what it takes to be a championship driver. Not sure whether this is verifiable, but we always dig for a good story.

Dale Earnhardt Jr may have taken the wheel in carrying their father’s legacy on the racetrack but it was his sister Kelley, CEO of JR Motorsports, who spearheaded the operations behind the scenes, be it adding sponsorship deals or even making important career decisions for Junior, such as switching race teams.

Perhaps, the toughest decision for both Kelley and Dale Jr was their emotional exit to their 9-year run with DEI on November 18, 2007, only to join Hendrick Motorsports later. But according to Kelley, it was a sentimental decision, one that their late father would’ve wanted.

16 years on, Kelley and Dale Jr are still on the same page about their DEI exit

Dale Earnhardt Jr was starting to create a name for himself during his time at DEI with a total of 17 Cup victories and two Xfinity Championships. However, all wasn’t good behind the scenes, as Jr wanted an equal ownership share of his father’s only living legacy.

But step-mother Teresa Earnhardt didn’t budge and even went on record to state that, “If Dale Jr doesn’t want to stick around here, we’ll make another Dale Jr.”

Kelley, at the time serving as Jr’s manager, decided to make a conscious call to leave DEI in 2007. Announcing the departure from the #8 team, Junior sounded defeated when he appeared on what was an hour-long presser televised from his JR Motorsports shop where he made their exit announcement in May 2007, “My father always told me to be a man, race hard and contend for championships. I think I’d have his blessing in doing this.”

Looking back on what transpired to make their exit, Kelley made a revelation on the Kenny Wallace show on Thursday that echoes the same sentiment as her younger brother.

“And the decisions that we had to make both professionally and personally to leave Dale Earnhardt Incorporated and everything we knew had been built for the benefit of Dale and I.

“Knowing that that’s what our dad wanted for us and we were letting a piece of that down … we knew in our hearts that it was a letdown, and we knew Teresa here didn’t want that for us.”

Moreover, Kelley Earnhardt made the best use of her talents and skill set to lay a roadmap for Jr’s successful NASCAR career. “I took my brother’s career at that time and charged forward with it like only I knew how to do. I had learned from the best in terms of my dad in business, working at action performance, licensing was so huge then. I got the right people in place,” she further added.

Well, ever since the public feud between Teresa Earnhardt and Dale Jr back in 2007, a lot has changed. It’s as if Junior and Teresa are both trying to make amends for their broken bond.

Teresa Earnhardt didn’t claim ownership rights to DEI’s No. 8 trademark

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Back in 2007, when Dale Earnhardt Jr decided to switch to Hendrick Motorsports, he wanted to take the No. 8 number with him. Despite Max Siegel’s attempt, who was DEI president at the time, Teresa kept hold of the No. 8 team with her. Mark Martin and Aric Almirola were the two drivers who shared the ride driving the #8 car in 2008.

Junior wasn’t looking to snatch the ownership rights to the number; all he wanted was to carry on the family’s legacy of driving the #8 car. “I feel like it’s an Earnhardt tradition because my grandfather and my dad used it a little bit, too. I figured that we would be able to keep using it. But unfortunately, we’re not going to be able to,” Dale Jr was quoted saying this via ESPN.

However, 16 years later, it looks like Junior will be able to get hold of the ownership rights of the No. 8 team. Teresa’s trademark rights to the #8 DEI team were set to expire on June 3, 2024. Interestingly, Junior had applied to claim the trademark, and his stepmother didn’t block his move and let him have control of the #8 logo. After stacking a claim to the infamous number, Dale Jr even surprised the fans by making a revelation about Teresa during a recent episode on DJD.

He said, “I just wanna say that my feelings around this are very plain and basic. I either won’t choose her to have it…and if she were to come in and re-up, I’ll be totally comfortable and happy about that…Or I would like to have it. I would love it to stay hers or mine, and not end up somewhere else.”

Now that the number 8 logo is under the control of Junior, his primary objective could be getting the #8 back on the racetrack. Regardless, Kelley and Junior’s departure from DEI marked a crucial turning point, ultimately paving the way for new opportunities and the ongoing evolution of the Earnhardt racing dynasty.