Kelly Earnhardt is perhaps one of the most influential people in NASCAR.
While Dale Earnhardt Jr. took the wheel to continue his father’s legacy at the track, it was Kelly who was behind the scenes directing the operation. Without their intervention, Dale Jr. may never have reached the pinnacle of his racing career.
She is credited with laying the foundation for the success of Xfinity Series team JR Motorsports, the racing organization she runs with her brother.
Additionally, she was also the brains behind Jr.’s successful NASCAR career through making big career decisions like adding sponsorship deals and changing racing teams.
Perhaps the most important decision for Kelly and Dale Jr. was their departure from DEI.
The decision to leave DEI and join Hendrick Motorsports was viewed primarily as a personal decision, but according to Kelly, it was an emotional one and one that his late father would have wanted.
A racing legacy beyond Dale Earnhardt Inc
Dale Jr. made a name for himself on the NASCAR scene during his time with DEI.
But things weren’t going well behind the scenes, as Jr. wanted an equal share as his father’s sole surviving heir.
However, Teresa Earnhardt was undeterred, even going so far as to publicly state, “If Dale Jr. doesn’t want to stay here, we’ll make a new Dale Jr.” NASCAR fans who have been loyal to the sport for years know how this story ends. Kelly, who was Jr.’s manager at the time, was caught up in the drama that followed, but made a conscious decision to leave DEI. “And the decision that we had to make publicly and privately to leave Dale Earnhardt Incorporated and everything that we know was built to benefit Dale and me. “I knew in my heart that we were letting some of that down because that’s what my dad wanted for us, but I knew that was unfortunate, and I knew that Teresa didn’t want that for us,” Kelly said on the Kenny Wallace show.
Moreover, Kelly worked behind the scenes to make the most of his talent and skills and create a plan to make Junior’s NASCAR career a success. “At the time, I took over my brother’s career and did what only I could do to move it forward. I learned from the best in my dad’s business, working at Action Performance, and licensing was very big at the time. We hired the right people,” Kelly added.
Well, a lot has changed since Theresa Earnhardt and Dale Jr.’s very public feud in 2007. It seems as though Junior and Theresa are trying to repair their broken bond.
Teresa Earnhardt didn’t claim ownership rights to DEI’s No. 8 trademark
When Dale Earnhardt Jr. decided to move to Hendrick Motorsports in 2007, he knew he wanted to take the No. 8 with him.
Despite attempts by then-DEI president Max Siegel, Teresa kept the team with Mark Martin and Aric Almirola, who both shared the No. 8 car in 2008. Jr. didn’t want to take ownership of the number; he just wanted to carry on the family tradition of driving the No. 8. “My grandfather and my father kept it a little bit as well, so I feel like it’s an Earnhardt tradition,” he said. “I thought I could keep using it, but unfortunately I can’t,” Dale Jr. said via ESPN.
But after 16 years, it looks like Junior may gain ownership of the No. 8 team.
Teresa owned the trademark rights to the team #DEI, but these expired on June 3, 2024. Interestingly, while Junior had applied for the trademark, his stepmother didn’t stand in his way and left the No. 8 logo to him.
After securing the infamous act, Junior even surprised fans with a revelation about Teresa on a recent episode of DJD. He stated, “I wouldn’t give it to her… And if she were to step in and extend it, I’d be perfectly happy and content with that… Or, I would love to get it.
I hope it ends up being hers or mine and not somewhere else.” Now, with Junior in control of the No. 8 logo, his main goal may be to get the No. 8 back on the track.
