NASCAR legend Dale Earnhardt’s widow Teresa Earnhardt recently faced the wrath of fans once again when her plans to repurpose the family’s vast farmland estate were revealed. The news broke after she filed a rezoning application asking for 399 acres of farmland in Mooresville, North Carolina, to be converted into an industrial park.
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Fans of the former driver however did not take very kindly to the same, with Teresa facing major backlash on social media.
One of the reasons why such a sentiment has arisen is the proximity of Dale Earnhardt Inc., Earnhardt’s long-time racing company’s headquarters to the farmland at 2.5 miles.
Converting the same land into an industrial park would mean letting go of the former driver’s expression of his outdoorsy lifestyle. Dale Sr. was known to go hunting and fishing on the vast farmland.
With his widow Teresa the only remaining member of the owning company Earnhardt Farms LLC, her application is set to be reviewed at an upcoming Mooresville Planning Board meeting.
“What a shame…can’t believe Dale was married to this woman,” opined one fan of the upcoming change, making sure the disapproval was clear.
“She’s going to turn the farm into an industrial park. Of course she is. It is not like the foundation named in Dale’s honor is supposed to be about preservation of wildlife in rural areas or anything,” chimed in another, touching on the farmland’s significance.
One fan did not mince any words with their opinion of the 7-time champ’s widow and added, “Jesus she ruins literally everything,” with another fan chiming in, “Dale would be ashamed.”
Dale would be ashamed.
— Nick Farnum (@NFarnum8) October 19, 2024
Despite the backlash from the fans over what would certainly have been a difficult decision, Teresa has announced no plans to backtrack from the decision.
As reported by The News & Observer, the upcoming changes will see the property being renamed Mooresville Technology Park, situated off of N.C. 3, Dale Earnhardt Highway.
Why do NASCAR fans have such a damning opinion of Teresa Earnhardt?
Ever since Dale Earnhardt Jr. could not come to a contract agreement with his stepmother driving for a team founded by his father but managed by her in 2007, Teresa’s image amongst fans of the sport took a turn for the worse.
Earnhardt Jr. at the time decided to leave the team and drive for another racing outfit in NASCAR.
“We both worked extremely hard to find a common ground, but as the negotiations continued, one thing became evident. We both want to be and get to the same place…we both simply had different visions on how to get there,” he said at the time.
The fallout came courtesy of the two parties failing to agree on Junior’s demands of a 51 percent ownership take in his late father’s organization.
