The Earnhardt family’s story in NASCAR is practically a household tale among stock car racing fans. From Dale Sr.’s impact on the sport to the rise of his children, the Earnhardt family’s story is one that fans cling to almost 25 years after the passing of ‘The Intimidator’. However, if you were to ask fans today, his legacy is continued by his children, Kelley Earnhardt Miller and Dale Jr., in the best way possible.
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Byproducts of a rough childhood with a father dedicated solely to racing and building a vast empire, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Kelley grew closer during their formative years. Yearning for validation from their father, something that both of them had been deprived of, Kelley admitted to having developed a motherly sense of protection towards her immediate family, the strongest recipient of which was Junior.
As the siblings grew together, grinding through military school, destiny took them to different avenues in life, both revolving around racing and their father’s persona. While Junior took up racing under Earnhardt Sr.’s wing, Kelley graduated from college to work full time selling NASCAR souvenirs branded, you guessed it, Dale Earnhardt Sr.
Despite trying her luck at racing and succumbing to the patriarchal nature of the sport, Kelley ultimately gave up her job selling her father’s merchandise. Why that came to be was another calling of what she refers to as the ‘Mother Hen’ complex.
“I certainly felt we needed to be in protection mode,” she said after the Senior’s demise, highlighting her and Junior’s relationship with their stepmother Teresa Earnhardt.
“All the while, I was working in a business that wasn’t going to be that fun anymore. I didn’t have my dad, my dad’s product, and all of that kind of stuff that made that so interesting,” she elaborated. While the Earnhardt siblings’ relationship with Teresa did leave a lot to be desired, Kelley acknowledged she wanted a change in her professional life and wanted to work with her brother.
Junior had his own reservations about his sister working for him. “I came out of college in 1995. I made $23,000 a year… and I got to action and I worked my way up to six figures, and Dale (Jr.) is like, ‘I can’t pay you that.’… We finally convinced each other that it would be okay,” she elaborated.
The siblings teaming up again has borne fruit as both Kelley Earnhardt Miller and Junior today head a frontrunner Xfinity Series team in JR Motorsports, with Miller primarily at the helm of the financial ship, while Junior instills the organization with the racer’s edge.
He is also giving back to the sport in the broadcasting department, exploring various avenues such as commentary and his hugely popular podcast, The Dale Jr. Download.
