Dale Earnhardt Jr. has been estranged from his stepmother, Teresa Earnhardt, for years, but a recent discovery has given the NASCAR Hall of Famer a small sense of peace
04:18 ET, 10 Oct 2025Updated 05:53 ET, 10 Oct 2025
Dale Jr found a glimmer of family reconciliation with new DEI photos(Image: YouTube (@DirtyMoMedia))
For the first time in ages, Dale Earnhardt Jr. seemed more reflective than irritated when discussing his history with Dale Earnhardt Inc. (DEI), always keeping his father’s memory alive.
The NASCAR Hall of Famer confessed that a recent unexpected find brought him a bit of solace regarding his family’s fragmented legacy, deeply rooted in years of silence between him and his stepmother, Teresa Earnhardt.
DEI, established by the late Dale Earnhardt Sr. , was intended to be a family racing dynasty that would carry on the Earnhardt name for generations. The news emerges as NASCAR revealed the 17 tracks that will be affected by a major change to the sport, coming in 2026.
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However, after Dale Sr. ‘s death in the 2001 Daytona 500, Teresa assumed full control of the company and its assets, igniting years of legal and emotional strife.
Dale has continued to uphold his father’s legacy on social media(Image: Getty)
Dale Jr. and his sister Kelley had hopes of inheriting the business one day. Instead, they saw control slip away as Teresa made crucial decisions, including refusing to sell land, denying the transfer of the No 8 car, and ultimately overseeing DEI’s downfall after Dale Jr. departed the team in 2007 for Hendrick Motorsports, reports the Express US.
By 2014, the family business merged, rebranded, and closed down, completely erasing the Earnhardt name from NASCAR. Last month, two fans who gained access through a credit promotion shared photos from inside the property.
His number 8 car is still on display, even though he thought it would have been removed. He saw the photos firsthand and talked about them on his podcast.
“I was just glad to know that stuff’s still well taken care of. It made me feel good that some of my cars are still there, like in the front. When you go, and you’re looking back, they still celebrate all of the history,” he shared on his podcast.
“I didn’t know. I haven’t talked to anybody on that side in so long. I haven’t talked to Teresa in so long that I don’t know where they are emotionally about the relationship, or the lack of a relationship. I was happy to see that some of my cars were still there,” he added.
Teresa and Dale Jr. have been estranged for years(Image: Getty)
“Gives me some hope that there’s a chance of reconciliation somewhere down the road. Even though maybe it’s unlikely, yeah.”
Dale Jr. continues to uphold his father’s legacy across social media, often directly answering fan queries about paint schemes, memories, or historical context behind the DEI era.
Meanwhile, the next generation has already hit the track. Dale Sr.’s grandson Wyatt Miller, the son of Kelley Earnhardt Miller, made his full schedule debut in 2025 with Ryan Beat Motorsports in the Champ Off Road Series Pro Spec Truck class.
He dominated to earn the most points in the standings after eight races, adding another chapter to the family’s growing legacy.