NASCAR legend Dale Earnhardt's daughter Kelley Earnhardt Miller recently shed light on her past tensions with brother Dale Earnhardt Jr. Kelley and Dale were born to Earnhardt's second wife Brenda Gee.
Born in a family of racing royalty and growing up in the NASCAR paddocks as her father raced to eternal glory, Kelley Earnhardt chose a different route to keep the racing heredity afloat. While she tried out the on-track action early on, Kelley, alongside her brother Dale Earnhardt Jr., picked up the management aspect of the NASCAR team "JR Motorsports."
An organization that initially started to help Dale Jr. with his sponsorship deals turned into something much more by the time 2002 rolled around. Upon joining Hendrick Motorsports, Earnhardt Jr. merged his Xfinity Series team with Rick Hendrick's HMS. Kelley, meanwhile, continued to contribute behind the scenes.
While Dale Jr., after his father's untimely passing, focused on his racing career, Kelley handled his finances and the JR Motorsports organization. However, when Junior decided to hang his helmet in 2017 and aimed to focus on his business, heads started to bust between him and his sister.
In a recent conversation with retired NASCAR driver Kenny Wallace, Kelley Earnhardt delved into her past frictions with Dale Earnhardt Jr. Kelley, who is worth $50 million (according to Celebrity Net Worth), recalled:
"We probably had more situations where we disagreed in the last 10 or 15 years than we ever did. It's just simply because it's just not me and him anymore. There's just so many things that he is aware of in our business since he quit driving. He's very much more involved in our business."
She added:
"I really upset him not too long ago because I said, and I didn't mean it in the way he took it, but I said the words, 'I ran this business for 25 years, I don't really need you.'"
Kelley Earnhardt reveals how she reconciled with Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Kelley's aforementioned comment, though intended to convey her confidence in managing the business, struck a nerve with Dale Jr. She elaborated to Kenny Wallace:
"I didn't mean that I didn't need him. He's the reason that I got to run the business. What I meant was, 'I've been making all these decisions, and if you wanna be a part of the situation, let's do it together, and if you don't, just stay home. I'll get this stuff done.'"
However, Despite the hurt feelings, the siblings managed to work through their differences. Kelley Earnhardt revealed:
"It really hurt his feelings. But we had a good talk about it, and that's the good thing. We can talk about that kind of stuff now."
Kelley and Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s JR Motorsports currently fields four full-time rides in the Xfinity Series. The team's roster includes notable names like Sam Mayer, Justin Allgaier, Sammy Smith, and Brandon Jones. Additionally, drivers like Carson Kvapil and Dale Jr. himself pilot a fifth JRM entry on a part-time basis.