“It isn’t emotionally the same”: Kelley Earnhardt reflects on her different grief compared to Dale Jr. after their father’s tragic death 

NASCAR team owner Kelley Earnhardt Miller recently opened up about her father Dale Earnhardt Sr. death's grief hitting her differently than her brother Dale Jr. The seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion died in a crash during the last lap of the 2001 Daytona 500. While Dale Jr. was in the race and experienced everything firsthand, Kelley was not.

During the latest episode of 'NASCAR Daily,' Kelley spoke to host Shannon Spake about how her emotions toward Daytona differ from her brother's.

"I wasn't at Daytona for my dad's death, so it isn't a place that I..emotionally, for me, it even though that's where we lost Dad it just isn't emotionally the same because I physically wasn't there," Kelley Earnhardt said [17:42 onwards].

"So I didn't go through the emotion of running down the racetrack like my brother, or going to the hospital, you know, and then finding out the news. Like, I mean, I experienced it differently, which was emotional, but it wasn't the same connection," Kelley added.

Earnhardt Sr. is considered one of NASCAR's greatest drivers with 76 Cup race wins, he became famous for driving Richard Childress Racing's No. 3 Chevrolet in the 1980s.

Kelley is the CEO of JR Motorsports (JRM), which she co-owns with Dale Jr., her husband L.W. Miller, and Rick Hendrick. The team runs four full-time cars in the Xfinity Series and debuted in the Cup Series for the first time at the 2025 Daytona 500.

"It was like the highlight of our year" - Kelley Earnhardt shares memories at Daytona

Kelley Earnhardt joined JRM as manager and co-owner in the early 2000s. She graduated from the University of North Carolina with a degree in Business Administration and worked at Action Performance after college. Kelley also raced at short tracks in her hometown before returning in 1996.

During the same episode of 'NASCAR Daily,' she reflected on her fond memories of the Daytona International Speedway despite it being the place where her father lost his life.

"It's where we spent our vacation in July. And it was like the highlight of our year when we were six and seven and eight and nine and ten...I don't look at Daytona as a negative. It's the class of the field as it relates to speedway events...The excitement that you get with the Daytona 500. So, it's rewarding to go there and be successful," Kelley said [18:18 onwards].

JRM fielded its first Cup Series entry at the Daytona 500 with defending NASCAR Xfinity Series champion Justin Allgaier this February. He earned a spot at the 'Great American Race' as the best open car during qualifying, started the race in 19th place, and finished in ninth.