“Teresa didn’t let you save DEI”: Dale Jr.'s guest discloses harsh truth about the aftermath of Dale Earnhardt's demise

Dale Jr.’s guest and former Dale Earnhardt Inc. (DEI) VP, Ty Norris said that Junior’s stepmother Teresa didn’t let his stepson save the team from being “splintered.” After a big power struggle following Dale Sr.’s tragic demise at the 2001 Daytona 500, Teresa took the reigns of DEI.

After Senior’s death, Teresa inherited trademarks #15, #8, and #1 and held the power to make key decisions for the team while Junior drove the Cup car for DEI, donning the stylized #8 on his Chevy. However, Dale Jr. often had disagreements with Teresa, which also led to her publicly questioning his commitment.

Moreover, DEI’s former president, Max Siegel, tried persuading Teresa to transfer the #8, but she stood by her decision. Thus, after running until the end of the 2007 season, the two-time Xfinity Series champion moved to Rick Hendrick’s HMS.

Decades later, during the silly season, Ty Norris has pulled back the curtain on the internal power struggle after Senior’s death, explaining a “Game of Thrones”-like atmosphere.

“DEI became totally splintered. It was Game of Thrones…just like paranoia fell in to Teresa quiet honestly, paranoia was like trying to get Dale’s money? Who’s trying to get our money? Who’s trying to get power? It fell across the whole company and it splintered bad and the only person that could’ve saved it would’ve been you (Dale Jr.) but she didn’t let you do that,” Norris said (via Dirty Mo Media).

A year after Junior shifted to HMS, Dale Earnhardt Inc. terminated its operations in 2009. However, Teresa didn't let go of the number until this past year.

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“I would love it to stay either hers or mine”: When Dale Jr. opened up on where he wanted the #8 to go

Even though Dale Jr. didn’t have a cordial relationship with Teresa, he expressed trust in her regarding the safekeeping of the Earnhardt family legacy. The legendary NASCAR driver said he wanted Teresa to have the #8, if not him. However, Junior clarified that he didn’t want the number to “end up somewhere else.”

“I either want Teresa to have it, and if she were to come in and re-up, I’d be totally comfortable and happy about that or I would like to have it. I would love it to stay either hers or mine and not end up somewhere else,” Junior said via Dale Jr. Download.

After owning the #8 trademark for decades, Teresa didn’t renew it, letting it lapse. Thus, Dale and his sister Kelly, through Dale Earnhardt Jr. Holdings applied for the trademark, which expired on June 3, 2024.

It’s worth mentioning that following the newly acquired ownership, Dale Jr. recently raced in the iconic #8 Chevrolet at the Florence Motor Speedway, resurrecting the fan-favorite red Budweiser livery.