“There’s a lot of responsibility” - Kelley Earnhardt addresses her family history in NASCAR ahead of JRM’s major Daytona 500 opportunity

JR Motorsports co-owner Kelley Earnhardt reflected on the responsibility of carrying on the Earnhardt legacy in NASCAR ahead of the team’s highly-anticipated Daytona 500 debut. JRM will field the #40 Chevy, with Justin Allgaier behind the wheel, marking the organization’s first-ever Cup Series race.

Born into NASCAR's most popular racing family, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and his sister Kelley grew up immersed in the sport. Their father, Dale Earnhardt Sr., was a seven-time Cup Series champion and the owner of the DEI Cup Series team, while their grandfather, Ralph Earnhardt, was a pioneering stock car racer.

Kelley Earnhardt remarked on carrying on the Earnhardt legacy, with the Daytona 500 entry marking a significant milestone in their family history. Being born into a racing family, she said that racing is all they have ever known and remains deeply rooted in their lives. She hopes to build upon the legacy and pass it down to the next generation.

"It means a lot, because its really all we ever wanted to do. We were taught at a early age that this is what we do, we are racers, we are a racing family. The heritage of my grandfather, on both sides of my family," Kelley Earnhardt told Sirius XM NASCAR.

The JRM co-owner added that, more importantly, they owed it to the fans to continue the legacy built by her father, Dale Earnhardt Sr., through his success as both a driver and a team owner.

"Most of all, I feel like we owe it to the fans. We owe it to the fans of the sport to continue what really my dad built in his time. That's really when the sport gained its wings and just went flying through and growing. There's a responsibility for us to kind of continue to carry that on. I hope my kids are paying attention and they want to do the same thing when I'm too old to do this," Kelley Earnhardt added.

Justin Allgaier will line up on the 10th row for the 67th running of the Daytona 500, scheduled for this Sunday, February 16, at 1:30 PM ET.

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Kelley Earnhardt opens up about bittersweet memories associated with Daytona

Dale Earnhardt Sr. holds the record for the most victories at Daytona International Speedway with 34 wins. His most memorable win came in 1998 when he finally clinched the Harley J. Earl Trophy on his 20th attempt. However, it was also the same track, where NASCAR lost the legendary driver in a tragic accident in 2001.

Kelley Earnhardt and Dale Jr. opened up about the memories associated with the sport. The latter admitted that he had made his peace with the track after his father's death. Meanwhile, Kelley reminisced about the many joyful memories tied to the track, from family vacations to unforgettable victories.

"Coming here, we came here on vacation, so to speak, was the vacation that our family took. Just seeing the wins with Dad and how hard he worked to conquer this track and after so many years and being here for Dale's wins, you know, in the 500 and just coming - I mean, Dale said it best. There's just no better place than this racetrack. This is the crown jewel of everything that we do. This is the start of everything that we do. This is the big race that everybody wants to make, and here we are sitting here. We're about to start our first one," Kelley Earnhardt said via SpeedwayDigest.com.

Dale Jr. remarked that the 2.5-mile oval remains the cornerstone in NASCAR history and should be celebrated by all fans, to which Kelley agreed.