“Two months after this pic, he was gone”: Kelley Earnhardt pays emotional tribute to Dale Sr. on his 24th death anniversary

JR Motorsports co-owner Kelley Earnhardt penned an emotional tribute to her father, Dale Earnhardt Sr., on the 24th anniversary of his death. She shared a picture taken with him just two months before his passing and reflected on how they weren't on good terms at the time.

Dale Sr. tragically passed away in a fatal crash during the 43rd running of the Daytona 500 on February 18, 2001. He was running third on the final lap when he was involved in a collision with Sterling Marlin and Ken Schrader. His #3 Chevy made nose-first contact with the outside wall, resulting in a basilar skull fracture.

On Feb. 18, 24 years after her father's death, Kelley Earnhardt revealed that she wasn't on the best terms with her dad, as she described that "life was messy" at the time. She shared that her stubbornness, a trait in the Earnhardt family, prevented her from seeing eye to eye with him.

"Two months after this picture…he was gone. Life was messy back then, and we weren’t living on the best terms seeing Earnhardt to Earnhardt. Stubbornness is a trait of ours. I don’t always post about his death. But life is still messy. Everyone’s is. Life is just that way," she wrote on Instagram.

Drawing from her experiences, the 52-year-old emphasized that relationships matter, and when they are strained, it's important to keep the lines of communication open. She added that communication helps one understand different perspectives and find peace despite the differences.

"Im writing this to remind you for relationships that matter to you and it’s cliche, but keep the lines of communication open even when it’s hard, even when you think you are right and they are wrong, even when are mad, discouraged, think it’s impossible to be on the same page, communicate anyway. When we talk to each other, we start to understand, see a different viewpoint, and eventually, we learn to see and accept our differences," she added.

Tributes and heartfelt messages poured in from the broader NASCAR community on February 18, remembering Dale Earnhardt and his everlasting legacy.

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Kelley Earnhardt reflects on memories associated with Daytona

For the Earnhardt family, Daytona International Speedway is associated with both triumph and tragedy. From Dale Earnhardt Sr.'s memorable 1998 Daytona 500 victory and a record 34 wins at the track, the 2.5-mile oval also claimed his life in 2001.

Kelley Earnhardt reflected on the cherished memories tied to the iconic track, recalling family vacations at Daytona and her dad's victories. She also hailed the 2.5-mile oval as the crown jewel of NASCAR tracks. In a press conference, she said (via SpeedwayDigest.com):

"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."

Dale Jr. also opened up about how he dealt with his father's death, revealing that he made peace with the track, knowing he would have to return to it throughout his career.