Dale Earnhardt Jr. and his elder sister, Kelley Earnhardt Miller, are two of the most influential people in NASCAR today. While Dale Jr. followed in his legendary father, Dale Earnhardt Sr’s footsteps into racing on the track, carving out his own fabled racing career, his big sister has long been the backbone of their family and their racing empire, JR Motorsports.
Now, as anticipation builds for the premiere of “Earnhardt” on May 22 on Amazon Prime, the iconic siblings sat down for an exclusive, heartfelt conversation on NBC’s “Today” show. During the conversation, Kelley reflected on the weight of responsibility she had to carry from a young age, stepping up as the caretaker for her brother in the wake of their parents’ early divorce.
Dale Jr’s Sister Kelley Earnhardt Miller Opens Up About Her Family, Life, and Responsibilities After Dale Sr’s Early Divorce
Divorce is a painful ordeal not just for the couples involved, but it’s equally emotionally taxing for the children caught in the middle. “Junior” and his sister suffered a similar life-altering situation when their parents decided to part ways, ending several years of marriage in 1977, five years after their marriage.
Dale Earnhardt Sr. married Brenda Jackson, the daughter of Robert Gee, a winning car builder, in 1972 and had two kids – Kelley and Dale Jr. – during the time they were together. Despite the split, the “Junior” and his sister stayed with their mother until a tragic house fire in 1981 left the three homeless. Eventually, the late great gained custody of his kids, but his demanding racing career kept him busy, away from them.
Although they remained close to their mother, growing up in a divided household was challenging, with the siblings often having to navigate life on their own. Reflecting on this, the 52-year-old summed up their life struggles.
She said, “We’re from divorced parents early, and then we moved from our mom to our dad, and then our dad was working hard to make his career. So, we spent a lot of weekends with family or friends, it was just the two of us, we bonded, you know, really early in life, and just always were there to look after each other.”
Forged through adversity, with responsibility shaping her resilience, Kelley stands as a trailblazer on multiple fronts. She is currently the CEO of JR Motorsports, a leading team in NASCAR’s Xfinity Series. In addition, she played a pioneering the NASCAR collectibles industry during her tenure as the VP of Sales and Procurement at Action Performance. She has since brought her leadership to several boards, including Blueharbor Bank, The Dale Jr. Foundation, and BRANDT Professional Agriculture.