"It was a big deal, it was hard": When Kelley Earnhardt made her feelings known about Dale Jr.’s DEI exit

Dale Jr.'s sister Kelley Earnhardt has opened up about her brother's exit from Dale Earnhardt Inc. (DEI). Following Dale Sr.'s demise at the 2001 Daytona 500, Teresa assumed the ownership of DEI. However, according to Kelly, her stepmother's way of managing the team didn't sit well with Junior and as a result, he left his family legacy to drive for Hendrick Motorsports.

DEI was founded in 1980, and Junior joined the outfit for his rookie Cup Series campaign in 2000. Four seasons down the line, the two-time Xfinity Series champion inked a five-year contract with DEI, with Teresa bearing the ownership.

However, according to Kelley, things began falling apart due to Teresa's way of doing business. Junior's sister outlined that things weren't as well integrated as they used to be after their stepmother took over, which caused Junior to move to HMS after the 2007 season, before the expiration of his DEI contract.

She explained that working with Teresa was challenging because any approach that didn’t align with the stepmother's preferences was met with resistance. Notably, multiple presidents came and left, which wasted the team's precious time in meetings with the new presidents and getting them up to speed.

Elaborating on the feelings they had when they parted ways with DEI, Kelley Earnhardt said (via Graham Bensinger).

"It was a big deal. It was hard trying to decide that you were leaving your family business knowing that that's what your dad built that business for." Kelley Earnhardt said (6:12).

DEI raked in four driver championships -two each in the Truck and Xfinity Series. The team inched closer to its first Cup title but Junior settled in P3, in 2007.

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Kelley Earnhardt's brother Dale Jr. returns with the iconic #8 after Teresa refrained from renewing the trademark

Dale Jr. and Teresa had ups and downs regarding the stylized #8 that Junior donned on his Chevy in the Cup Series. Despite unwavering efforts, Teresa didn't forfeit the trademark.

However, the mark was due for renewal on June 3 this year but Teresa didn't file a renewal motion with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). As a result, Dale Earnhardt Jr. Holdings applied for the ownership and got the rights transferred following the trademark's expiry.

Moving forward, Dale Jr. struck a deal with Budweiser for an iconic return in the sport, with the nostalgic red-white paint scheme and the stylized #8. He marked his return at the Florence Motor Speedway in the South Carolina 400.

"We just called Budweiser and asked them if they wanted to do something since the #8 was no longer licensed. We pitched them a deck of an idea and what we've done in the past with SunDrop and Bass Pro with his car and they were all about it," Dale Earnhardt Jr. said via Flo Racing.

Kelley Earnhardt's brother will make a handful of appearances with Budweiser in the limited Late Model Racing series through 2025.