Kelley Earnhardt dubs Dale Earnhardt Sr.'s documentary a 'great human interest story'

JR Motorsports CEO Kelley Earnhardt shared her thoughts on the upcoming Prime Video documentary about her father and NASCAR legend, Dale Earnhardt. She spoke about how the four-part series delves into the personal life of Earnhardt and reveals a side not much known to the public.

Earnhardt is widely considered one of the sport's greatest drivers, with a record seven Cup Series championships, a feat achieved by only two other drivers. His stellar career took a heartbreaking turn when he fell victim to a fatal crash during the 2001 Daytona 500. His son, Dale Earnhardt Jr., was also competing in the same race when the tragic accident took place.

In tribute to the life and legacy of the NASCAR icon, Dale Jr.'s very own Dirty Mo Media co-produced a documentary series called 'Earnhardt.' The first two episodes are set to premiere on May 22 on Prime Video.

On Wednesday, May 14, Kelley and Dale Jr. appeared on the Today show to promote the four-part series. When asked about how Earnhardt's public and private personas differ, Kelley said,

"This to me is just a great human interest story for exactly what you're saying you know, to see my dad in the light of a dad, and a husband to just bring you through that process while he was becoming greatness." [2:22 onwards]

In his part, Dale Jr. shared his take on the making of the documentary and the emotional journey behind the project.

"It's been a while since we've had something that's this deep and thorough....It was fun and tough, emotional but it was a lot of fun. I think it's something we can all be proud of." [1:52 onwards]

After her father's death, Kelley Earnhardt became the General Manager of JR Motorsports and led the team to four NASCAR Xfinity Series championships, with their most recent title coming from Justin Allgaier's triumph in 2024.

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Kelley Earnhardt reflects upon her family life during her father's rise to fame

Kelley Earnhardt opened up about how her bond with Dale Earnhardt Jr deepened during her father's rise to fame. She gave a candid account of the challenges they faced amid Earnhardt Sr.'s life in the fast lane.

In a later segment of the Today show interview, she said,

"We're from divorced parents early, and then we moved from our mom to our dad, and then our dad was working so hard to make his career so we spent a lot of weekends with family or friends. So it's just the two of us and so we bonded really early in life and were just always there to look after each other." [4:39 onwards]

Kelley Earnhardt recently shared a "bittersweet" detour to her alma mater, Oak Ridge Military Academy. Dale Jr. was sent to the boarding school at the age of 12, and she accompanied him to offer support during that time.