“MONEY HUNGRY BI*CH”: Fans react as Dale Earnhardt’s widow, Teresa, pursues a major overhaul of his estate

Atlanta Journal 500 - Source: Getty
Dale Earnhardt celebrates his 4th NASCAR Championship with wife, Teresa Earnhardt, and daughter, Taylor Earnhardt after the 1984 Atlanta Journal 500. Source: Getty

NASCAR fans reacted as Dale Earnhardt's widow, Teresa Earnhardt, plans a contentious $30 billion plan on his Mooresville estate. Teresa intends to turn nearly 400 acres of farmland once connected to the NASCAR icon into a sprawling data center campus.

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The land is in east Mooresville, North Carolina, as a part of what's known to locals as Dale Earnhardt country. The proposed project, the Mooresville Technology Park, would sit behind Coddle Creek ARP Church, near Rustic and Patterson Farm roads, in one of the town's last green rural zones.

However, the stakes just escalated, as The Charlotte Observer confirmed this week that the town is setting a formal hearing for mid-August, with a possible court date of Sept. 15 looming. The Observer's X post was captioned:

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"Hearing to be set on Dale Earnhardt widow’s $30 billion NC data center request"
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NASCAR fans did not hold back, with one tweeting:

"MONEY HUNGRY BI*CH"
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Other fans also echoed similar sentiments.

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Across NASCAR social circles, the outrage was personal. Dale Earnhardt wasn't just a champion.

He was a symbol of Southern identity and working-class values. Seeing his name used on zoning documents for a billion-dollar tech facility triggered something visceral, but a few fans offered a more pragmatic counterpoint.

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However, those arguments were drowned out by the dominant tone online, with what's perceived as Teresa Earnhardt, once again, crossing a line when it comes to Earnhardt's memory.


"Dad would be livid": Dale Earnhardt's eldest son and town brace for a public showdown

(L-R) Teresa Earnhardt, Kerry Earnhardt, Kelley Earnhardt Miller, Dale Earnhardt Jr., and Taylor Earnhardt during the 2010 NASCAR Hall of Fame. Source: Getty
(L-R) Teresa Earnhardt, Kerry Earnhardt, Kelley Earnhardt Miller, Dale Earnhardt Jr., and Taylor Earnhardt during the 2010 NASCAR Hall of Fame. Source: Getty

Developer Tract, out of Denver, Colorado, is backing Dale Earnhardt's widow, Teresa's contentious project.

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The tech campus promises jobs and long-term tax windfalls, but it would also bring power lines, truck traffic, light and sound pollution and the kind of industrial footprint many locals argue Earnhardt himself would have despised.

Teresa hasn't shown up to any of the town meetings, but the outrage has. At a packed Town Hall session earlier this month, where no public comment was allowed, critics came out in full force, including Dale's eldest son, Kerry Earnhardt, and his wife, René. A grassroots site, NoDataCenterMooresville.com, is leading the opposition.

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The backlash isn't limited to fans. Kerry posted an emotional statement on X:

"Dad would be livid. His name is associated in this title! Data Centers don't belong in neighborhoods. ...."
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The conflict is rooted in a proposal to rezone 399 acres of farmland that Teresa Earnhardt owns. It sits along North Carolina Highway 3, better known as Dale Earnhardt Highway, just down the road from the old Dale Earnhardt Inc. building that once drew fans by the thousands.

The planned tech campus would stretch along that corridor, bringing with it server buildings, security fences, utility hubs and a footprint that local commissioners admit will likely spur future development across more of Mooresville's rural east side.

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At a June town meeting, Mayor Chris Carney had said the board was still weighing the pros and cons. As of now, Carney and commissioners Will Aven and Lisa Qualls have toured existing data center sites in North Carolina, and decibel readings at an Apple facility in Maiden were used to downplay fears about noise.

However, that hasn't moved residents, who cite everything from disrupted wildlife to light pollution and truck noise, and the symbolic blow of transforming what was once farmland into a tech hub bearing Earnhardt's name.

The Town Board will hold a public hearing and final vote on the rezoning at a meeting in mid-August. If the request is approved, a court proceeding is expected by Sept. 15, with the decision possibly shaping not just the town's landscape but Earnhardt's legacy in his hometown.

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Edited by Bhargav
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