“We might get arrested”: Kelley Earnhardt reveals stepmother Teresa’s ‘extreme’ attitude in the 'Earnhardt' documentary

In an episode of the recently launched “Earnhardt” docuseries, Kelley Earnhardt revealed how her stepmother, Teresa, had kept her from visiting her father’s grave. Furthermore, her inputs were rejected while planning the fallen intimidator’s funeral and choosing a burial site.

Kelley Earnhardt, co-owner JR Motorsports alongside his brother and Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt Jr., was only 20 back then. Her name was not included in her father’s will, thus transferring Dale Earnhardt’s race team, property, and about a dozen trademarks to Teresa.

Kelley knew she and her brother were not welcome at their father’s gravesite in Mooresville, North Carolina. So she chose not to go back.

“She’s so extreme that we might get arrested,” she said of Teresa.

The new docuseries unravels the legendary racing career of the seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion, as well as the complex family dynamics within the Earnhardt household. The first two episodes premiered on May 22, days ahead of this year’s running of the crown jewel Coca-Cola 600.

The final two episodes aired yesterday, May 29, on Amazon Prime Video. In the last one, Dale Earnhardt Jr. is seen recalling his visit to Daytona International Speedway for the first time after his father’s death.

“I don't know exactly where his car came to rest, but I kind of came to that general area and I just got out," he said (quoted by NASCAR). "I wanted, I think really, to see how I would feel. Would I get emotional? Would it be too much? Would it feel too heavy? Would I have a problem with it? I didn't know."

Daytona will always remain special for the Earnhardt siblings because that’s where their father succumbed to a last-lap crash during the 2001 Daytona 500. The legend was inducted posthumously into the prestigious NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2010.

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Back when Kelley Earnhardt shared a personal moment with Dale Earnhardt Sr.

Dale Earnhardt’s death still haunts Kelley Earnhardt to this day. Exactly 24 years later, on February 18, 2025, the Kannapolis native took to Instagram and posted a picture with her newborn daughter, Karsyn Elledge, alongside the legendary driver.

Kelley Earnhardt captioned the photo, saying,

“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.”

Although it’s not clear when the picture was taken, Karsyn was not more than a couple of months old at the time. Today, she is 24 years old and a popular face on national television.

She owns several businesses, one of which is her own clothing brand, Raceline Apparel. Karsyn is also seen on Door Bumper Clear, a popular NASCAR podcast that features veteran crew chief Freddie Kraft and Competition Director of Rick Ware Racing, Tommy Baldwin.