Sister, boss, and entrepreneur. Kelley Earnhardt Miller is a multi-tasker and way more than what her surname makes one assume. Though she is a daughter to a NASCAR legend, Dale Earnhardt Sr., and a sister to one of the most popular drivers in the racing universe, Dale Earnhardt Jr., she has earned her way to the top of the organization pyramid at JR Motorsports.
She has been working with JRM since its inception in 2002 and recently was announced as the CEO in 2022. For the most part, her journey was without much help from Jr., who was more focused on racing until the late 2010s. In a conversation with Angie Skinner, Kelley opened up on her willingness to help people as a businesswoman and tackling family dynamics at work.
Kelley Earnhardt is ever-reliable
ADVERTISEMENT Article continues below this ad
It’s no surprise that Kelley Earnhardt has been beside Dale Jr. for most of his life. And, while Jr. was racing, she was managing the web of companies that Jr. owned or had a stake in. Now, that’s a handful and goes back to their childhood. From watching television together to owning a NASCAR team, they have come a long way and draw from each other’s strengths. But, as far as JR Motorsports goes, the sister has been the front and center.
In Skinner Round-up episode 2, Angie Skinner, wife of NASCAR racer Mike Skinner and an entrepreneur, said to Kelley Earnhardt, “Whenever I call you, and it has to do something with a business question or a favor or can you get me this contact. You always respond promptly. You answer what you really do believe.”
She went on to add that Kelley Earnhardt is straightforward and admired her for that. In fact, Skinner hoped more people in the industry could be like that. “(From)…I can help you, I can’t help you, (to) no, we can’t do that, or that’s a great idea, call this person. But, it’s nice to know that someone can just be to the point and check it off the list, and then I can check that question off my list and move forward.”
And, so Kelley Earnhardt said that she is straight with her because she knows she can take it, being an entrepreneur herself. “You take it like it is you know the deal, you know the drill, you know how it works, and you’re the same way. And so it’s very much a two-way street to have that kind of relationship and to be able to be honest,” she told Skinner.
She went on to explain how she is a helper and thus walks straight into situations where she can contribute but ends up going too deep. She said, “I’m a people pleaser… I’m a helper and I walk myself right into situations where I’m like ‘I wanna help but WOW I really got in deep on this one… I’ve just learned that over time that I can’t be everything to everybody, so just giving an honest assessment of whatever it is that you can help with or what’s out of your reach or what’s not or you know is important but it definitely is reciprocal you know.”
She added that she gets asked about working with the family in that environment. “And it’s the same thing. I mean, you have to be able to work in a professional setting and then keep the personal thing aside, and the same thing in friendships and relationships, you know. We’ve hung out in a lot of situations as friends and having fun, and look at each other as professional businesswomen. So you know you always have to keep that, but it’s it’s it’s not always easy when the other people don’t reciprocate that.”
It’s important to note here that she had first-hand ties to racing, too, like her brother and father. Before Jr. even began his racing career, he assisted his sister Kelley with her race car. Kelley was a skilled driver, but after completing her education, she decided to leave racing and took a full-time job at Actions Performance. During that time, she also oversaw Rusty Wallace’s account, her father’s competitor. That turned out to be a boon in disguise, providing her with valuable experience in the business side of NASCAR.
What is working in the family like for Kelley Earnhardt?
Trending
Dale Earnhardt Jr. and his sister Kelley have a strong partnership running their Xfinity Series team, JR Motorsports, which began competing in 2005. Since Dale Jr. retired from full-time racing in 2017, he’s taken a more active role in the business side of JRM, leading to some disagreements with Kelley. However, any disagreements would have been silenced after Justin Allgaier drove his way to victory in the 2024 Xfinity Series Championship in Phoenix.
ADVERTISEMENT Article continues below this ad
Overall, the JRM functioned effectively as a cohesive unit and continues to do so. However, there have been notable changes in family dynamics, as Kelley discussed during the Skinner Round-Up. “It’s actually harder now to balance family dynamics because Dale’s married now. He has kids, I’m married; I have kids. We have different lives… And so it’s more conversations that we have to have, which can lead to more things we disagree on. It’s not bad at all.”
Earlier this year, Earnhardt Miller talked to Kenny Wallace about the issues between her and Dale Jr. When he got involved in business, she made it clear she was in charge. This caused some tension, but they quickly resolved it with a straightforward conversation. She remarked that his participation had definitely altered the initial dynamics of their partnership: “Now he wants to know more of the underneath, and it’s great. I want him to know more, but sometimes he’ll have opinions on it, and I’m like, That’s what we’ve been doing, and he’s like, I don’t care if that’s what we’ve been doing. I’m like, well, this has worked this way for 25 years; don’t screw us up now.”
Dale Jr. has always wanted to take JRM to the NASCAR Cup Series, but current issues like the charter system dispute and financial instability have delayed his dream. Although his team has received offers to join the top level, none have aligned with the goals of the JRM ownership group.
ADVERTISEMENT Article continues below this ad
What do you think about JRMs future?