I believe he holds the record on winning the most favorite driver award. I went to a Coca Cola 600. A quarter million people there. The only thing louder than the cheer for Jr was the boos for Kyle Busch. It was deafening.
I personally love EVERY MAN at that table! And I completely 10,000% RESPECT them ALL sitting there and telling ALL OF US the fans the 100% HONEST TRUTH as to what was happening at DEI during that time. And to know that they're ALL still getting along and love one another TODAY no matter if they're in business or not. I personally respect ALL you boys! God Bless and Godspeed!
My very favorite video out of many, many great videos Junior & his Dirty Mo have posted here. Watched it multiple times and every time . . (A) I enjoy it fully, & (B) I realize how painful Dale Sr' loss is too me even today, March 6th, of 2024.
@@chrisconley8583 But at the same time, even while Sr was alive, it was clear for years that the kids only tolerated her for Sr. Its also just as clear that Sr was at heart, a selfish egotistical man. For him to marry a woman that the kids only tolerated proves it. I have a child and I'm married to her mother. If we were to ever divorce, there is NO WAY, NO WAY I would EVER marry another woman that was only tolerated by my child. I dare say that I would ever remarry at all because I know full well how much pain it would give my child. Dale Sr cared more about himself than anything else.
@@spartanx169x when you state the word “but” you negate everything that came after it. It’s a Dale Jr. quote, I think he knows more about his father and his wife than you and I combined.
Dale Jr. IS Dale Earnhardt’s legacy. He literally has his name. Teresa never understood that. Dale’s children are his legacy and he would be angry to know what happened at DEI.
Letting Dale Jr. leave, foolish to say the least. Had he been given the 51% she would have more money than she could ever spend. How much is enough? They don't put it in the casket with you.
Dale Jr.'s restraint in this podcast is to be applauded, as there were repeated references made about Dale Jr. seated there, but he remains remarkably quiet through it all. Dale Jr. allows Tony Eury Jr. to have his say in this podcast. In other similar situations, many people I know of, including me, would have taken away Tony Eury Jr. time with this podcast, with myself bantering-on a lot when the guest would be making references about me.
Dale Jr. has always been such a class act, in and out of the car. His interviewing skills are masterful as well. I've thoroughly enjoyed these podcasts.
@@amywilkins543 More than respect imho. Dale Jr isn’t a) threatened by other people’s opinion of him and b) [the over the top respect] he allows other people to have their own opinion(s).
Watching DEI implode in the years after Dale's death was heartbreaking for me. When I see how well Kelly and Junior have done with JR Motorsports, DEI would have suceeded like nothing else with them running it.
This is by far the most classy youtube video ever. DE jr is a true gentleman of this sport. His relationshipe like anybody has its ups and downs. But at the end of the day. He handles it as a true gentleman. Theresa as Tony said, had alot to deal with. It had to be difficult.
Jr is the reason I started watching racing. He’s a classy guy and got run over by Teresa. Sr never wanted that to happen, he trusted his wife and she betrayed him.
I knew when I was a 15-year-old teen hearing about these negotiations to resign Junior to DEI, he was going to want the majority of the company. And honestly, he was right to ask for majority ownership of it. Eury Jr was right when he said Junior was basically the reason why DEI was surviving. All sponsors wanted a piece of Junior even if they were going to sponsor Mikey Waltrip. Junior did the right thing by walking away from the team after that. I don't blame Junior at all for that at all because if he ran it like he runs JR Motorsports today, it probably would be prospering like hell now. Teresa thought she could keep making money off of the legacy for less than what Junior wanted. And that was her biggest mistake.
@@scsmith4604 this is what it all boils down to. He hadn't updated his will in over a decade (or somewhere around there.) I'm all for the kids being part of DEI, I'm sure everyone would have wanted that but for Kelly to demand 51% ownership in the negotiations was a PR move. She knew a crazy demand like that would be denied thus making Jr and everyone on his side the victims. I don't care who you are, you want ownership in a company you pay for it, you don't demand it. If they truly wanted to stay at DEI Jr/Kelly would have worked out a financial agreement to buy into the team. The demand was nothing more than an out for them
I was doing contact electrical work at the shop back then for RJ electric. Could feel the tension at the shop even though I was an outsider. So when I was asked to sneak over to JRs new shop to set up his engine Dyno I was more than happy for you man. If you're like wtf is this guy Chris Overcash just calls me Paul the electrician. Walter Smith ended up training me as a Jackman at Wood Bros shop and I retired from pit road at age 38. Love your show JR and sorry I stuck my head in your dads last championship car. Wasn't aware how untouched it was I just loved your Dad
Who was the car chief that Teresa told something tothe effect of "I hope you got you're walking shoes on cus you're walking out of here when she fired him cus that was a good story too. I just don remember how she worded it exacrly
Hey Dale Jr I was a very big fan of your Dad since I was a lease 5 years old and I'm now 46 years old the reason why I liked your dad back in the day is because of his black #3 car and watching him on TV on Races day made my day so I just had to say this and I'm a fan of you too Dale Jr your a awesome person
Man what a deal. Good on them for hashing it out best they could. For Theresa's part in it all I wish her the best, it's been too long ago to still hold resentment. Grace and forgiveness are powerful things and I hope everyone can give them to each other eventually.
Only true knuckleheads begrudge her any recognition and still ratfuck her to this day. Taylor didn't want anything to do with racing, she just wanted her family to all get along. Someday, Dale Jr and Theresa had better bury that damn hatchet between themselves and get over this bullshit, publicly or privately, it don't matter. Cause she did care about what happened to Dale Jr at some point in her life. They both need to quit being so damn stubborn.
This was without a doubt, my favorite chat of this season. All the back and forth, and new revelations that,(and you 'can' see Jr. just heard...) came to light, made this best you guys have done.... Thanks for reminding me why this is the best insight into the entire scene there is.... Merry Christmas to the complete team here.
@ Darren - Same here. Never heard of that before. Regardless of how someone feels about her, after having that explained, you gotta cut her some slack. Take care Darren.
I was a Kannapolis police officer and the following months after Dale died, people from Alaska to Australia were randomly showing up in town. If I stopped at a gas station, here comes a super fan up looking for dei. All I could think of is did you just get in your car and drive without any web search or anything. Heck I would even be running radar and they would pull in behind me and come up to the car. It was crazy.
This 2001. There was no Google Maps then. Folks might be able to print off directions from Mapquest, but if you were from out of town, you had to interact with somebody for help!
Thank you guys so much for these stories. I absolutely love it. From the setup talks, to the personal insights. I'm glad to hear some positive stories of Teresa. It was an emotional time for us as fans. I cannot even begin to image what everyone on the inside was going through.
Tony Jr put a spin on this nobody really thought about. I miss DEI. Teresa and Dale Jr need to fix things between them. DEI is gone but at least she needs to let Dale Jr carry on his Dad's legacy.
Commenting on Dale JR's shirt, I now work for Ron Bouchard's Honda Dealership in Lancaster MA. When I was a kid my dad and I went to their Fitchburg location to buy a Civic, I was a huge NASCAR fan especially at the time and requested and got an autographed photo from Ron. Years later, I'd get his autograph on a paycheck every two weeks till he passed.
To many folks in the DEI sphere, Teresa “destroyed the company that her husband built from the ground up.” But I have a bit more of a sympathetic take on what Tony Jr.’s said about her. She truly lost everything when Dale died. She mourned the loss in an unbelievable way. She had no further interest in being the face of the company, once the Founder was gone, and literally “checked out” emotionally and physically. It’s really a tragic story of a rapid downfall caused by the loss of ONE MAN. Had she allowed Dale Jr. to take the reins, like it was his ultimate DESTINY to do so, we’d be talking about DEI today in the same breath as Hendrick, Gibbs & Penske and the other championship-winning franchises of the sport! It’s just a damn shame…
Well said. I posted this comment on another thread but she needed someone to guide her to the point where she would have split DEI into two companies - licensing (run by her) and racing (run by Dale and Kelley). Unfortunately, she listened to bad advice and ultimately tanked DEI (although the licensing arm still functions today).
@@sergeantmasson3669 I should be more specific...the licensing arm under DEI for the 1, 8, and 15 teams. She could care less about the Trackhouse teams.
@@bobbbobb4663 that's all she got? At the end she got "nothing" since everyone rather moved on to greener pastures. It's sad how the passing of someone can turn people into things we'd never imagine but she needed to move on and "let the boys at it" with Dale's team management, that's what Dale would've wanted I guess.
Going through my garage shelves and found a Dale Jr #88 mountain dew hat. Well worn faded to gray it brought back memories of good times. I was such a # 8 fanatic or fan. When Dale Earnhardt Jr retried so did I the sport had changed too much.
It always happens when a step parent is involved, it happened to me it happened to my cousins and it happened to Jr! Unless Dale Sr put it in writing that his kids were to have controlling interest in DEI it was always going to end up the way it did and actually it was probably the best possible outcome anyway because it gave time for Kelly to hone her skill set and now look at what they have done! Had Jr not had his big sister there by his side taking care of him things would be much different today than what we actually see! I’m sure of it!
But can you imagine what DEI could’ve been, had Dale Jr. taken the reins of DEI? I’m convinced with their resources to attract major Fortune 500 corporate sponsors, they’d be in the same conversation with the championship-winning teams of Hendrick, JGR & Penske among other powerhouses…
To be fair, Dale is part owner of Jr Motorsports, cause Kelly is the other half that keeps the lights on and makes sure payroll gets paid. And tbh, Dale wouldn't have a pot to piss in or a window to throw it out of, if he didn't have Kelly running things for him.
I feel that Teresa really dropped the ball in regard to DEI but on the other hand I feel she never dreamed of running that organization without Dale Sr being alive.i
This episode proves exactly why Mike Davis is as important to the show as Junior. His knowledge, memory, insight and connection to the history of the greatest era of Nascar makes his an icon in his own right!!! Love you Mike!
I love this story, but they are mixing up details about two different Pocono races. Michael won the pole on the first Pocono race. In that race Dale Jr kept blowing tires, but they did not change his springs. The second Pocono race that season is when they changed his springs.
Dale Sr would be rolling in his grave seeing how his race team and family just crumbled after his death. Seems JR acted out as a kid to get his fathers attention after Sr was away a lot Racing. Then Sr sends Jr to military school and Jr blames Teresa. Dale trusted Teresa when he left her everything. She was in JRs life since he was 8 so Dale assumed she would do right by THEIR children even if Teresa wasn't the biological mother. But she didn't. She ran DEI into the ground, fractured the family. She had no idea how to run that business and still refused to give 51% to Jr/his siblings. She didn't pay employees, didn't honor Congracts, she just was in over her head but refused to admit it or ask for help. She sued Kerry just for starting a business and using his own last name associated with the business. But all worked out for Dale Srs children!
I miss those early 2000's races :( I no longer watch racing anymore I don't like the format's that is in place and has been for the last 10+ years . I still say that championships today don't mean what Dale Sr. or Petty's did, they didn't have points erased to get there Championship . I have also said that if Sr. was still around racing would still be what it used to be (awesome)and I'll leave it at that
Although I don't like what she did to Jr., I do wish they could bury the hatchet and work through their differences. Jr has 2 kids that will someday want to see their Grandpa's things and learn more about him. If for no other reason, do it for them.
kclaptraffic, patching things with Teresa will never happen. She's an Earnhardt by marriage only. Her greed flushed DEI down the crapper and no longer exists today. She's so evil that she doesn't even allow any family members to visit Dale Sr's grave or Dale Sr's property or the DEI museum. There are things in the Dale Sr's shop/office that belong to Dale Jr, Kelley, and Kerry, but Teresa won't allow them to retrieve them.
@@sergeantmasson3669 I’m no fan of Theresa but from what I gather she got put into a position of running a race team where she really was qualified and she had people in her ear who convinced her that the people running the show (Ty Norris) were trying to undercut her. It is a shame no one convinced her to split DEI into licensing (run by her) and race operations (run by Dale and Kelly).
Too much pride and knowing she was wrong is probably too much to handle in her part. It's tough for most ppl to admit wrong doing if any was done . Imo
This brings a lot of perspective regarding the people of DEI before and during the fall. Teresa should have recognized the absolute need for Junior to remaun at DEI. Junior thought he ought to have 51% of what was legally Teresa's without having to pay for it. This is the consummate stalemate. If either one of them could have given a little wiggle room with their positions, DEI may still be racing... or maybe not. The spirit of DEI lives on with Junior and his ongoing contributions to the sport, especially with his commitment to the preservation of NASCAR legacy and future growth. He makes his Daddy proud.
Don't forget what she was trying to do with Kerry and his wife. She had no business trying to take away their goals, and it didn't have nothing to do with nascar.
I always like to read the comments before watch the video. Personally, I find it difficult to forget that it was Teresa that saved RCR and Dale from going under with "family fortune money". She also helped Dale with marketing his name, likeness, and trademark Signature, and the number 3. Later, she helped finance and broker the acquisition of ACTION RACING COLLECTIBLES and DIECASTS. Popularity of diecast collecting soared. She really had a lot invested in her marriage and the loss must have been devastating, after all the years, the wrecks, the travel, then trying to build an EMPIRE at DEI. Some credit needs to be given for her staying involved one more day let it have been 7 years. What couldve been will always be speculation and wishful thinking had her and JR worked ANYTHING out. What we do know is, to many of us, when we lost our hero, we watched his LEGACY die an ugly and unnecessary death. The ONLY person really to blame for not setting the future in stone was the same guy who was building it, our HERO.
Still, to this day, it just doesn’t seem right not having DEI around. The company that Dale built in the mid 90s had to close its doors. All of those people in the organization were Dale’s people. And after he died, they slowly started moving on elsewhere. And when Junior signed with Hendrick, that was the final nail. DEI could not survive without Dale Jr. Such a sad story.☹️
I think You should have Larry McClure From Morgan and McClure on your show. Very interesting guy to talk to and has been around racing a long time. The 95 Daytona car was a great racecar they had back then. Just a thought. Hey love the show and the work you guys put in.
Larry McClure would be interesting, considering post NASCAR he spent 18 months in jail for tax fraud related to the team, and the tragedy of his son Eric, and works at the family car dealership now according to Wikipedia. Tony Glover was on a few months ago and that was great to watch.
At the time this was happening, I said Teresea can keep 49% of a top tier, multi car, Nascar team.....or she can let Dale Jr. go away and she will end up with 100% of nothing....she chose the 100% of nothing
Is it ever possible for Jr to buy the DEI-related stuff? Like the DEI fonts, Kannapolis Intimidator baseball team, and other things to bring back the Earnhardt legacy name and stuff? Because Theresa is and will never be a real Earnhardt and used her husband’s name in a worst way years after his death and ruined DEI
Even when Dale was alive, Theresa ran the licensing so my guess is that she still runs that today. If Theresa was smart, she would sell the licensing rights and collect a check in retirement. That said, I don’t know if Dale Jr could afford the price tag to buy it even if it were for sale.
@@IanTheMotorsportsMan_YT Not directly. Dale did form Action Performance which did handle a lot of driver merch back in the day but IIRC Don Hawk ran that business.
I wish Jr would’ve gotten that 51% and stayed at DEI. I think he would’ve have done well. Reason why I say that, I almost feel like the pressure of being a Hendrick driver, teammate of Johnson, and Gordon came with its own pressure. Where at DEI, no offense to Michael, there was only Jr.
People blame Teresa for the downfall of DEI and that included me for a while. After listening to Tony, he was right. She lost everything she loved in a race car. Why would she want to continue?
She could have let Dale Kerry an Kelly run it and just collected checks.But she chose to run it in the ground and close it completely.A great disservice to Dale Srs. legacy.
Her grief is absolutely not an excuse for what she did and how she treated people. She destroyed everything he built. Should could have gone home, sold anything she didn't want, and let others run DEI. The fact is, plenty of people who loved Dale Sr. would have stepped in and helped the kids, and, considering what the kids have accomplished, they would have been successful with DEI. Probably moreso than with what they have now. Imagine the legacy. She threw his legacy away, that's hardly a testament to her love and her grief.
In retrospect it was really the best thing that could have happened to Dale. Although that is in NO way letting Teresa off the hook for the unnecessary evilness that she has subjected onto Dale Jr. and Kelly. In the end she did him the best service ever....he stood his ground with her and exposed her for exactly who she was and became great anyway. Despite her trying to hold him down. That is because he is Earnhardt by blood. Teresa dear; clearly there is a difference. She can claim whatever but very clear that without Dale she was nothing and after Dale she became just what she was, NOTHING! Had Dale Sr. had a clue at the way she would disrespect his intentions and legacy....she would have never been anything at all. I think that must be a heavy burden to bear which explains her bitterness, I suppose. But in the end I think it is very fitting that she wrote the narrative to her own undoing. As my granny used to say, "you'll never get anywhere as long as you cut off your own nose to spite your face" and now along with the world- Dale Sr. does infact see all her evil ways. I guarantee the grin is prevalent that his kids do in fact still reflect his image and honor all that he stood for. Teresa lays her head down each night and has to live with the knowledge that she is a sad disappointment that has done everything but! Shame on her! Dale Jr exemplifies greatness and has done so in such a way that even exceeds the imagination at how. He had a great example to get a good start but at the end of the day the hard stuff he has done on his own. There have been key pillars for him that Gad put into play, along the way but still it was all Dale Jr. and Kelly and probably alot of Martha in his ear or had a shoulder to lend, that has blew it out of the park on success both on and off the track. Really you can't find a way Dale Jr. has, up until this day, just displayed anything less that one class act. His Daddy surely couldn't be more proud! That is the biggest and most well deserved middle finger to Teresa that he could possibly give. To know every where she goes ....the stigma must never go away. Which is another indirect justice for the injustice! This was a good podcast! Eury clearly being fair in an uncomfortable environment to do so. I appreciate his honest reflections! Another nod to Dale's legacy of what was important to the character of who Sr. had around him. So disgusting that Teresa is the only one that can't step up to that calling.
DEI didnt die in my mind. It just moved over and changed names to Jr Motorsports. Teresa may have had the best of intentions, but to have someone run a company that had no idea what they were selling or even had been in the sport prior was downright dumb.
Dale jr & I have a lot in common we both had dads that were great mechanics/ racecar drivers .they were better drivers than us , We both followed in their footsteps. We both had stepmothers that did not see the value in keeping the family business together and continuing. Which led to us both becoming self made men. The only thing different is where the decimal point is placed.
Love hearing 👂 all these stories and love when Dale Jr says he didn't know something like bout Pops runnin down pit rd w that spring for his car! 🖒🙏🇮🇱❤🕇😻
I'll stick to the race car setup. Pretty soft up front... But damn, turn 51 rounds into the RR spring, rated @ 1,200 lb. That thing had to be damn short, given the ride height rule!!!!
It's a shame they couldn't get along and keep that place going. She shouldn't have let him walk out those doors plain and simple! He should have fought her harder plain and simple!
I truly believe Dale Sr would have eventually turned it over to the kids, but having Dale Jr with his own shop/team JMS and Kelly running that I'm sure his thought was let the kids build their own thing and deal with it after retirement. Teresa was the east one to have running DEI while Sr was still racing and basically still the face of NASCAR. Teresa should have had the better thought process after Sr died and done DEI better.
And that boy never had had that +50% talent. Just a a name. Total respect when JR. went to Hendrick. Thought he was making a new chapter. Now, put 2 and 2 together he was chasing the money.
Jr seems like the nicest, most good hearted guy. Real people's champ!
Yep people champion
Never nascar champion
I believe he holds the record on winning the most favorite driver award. I went to a Coca Cola 600. A quarter million people there. The only thing louder than the cheer for Jr was the boos for Kyle Busch. It was deafening.
#48, #24 didn't give him a chance to win a championship.
Jr was a decent driver he had good equipment just not enough talent to win a championship.
@@John-wk7gjhad his dad never died I believe he couldve won at least one time especially with the knowledge dale sn would’ve passed down
Like someone said just after Dale’s death, DEI ain’t nothing more than a museum without Dale jr.
Tony Stewart said that.
I sure hope it gets to become a museum in the future, having it all auctioned off would be terrible
it's on SR - he should have had a will and he should have had things in order in case something happened - but he didn't
@@davidrice3337 That's true but that's how much he trusted Teresa...I doubt Sr. ever would have thought about family squabbles.
How many Championships has Dale Jr won?
I personally love EVERY MAN at that table! And I completely 10,000% RESPECT them ALL sitting there and telling ALL OF US the fans the 100% HONEST TRUTH as to what was happening at DEI during that time. And to know that they're ALL still getting along and love one another TODAY no matter if they're in business or not. I personally respect ALL you boys! God Bless and Godspeed!
My very favorite video out of many, many great videos Junior & his Dirty Mo have posted here. Watched it multiple times and every time . . (A) I enjoy it fully, & (B) I realize how painful Dale Sr' loss is too me even today, March 6th, of 2024.
Teresa Earnhardt, the Yoko Ono of professional motorsports.
She milks the hell out of Dales name with merch
She was also Dale Sr’s wife, which and this quote is from Jr:
“If my father was alive, I don’t think he’d like how some people talk about his wife”
@@patrickr2686 why wouldn't she ? You don't think Dale wouldn't ?
@@chrisconley8583 But at the same time, even while Sr was alive, it was clear for years that the kids only tolerated her for Sr. Its also just as clear that Sr was at heart, a selfish egotistical man. For him to marry a woman that the kids only tolerated proves it. I have a child and I'm married to her mother. If we were to ever divorce, there is NO WAY, NO WAY I would EVER marry another woman that was only tolerated by my child. I dare say that I would ever remarry at all because I know full well how much pain it would give my child. Dale Sr cared more about himself than anything else.
@@spartanx169x when you state the word “but” you negate everything that came after it. It’s a Dale Jr. quote, I think he knows more about his father and his wife than you and I combined.
Dale Jr. IS Dale Earnhardt’s legacy. He literally has his name. Teresa never understood that. Dale’s children are his legacy and he would be angry to know what happened at DEI.
💯 His dying action was helping better the future of the DEI team!
More than angry I think.
Letting Dale Jr. leave, foolish to say the least. Had he been given the 51% she would have more money than she could ever spend. How much is enough? They don't put it in the casket with you.
Teresa looked at Dales kids as threats and competition even when they were young.
Most second wives look at a man's previous family as a threat.
So good to see Tony Jr!!! 🖒😻
Anytime a woman hoards personal belongings of someone who’s passed from his direct bloodline is a pos and deserves every bad word about her
She looks kinda like a witch...
Why do you think nobody mentions her name out loud
Dale Jr.'s restraint in this podcast is to be applauded, as there were repeated references made about Dale Jr. seated there, but he remains remarkably quiet through it all. Dale Jr. allows Tony Eury Jr. to have his say in this podcast.
In other similar situations, many people I know of, including me, would have taken away Tony Eury Jr. time with this podcast, with myself bantering-on a lot when the guest would be making references about me.
Dale Jr. has always been such a class act, in and out of the car. His interviewing skills are masterful as well. I've thoroughly enjoyed these podcasts.
It’s called respect. Their Family
@@amywilkins543
More than respect imho. Dale Jr isn’t a) threatened by other people’s opinion of him and b) [the over the top respect] he allows other people to have their own opinion(s).
He is mega rich. No worries
@@fishhuntadventure 😅
DALE JR = CLASS to the fullest extent!
Watching DEI implode in the years after Dale's death was heartbreaking for me. When I see how well Kelly and Junior have done with JR Motorsports, DEI would have suceeded like nothing else with them running it.
This is by far the most classy youtube video ever. DE jr is a true gentleman of this sport. His relationshipe like anybody has its ups and downs. But at the end of the day. He handles it as a true gentleman. Theresa as Tony said, had alot to deal with. It had to be difficult.
This show is better than the races themselves.
We never had three 3 Wide photo finishes in a year. Stip complaining old head and go watch political news
@@lets-go-larson5foff
Jr is the reason I started watching racing. He’s a classy guy and got run over by Teresa. Sr never wanted that to happen, he trusted his wife and she betrayed him.
This is a perfect example of how proper estate planning is not done by the smartest people.
I knew when I was a 15-year-old teen hearing about these negotiations to resign Junior to DEI, he was going to want the majority of the company. And honestly, he was right to ask for majority ownership of it. Eury Jr was right when he said Junior was basically the reason why DEI was surviving. All sponsors wanted a piece of Junior even if they were going to sponsor Mikey Waltrip. Junior did the right thing by walking away from the team after that. I don't blame Junior at all for that at all because if he ran it like he runs JR Motorsports today, it probably would be prospering like hell now. Teresa thought she could keep making money off of the legacy for less than what Junior wanted. And that was her biggest mistake.
Theresa knew what Dale wanted. She decided what she wanted was more important than what Dale wanted. Yeah, I can blame her
I’m
The issue was Dale did not put it down on a legal document.
@@scsmith4604 this is what it all boils down to. He hadn't updated his will in over a decade (or somewhere around there.) I'm all for the kids being part of DEI, I'm sure everyone would have wanted that but for Kelly to demand 51% ownership in the negotiations was a PR move. She knew a crazy demand like that would be denied thus making Jr and everyone on his side the victims. I don't care who you are, you want ownership in a company you pay for it, you don't demand it. If they truly wanted to stay at DEI Jr/Kelly would have worked out a financial agreement to buy into the team. The demand was nothing more than an out for them
In a interview D/W said Sr told him he was building Dei for his kids.
I was doing contact electrical work at the shop back then for RJ electric. Could feel the tension at the shop even though I was an outsider. So when I was asked to sneak over to JRs new shop to set up his engine Dyno I was more than happy for you man.
If you're like wtf is this guy Chris Overcash just calls me Paul the electrician. Walter Smith ended up training me as a Jackman at Wood Bros shop and I retired from pit road at age 38.
Love your show JR and sorry I stuck my head in your dads last championship car. Wasn't aware how untouched it was I just loved your Dad
Who was the car chief that Teresa told something tothe effect of "I hope you got you're walking shoes on cus you're walking out of here when she fired him cus that was a good story too. I just don remember how she worded it exacrly
Hey Dale Jr I was a very big fan of your Dad since I was a lease 5 years old and I'm now 46 years old the reason why I liked your dad back in the day is because of his black #3 car and watching him on TV on Races day made my day so I just had to say this and I'm a fan of you too Dale Jr your a awesome person
Mikes attempt at JR’s voice sayin “ WHY” 😂cracked me up👍👍
Mike runs his mouth to much
Great stories. I'd like to thank Tony for his take on Teresa. The world is a better place with a little understanding and compassion.......
@Terry Goyan Hello! How are you doing today? Hope all is well with you and your family?
The win in the baseball car was amazing.
Like Tony Eury , i miss Dale every day , i sit and think about his accomplishments and goals often , so many good times , i could go on and on !
Man what a deal. Good on them for hashing it out best they could. For Theresa's part in it all I wish her the best, it's been too long ago to still hold resentment. Grace and forgiveness are powerful things and I hope everyone can give them to each other eventually.
Only true knuckleheads begrudge her any recognition and still ratfuck her to this day. Taylor didn't want anything to do with racing, she just wanted her family to all get along.
Someday, Dale Jr and Theresa had better bury that damn hatchet between themselves and get over this bullshit, publicly or privately, it don't matter. Cause she did care about what happened to Dale Jr at some point in her life. They both need to quit being so damn stubborn.
This was without a doubt, my favorite chat of this season. All the back and forth, and new revelations that,(and you 'can' see Jr. just heard...) came to light, made this best you guys have done....
Thanks for reminding me why this is the best insight into the entire scene there is....
Merry Christmas to the complete team here.
The story of her standing at the gate welcoming the crew home got me. What a dark moment. I appreciate the empathy ya'll relayed.
Time stamp?
@@NSBlack_Stallion 17:00
@ Darren - Same here. Never heard of that before. Regardless of how someone feels about her, after having that explained, you gotta cut her some slack. Take care Darren.
I was a Kannapolis police officer and the following months after Dale died, people from Alaska to Australia were randomly showing up in town. If I stopped at a gas station, here comes a super fan up looking for dei. All I could think of is did you just get in your car and drive without any web search or anything. Heck I would even be running radar and they would pull in behind me and come up to the car. It was crazy.
This 2001. There was no Google Maps then. Folks might be able to print off directions from Mapquest, but if you were from out of town, you had to interact with somebody for help!
Thomas Guide lol @@mrjack8849
Real people just go web searches are for snowflakes
This is @ least my third time to listen to this since it first aired & I’ve enjoyed it each time. Tony Jr tells a great story.
junior always seems like a genuine, good hearted man
Thank you guys so much for these stories. I absolutely love it. From the setup talks, to the personal insights.
I'm glad to hear some positive stories of Teresa. It was an emotional time for us as fans. I cannot even begin to image what everyone on the inside was going through.
DEI Should have Became Junior's, Senior would have Wanted that No Doubt in My Mind!,and Teresa would have been Well taken care of!!!
Tony Jr put a spin on this nobody really thought about. I miss DEI. Teresa and Dale Jr need to fix things between them. DEI is gone but at least she needs to let Dale Jr carry on his Dad's legacy.
What great stories, Dale, were so blessed that these experiences were real. Now that's family
Thanks for the great video.
Can laugh at him thinking he could get the 51% for nothing, but it would have been the best deal she ever made.
That 51% deal was JR laying down the law,right out the gate.
And we thought this whole time racing was about the drivers! Crazy good insights here about what goes on behind the cameras
Commenting on Dale JR's shirt, I now work for Ron Bouchard's Honda Dealership in Lancaster MA. When I was a kid my dad and I went to their Fitchburg location to buy a Civic, I was a huge NASCAR fan especially at the time and requested and got an autographed photo from Ron. Years later, I'd get his autograph on a paycheck every two weeks till he passed.
Cool.
Merry Christmas and happy New Year Dale and to your family. Keep up the great work.
He has no regard for the American flag so he probably doesn't celebrate Christmas eithe :).
Damn, 51% would've been a hell of a bargain for such a future investment!
I don’t even follow the sport that closely, but for some reason the story of DEI fascinates me
Probably because it has little to do with actual racing lol
To many folks in the DEI sphere, Teresa “destroyed the company that her husband built from the ground up.” But I have a bit more of a sympathetic take on what Tony Jr.’s said about her. She truly lost everything when Dale died. She mourned the loss in an unbelievable way. She had no further interest in being the face of the company, once the Founder was gone, and literally “checked out” emotionally and physically. It’s really a tragic story of a rapid downfall caused by the loss of ONE MAN. Had she allowed Dale Jr. to take the reins, like it was his ultimate DESTINY to do so, we’d be talking about DEI today in the same breath as Hendrick, Gibbs & Penske and the other championship-winning franchises of the sport!
It’s just a damn shame…
Well said. I posted this comment on another thread but she needed someone to guide her to the point where she would have split DEI into two companies - licensing (run by her) and racing (run by Dale and Kelley). Unfortunately, she listened to bad advice and ultimately tanked DEI (although the licensing arm still functions today).
Exactly, say what you will about her, but she never asked to be put in that position in the first place. Just sad all around.
@@bobbbobb4663 FALSE. Teresa lost all such rights when she merged DEI with CGR and CGR booted her out. CGR was later was sold to Trackhouse racing.
@@sergeantmasson3669 I should be more specific...the licensing arm under DEI for the 1, 8, and 15 teams. She could care less about the Trackhouse teams.
@@bobbbobb4663 that's all she got? At the end she got "nothing" since everyone rather moved on to greener pastures. It's sad how the passing of someone can turn people into things we'd never imagine but she needed to move on and "let the boys at it" with Dale's team management, that's what Dale would've wanted I guess.
Going through my garage shelves and found a Dale Jr #88 mountain dew hat. Well worn faded to gray it brought back memories of good times. I was such a # 8 fanatic or fan. When Dale Earnhardt Jr retried so did I the sport had changed too much.
@Tony Feuerhelm Hello! How are you doing today? Hope all is well with you and your family?
Me too
Love the story you guys tell about Dale
Great Bouchard shirt!!
Great show guy’s 😎👍🤙🏻
I was at the race in the 600 when they both crashed.. I remember it like it was yesterday
So was I....just went to take a whiz and grab a beer....could hear the crowd as soon as it happened
It always happens when a step parent is involved, it happened to me it happened to my cousins and it happened to Jr! Unless Dale Sr put it in writing that his kids were to have controlling interest in DEI it was always going to end up the way it did and actually it was probably the best possible outcome anyway because it gave time for Kelly to hone her skill set and now look at what they have done! Had Jr not had his big sister there by his side taking care of him things would be much different today than what we actually see! I’m sure of it!
But she wouldn’t work with anyone.
Yep. If you end up with a step parent, especially a step mother, and doubly if they have a kid.. Kiss your inheritances goodbye.
Kelly was definitely the hero of the day. She is an amazingly intelligent business person.
Another outstanding clip Thanks for these. God Bless you and Merry Christmas!
DEI would have been the next RCR. But I like Dale Jr Motorsports as his own owner he has the control over it without step mommy
But can you imagine what DEI could’ve been, had Dale Jr. taken the reins of DEI? I’m convinced with their resources to attract major Fortune 500 corporate sponsors, they’d be in the same conversation with the championship-winning teams of Hendrick, JGR & Penske among other powerhouses…
To be fair, Dale is part owner of Jr Motorsports, cause Kelly is the other half that keeps the lights on and makes sure payroll gets paid. And tbh, Dale wouldn't have a pot to piss in or a window to throw it out of, if he didn't have Kelly running things for him.
@@Rob_Moilanen at least it’s his sister not his corrupt gold digger step mother.
Y’all should watch these clips from these old races and give commentary on them.
I can’t find the Tony Eury Sr 2005 Charlotte interview. Anyone have a link?
Dale, I've recently found your podcast and I was wondering if you could explain why Mopar isn't in NASCAR anymore. Will they ever return?
I feel that Teresa really dropped the ball in regard to DEI but on the other hand I feel she never dreamed of running that organization without Dale Sr being alive.i
Greatest interview ever !!!!
This episode proves exactly why Mike Davis is as important to the show as Junior. His knowledge, memory, insight and connection to the history of the greatest era of Nascar makes his an icon in his own right!!! Love you Mike!
I love this story, but they are mixing up details about two different Pocono races. Michael won the pole on the first Pocono race. In that race Dale Jr kept blowing tires, but they did not change his springs. The second Pocono race that season is when they changed his springs.
@GoodEyeBrian Hello! How are you doing today? Hope all is well with you and your family?
Merry Christmas 🎅🎄☃️❤️
I remember that year. You could cut the tension at DEI with a knife. It was a horrible season. Now I can see why!!
Good stories yall.
Dale Sr would be rolling in his grave seeing how his race team and family just crumbled after his death. Seems JR acted out as a kid to get his fathers attention after Sr was away a lot Racing. Then Sr sends Jr to military school and Jr blames Teresa. Dale trusted Teresa when he left her everything. She was in JRs life since he was 8 so Dale assumed she would do right by THEIR children even if Teresa wasn't the biological mother. But she didn't. She ran DEI into the ground, fractured the family. She had no idea how to run that business and still refused to give 51% to Jr/his siblings. She didn't pay employees, didn't honor Congracts, she just was in over her head but refused to admit it or ask for help. She sued Kerry just for starting a business and using his own last name associated with the business. But all worked out for Dale Srs children!
I miss those early 2000's races :( I no longer watch racing anymore I don't like the format's that is in place and has been for the last 10+ years . I still say that championships today don't mean what Dale Sr. or Petty's did, they didn't have points erased to get there Championship . I have also said that if Sr. was still around racing would still be what it used to be (awesome)and I'll leave it at that
Shame what could of been. Need to have pops on. Respect to all.
Although I don't like what she did to Jr., I do wish they could bury the hatchet and work through their differences. Jr has 2 kids that will someday want to see their Grandpa's things and learn more about him. If for no other reason, do it for them.
kclaptraffic, patching things with Teresa will never happen. She's an Earnhardt by marriage only. Her greed flushed DEI down the crapper and no longer exists today. She's so evil that she doesn't even allow any family members to visit Dale Sr's grave or Dale Sr's property or the DEI museum. There are things in the Dale Sr's shop/office that belong to Dale Jr, Kelley, and Kerry, but Teresa won't allow them to retrieve them.
@@sergeantmasson3669 I know all of this, that's why I wish they could come to terms, so Jrs kids can see all of this.
@@kclaptraffic I wouldn't want my daughters to know how evil/greedy their step-grandmother was/is.
@@sergeantmasson3669 I’m no fan of Theresa but from what I gather she got put into a position of running a race team where she really was qualified and she had people in her ear who convinced her that the people running the show (Ty Norris) were trying to undercut her. It is a shame no one convinced her to split DEI into licensing (run by her) and race operations (run by Dale and Kelly).
Too much pride and knowing she was wrong is probably too much to handle in her part. It's tough for most ppl to admit wrong doing if any was done . Imo
This brings a lot of perspective regarding the people of DEI before and during the fall.
Teresa should have recognized the absolute need for Junior to remaun at DEI. Junior thought he ought to have 51% of what was legally Teresa's without having to pay for it. This is the consummate stalemate. If either one of them could have given a little wiggle room with their positions, DEI may still be racing... or maybe not.
The spirit of DEI lives on with Junior and his ongoing contributions to the sport, especially with his commitment to the preservation of NASCAR legacy and future growth. He makes his Daddy proud.
This episode of the Podcast for me was bittersweet for DEI...
Don't forget what she was trying to do with Kerry and his wife. She had no business trying to take away their goals, and it didn't have nothing to do with nascar.
This was a great podcast. A lot of aspects covered.
@Roger Whittemore Hello! How are you doing today? Hope all is well with you and your family?
I always like to read the comments before watch the video.
Personally, I find it difficult to forget that it was Teresa that saved RCR and Dale from going under with "family fortune money". She also helped Dale with marketing his name, likeness, and trademark Signature, and the number 3. Later, she helped finance and broker the acquisition of ACTION RACING COLLECTIBLES and DIECASTS. Popularity of diecast collecting soared.
She really had a lot invested in her marriage and the loss must have been devastating, after all the years, the wrecks, the travel, then trying to build an EMPIRE at DEI.
Some credit needs to be given for her staying involved one more day let it have been 7 years.
What couldve been will always be speculation and wishful thinking had her and JR worked ANYTHING out. What we do know is, to many of us, when we lost our hero, we watched his LEGACY die an ugly and unnecessary death. The ONLY person really to blame for not setting the future in stone was the same guy who was building it, our HERO.
How nuts are you Teresa had no money it was all Dale and RCR that turned the company around .
If that is true, do you reckon she planned it maybe before the honeymoon
Still, to this day, it just doesn’t seem right not having DEI around. The company that Dale built in the mid 90s had to close its doors. All of those people in the organization were Dale’s people. And after he died, they slowly started moving on elsewhere. And when Junior signed with Hendrick, that was the final nail. DEI could not survive without Dale Jr. Such a sad story.☹️
Love hearing about the things that went on after Dale wreck 😢😢
But she will always be the Wicked Witch of the South!
5:56 😂😂😂
Spot on
I think You should have Larry McClure From Morgan and McClure on your show. Very interesting guy to talk to and has been around racing a long time. The 95 Daytona car was a great racecar they had back then. Just a thought. Hey love the show and the work you guys put in.
Larry McClure would be interesting, considering post NASCAR he spent 18 months in jail for tax fraud related to the team, and the tragedy of his son Eric, and works at the family car dealership now according to Wikipedia. Tony Glover was on a few months ago and that was great to watch.
@@jamesscully529 Eric was his nephew
All the behind stories that will never be told??? Countless!
You rock DJE
At the time this was happening, I said Teresea can keep 49% of a top tier, multi car, Nascar team.....or she can let Dale Jr. go away and she will end up with 100% of nothing....she chose the 100% of nothing
It's a common occurrence sadly.
This is gold!!! I like NASCAR now. I loved it then!!!
Is it ever possible for Jr to buy the DEI-related stuff? Like the DEI fonts, Kannapolis Intimidator baseball team, and other things to bring back the Earnhardt legacy name and stuff?
Because Theresa is and will never be a real Earnhardt and used her husband’s name in a worst way years after his death and ruined DEI
Even when Dale was alive, Theresa ran the licensing so my guess is that she still runs that today. If Theresa was smart, she would sell the licensing rights and collect a check in retirement. That said, I don’t know if Dale Jr could afford the price tag to buy it even if it were for sale.
@@bobbbobb4663 Dale Jr made hundreds of millions during his career
@@bobbbobb4663 I thought Dale was doing the merch licensing for every driver
@@Sean-if7rp I’m sure he has plenty of money although his hesitation to purchase a charter makes it appear as if he doesn’t have as much as we think.
@@IanTheMotorsportsMan_YT Not directly. Dale did form Action Performance which did handle a lot of driver merch back in the day but IIRC Don Hawk ran that business.
I loved watching NASCAR back in the 90s and early 2000s quit watching a couple years after Junior went to Hendricks
I wish Jr would’ve gotten that 51% and stayed at DEI. I think he would’ve have done well. Reason why I say that, I almost feel like the pressure of being a Hendrick driver, teammate of Johnson, and Gordon came with its own pressure. Where at DEI, no offense to Michael, there was only Jr.
People blame Teresa for the downfall of DEI and that included me for a while. After listening to Tony, he was right. She lost everything she loved in a race car. Why would she want to continue?
She could have let Dale Kerry an Kelly run it and just collected checks.But she chose to run it in the ground and close it completely.A great disservice to Dale Srs. legacy.
Her grief is absolutely not an excuse for what she did and how she treated people. She destroyed everything he built. Should could have gone home, sold anything she didn't want, and let others run DEI. The fact is, plenty of people who loved Dale Sr. would have stepped in and helped the kids, and, considering what the kids have accomplished, they would have been successful with DEI. Probably moreso than with what they have now. Imagine the legacy. She threw his legacy away, that's hardly a testament to her love and her grief.
In retrospect it was really the best thing that could have happened to Dale. Although that is in NO way letting Teresa off the hook for the unnecessary evilness that she has subjected onto Dale Jr. and Kelly. In the end she did him the best service ever....he stood his ground with her and exposed her for exactly who she was and became great anyway. Despite her trying to hold him down. That is because he is Earnhardt by blood. Teresa dear; clearly there is a difference. She can claim whatever but very clear that without Dale she was nothing and after Dale she became just what she was, NOTHING! Had Dale Sr. had a clue at the way she would disrespect his intentions and legacy....she would have never been anything at all. I think that must be a heavy burden to bear which explains her bitterness, I suppose. But in the end I think it is very fitting that she wrote the narrative to her own undoing. As my granny used to say, "you'll never get anywhere as long as you cut off your own nose to spite your face" and now along with the world- Dale Sr. does infact see all her evil ways. I guarantee the grin is prevalent that his kids do in fact still reflect his image and honor all that he stood for. Teresa lays her head down each night and has to live with the knowledge that she is a sad disappointment that has done everything but! Shame on her! Dale Jr exemplifies greatness and has done so in such a way that even exceeds the imagination at how. He had a great example to get a good start but at the end of the day the hard stuff he has done on his own. There have been key pillars for him that Gad put into play, along the way but still it was all Dale Jr. and Kelly and probably alot of Martha in his ear or had a shoulder to lend, that has blew it out of the park on success both on and off the track. Really you can't find a way Dale Jr. has, up until this day, just displayed anything less that one class act. His Daddy surely couldn't be more proud! That is the biggest and most well deserved middle finger to Teresa that he could possibly give. To know every where she goes ....the stigma must never go away. Which is another indirect justice for the injustice! This was a good podcast! Eury clearly being fair in an uncomfortable environment to do so. I appreciate his honest reflections! Another nod to Dale's legacy of what was important to the character of who Sr. had around him. So disgusting that Teresa is the only one that can't step up to that calling.
He needs to have an episode with teresa On here
DEI didnt die in my mind. It just moved over and changed names to Jr Motorsports. Teresa may have had the best of intentions, but to have someone run a company that had no idea what they were selling or even had been in the sport prior was downright dumb.
Dale jr & I have a lot in common we both had dads that were great mechanics/ racecar drivers .they were better drivers than us , We both followed in their footsteps. We both had stepmothers that did not see the value in keeping the family business together and continuing. Which led to us both becoming self made men. The only thing different is where the decimal point is placed.
So cool too hear this! 😜 Stick too yur guns Tony....
Unreal
This was real.
@Keith Mark Hello! How are you doing today? Hope all is well with you and your family?
Love hearing 👂 all these stories and love when Dale Jr says he didn't know something like bout Pops runnin down pit rd w that spring for his car! 🖒🙏🇮🇱❤🕇😻
Teresa is truly to blame for DEI end. She was above herself in running a race team.
Repeats in disguise 😢I love it !!
Where is the Tony Sr interview
I'll stick to the race car setup. Pretty soft up front... But damn, turn 51 rounds into the RR spring, rated @ 1,200 lb. That thing had to be damn short, given the ride height rule!!!!
The fact that she wouldn't even let him have his name......that's why everything he signs says Dale Jr not Dale Earnhardt, Jr
I'm not saying it isn't true, but he was signing Dale Jr in '99.
I wished you guys could've kept DEI going.
It's a shame they couldn't get along and keep that place going. She shouldn't have let him walk out those doors plain and simple! He should have fought her harder plain and simple!
What I don't understand is why snr didn't give part of DEI to kerry, kelley and jr long before his accident.
I truly believe Dale Sr would have eventually turned it over to the kids, but having Dale Jr with his own shop/team JMS and Kelly running that I'm sure his thought was let the kids build their own thing and deal with it after retirement. Teresa was the east one to have running DEI while Sr was still racing and basically still the face of NASCAR. Teresa should have had the better thought process after Sr died and done DEI better.
I feel like Dale Jr should've got 51% because Dale built it for all of them
And that boy never had had that +50% talent. Just a a name. Total respect when JR. went to Hendrick. Thought he was making a new chapter. Now, put 2 and 2 together he was chasing the money.
Love the Ron Bouchard t shirt.