“There’s not a day that goes by that I don’t think about what DEI could have been.” Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s wistful reflection centers on Dale Earnhardt, Inc. (DEI), a dream he never fully got to be part of. And now, uncertainty surrounds the land that once embodied his father’s vision.

Dale Earnhardt’s widow, Teresa Earnhardt, had been working to build a $30 billion data center on DEI’s foundational property in Mooresville, North Carolina. But due to intense public backlash, developers have pulled out of her data center project.

Mooresville Mayor comes in the way of Teresa’s big plan for DEI

DEI began in 1980 in the humble confines of a three-bay garage, born from the shared dream of Dale and Teresa Earnhardt. By 1983, Teresa had joined the small team officially, and together, they built DIE into a complex that housed racing operations, licensing, and more.

DEI would go on to multiple championships across NASCAR’s top divisions and become a cultural touchstone for the Earnhardt legacy. After The Intimidator’s tragic passing in 2001, Teresa stepped into the CEO role, guiding DEI through new leadership layers and strategic expansion.

In early 2025, Teresa Earnhardt began planning the $30 billion data center, with a rezoning request approved by the Mooresville Planning Board on April 23. The project aimed to transform 400 acres of DEI’s legacy land near Patterson Farm and Rustic Roads into a sprawling tech campus.

But after fierce public backlash from residents concerned about preserving the area’s rural character, and opposition from within the Earnhardt family, developers officially withdrew the proposal.

Before the scheduled public hearing, Teresa’s stepson Kerry Earnhardt took to social media to express his opposition, stating that his father would have been livid about the proposal.

On August 13, the same day Mooresville’s mayor announced the project withdrawal, Kerry released a 22-minute YouTube video outlining his stance. Kerry said, “I think, you know, some people have voices that reach further than others. And if my voice is that voice, I’m here to speak it … for our community, for our neighbors, for our family, for our friends.”

Moreover, he went on to emphasize the property’s deep personal significance, noting it was land his father, Dale Earnhardt, both farmed and hunted on. He explained, “It’s property that Dad was proud of. He would always go out there deer hunting, turkey hunting, but our favorite time was dove hunting … The smile he always had on his face when he was riding around, picking with guys, bringing them shells, bringing them snacks, bringing them drinks, riding the outskirts of the property to try to flush the doves back up — that’s what it was about.”

Other community members expressed their concerns, pointing to the potential impact on the environment, noise levels, and traffic. In fact, one local resident said, “Try to save some country land—if nothing else for the environment, for Pete’s sake. For green spaces, for kids to grow up safe and sound without traffic.”

With the development officially canceled, the Earnhardt property will remain as it is, at least for now. The Mooresville mayor confirmed the project has been removed from all future town meeting agendas, with no active request to move forward. Originally introduced in June, the proposal has been projected to create nearly 200 jobs. Teresa’s big plan has officially come to an end.

The uncertainty of the buyer and operator leads to Teresa’s plan’s downfall

Mooresville mayor Chris Carbey rejected Teresa Earnhardt’s bid to construct a $30 billion data center on her property. According to reports, Teresa had partnered with Denver-based developer Tract to create the massive facility but faced resistance from the mayor due to the lack of clarity about its eventual buyer and operator.

While Teresa has extensive experience in the racing industry, she is not expected to manage a project of this scale. This uncertainty fueled speculation about potential tech giants such as Apple, Google, or Meta being involved, but no definitive buyer was identified.

Citing these unresolved questions, the mayor refused to grant Tract permission to proceed with the project in Mooresville, North Carolina.

The mayor said, “Every one of us has raised that as our biggest issue because, at the end of the day, even if we really liked the development crew, they’re really not the person we’re going to be married to for the next two or three decades. Their model is to get it built and then go find the user, and I guess that’s the way the world likes to work now. I get that. If I’m Apple, I don’t want to be building a campus. I want somebody to build it for me, and then I can just move in, right?”

Moreover, the tract developers also issued their statement, stating their disappointment.