“I’m Ashamed”: Dale Sr.’s Elder Son Makes Feelings Clear On Teresa Earnhardt’s $30 Billion Deal

When 20-year-old Teresa Earnhardt met Dale Earnhardt, he was exactly her opposite on face value—the farthest from what her family had envisioned as their daughter’s partner. The legend, then 27, was already a twice-divorced ninth-grade dropout, driving to earn a living. Teresa, on the other hand, was an overachiever who’d graduated high school in just three years and even earned a real estate license, followed by an interior design degree, before she met her future husband. But in ways the world couldn’t understand, the two were exactly the same.

Relentless, intelligent, and driven when it came to achieving their goals. While Earnhardt became The Intimidator on camera, his wife slowly took up the role of The Overseer behind the scenes. While Teresa became the mother of his child, Dale became the man who’d worship the ground she’d walk on. “There was never a doubt in my mind that he was devoted to her,” Teresa’s father had said on one occasion, while her uncle divulged, “She was what he lived for. She was everything he wanted in a mate, in a wife. And she was the same way he was.” 

In Earnhardt’s eyes, his wife could never go wrong. But seems like Teresa’s latest antic could have landed her in trouble had her loving partner been alive. Well, it’s not us saying that, but her step-children themselves. Currently, the Earnhardt clan is stuck at crossroads over a $30 billion data center project that the step-mother is backing in east Mooresville on 399 acres of underdeveloped land she owns. The land is close to where Dale Earnhardt himself grew up. The project, led by Denver-based developer Tract, promises long-term tax revenue and 277 “recession-resistant” jobs “including 195 paying $125,000 a year”. But locals are pushing back. They fear noise, traffic, and environmental harm. But this is not just a debate about zoning.

This has turned into a family battle, led by Kerry Earnhardt, Dale’s eldest son, and his wife, Rene. In the months before, they have joined town meetings to make their support known. And Kerry took to social media with words that now define this conflict, while resisting the change from Rural Residential/Agriculture to Industrial. On July 30, Kerry took to social media and wrote, “Dad would be livid, his name is associated in this title!Data Centers don’t belong in neighborhoods..natural resources are depleted, wildlife uprooted! The landscape, lives that call this home..forever changed. Build homes w/people loving the land we live as land it’s intended!”

On the same day Kerry also posted a longer message on Facebook to expand on his concerns. His message was even more direct, reflecting deep personal and emotional stakes: “My Dad would be livid for his name to be associated in this title! Frankly, I’m ashamed our family name is involved in the request to rezone a community that is thriving as a Rural Residential/Agriculture zone to be changed to Industrial. Infrastructures like this don’t belong in neighborhoods where people’s natural resources will be depleted, wildlife will be uprooted, and the landscape and lives of the people that call this area home will forever be changed. I’d rather see homes built with people loving the land we live on… the way this area was Intended to be! I look forward to Monday’s meeting at the Mooresville Town Hal

His words struck a chord with residents already anxious about noise, power demands, and property value drops. Many saw these posts not just as a critique of the project, but as a public stand against his stepmother, and a defense of the values his father represented.

This is not the first time Teresa and Kerry have clashed. In 2016, Teresa sued Kerry for using the “Earnhardt” name in his business brand. The fight dragged on through the court. Kerry eventually won. But the damage was done. Fans took sides. And DEI, once a powerhouse in NASCAR, slipped into silence. Now, with the tech park proposal, the past is back. Residents have formed groups.

The project is no longer just a corporate plan. It is a symbol of old wounds and a new fight over Dale Earnhardt’s legacy.

Teresa Earnhardt faces increasing pressure

The backlash from Kerry Earnhardt shook the NASCAR fanbase, but the story is far from over. As residents rally around Dale Earnhardt’s son, all eyes now turn to a crucial Mooresville Board of Commissioners meeting on August 4, where officials will review Teresa Earnhardt’s rezoning proposal. The final vote is expected at a public hearing on September 15.

Teresa has not responded to Kerry directly. But she has defended the plan. “We believe in this project,” she said. “It represents progress, opportunity, and innovation.” Her words have not softened critics. Many locals feel the move ignores the emotional and historical value of the land.

As the hearing date nears, the issue has grown beyond zoning lines and building permits. For many, it now represents a test of who controls the Earnhardt legacy. With Kerry speaking out and community voices growing louder, the vote will not only shape Concord’s landscape. It could also reshape how Dale Earnhardt’s memory is honored in his hometown.