By Dipti Sood
Copyright sportskeeda
On Thursday, Kelley Earnhardt shared a heartfelt video online. The clip showed a young fan meeting Dale Earnhardt Jr., capturing the joy of a moment with one of the sport’s most popular figures.The video was posted on Kelley’s Instagram story. She shared a reel, originally uploaded by Sports on Prime. The reel showed Dale Jr. signing a cap for a fan. After getting the autograph, the fan can be seen grinning from ear to ear. The clip’s caption read:“Dale Jr. can do that to you 🥹,”The reel also came with a subtext that read:“When you meet your heroes.”Kelley Earnhardt’s story on Instagram. Source: Instagram, @kelleyearnhardtmillerDale Earnhardt Jr. is one of the most admired names in NASCAR. His sister, Kelley, has her own story in racing. As reported by Yahoo, she competed in the mid-1990s at regional tracks, such as Hickory Motor Speedway and Myrtle Beach Speedway.However, her career behind the wheel ended in 1996 after she graduated from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Speaking to Entertainment Tonight in May, she explained that her father wanted her to complete college, and while she loved racing, the environment of the 1990s made it difficult for women to continue in the sport. She said:”In that day and time in the 90s, you know, it was a lot, it’s not even today as easy for a girl to be a racer, but it was definitely not something that was encouraged and everything back then.”Instead, Kelley Earnhardt took on a leadership role. She became the general manager of JR Motorsports in 2001 and is now its CEO and co-owner.Kelley Earnhardt backs Connor Hall for Kaulig Racing’s Truck Series lineupKaulig Racing’s announcement of a five-truck program in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series for 2026 has stirred plenty of interest. Kelley Earnhardt added her opinion on who deserves a spot in the lineup. When fans online discussed dream rosters for Kaulig’s new program, Kelley responded with one clear choice, as she wrote on X:“Connor Hall!”Connor Hall already races for JR Motorsports. He drives the No. 88 Chevrolet Camaro in the CARS Late Model Stock Tour. Hall won back-to-back NASCAR AAA Series national championships in 2023 and 2024. He has also competed in the ARCA Menards Series and made a NASCAR Truck Series start in 2024 with McAnally-Hilgemann Racing at Richmond.Kaulig Racing has not revealed its 2026 driver lineup yet. With five full-time seats available, fans have named both experienced drivers and rising talents as candidates.The timing is also worth noting here. Kaulig’s move will mark Ram’s return to NASCAR for the first time since Dodge left the sport in 2012. The five-truck effort will run separately from Kaulig’s Chevrolet teams in the Cup and Xfinity Series, but it has already fueled talk about Stellantis’ long-term goals in NASCAR.
