Teresa Earnhardt
| Teresa Earnhardt | |
|---|---|
 Teresa (right) with Dale Earnhardt | |
| Born |
Teresa Houston October 29, 1958 Hickory, North Carolina, U.S. |
| Known for | NASCAR team owner |
Teresa Earnhardt (née Houston; born October 29, 1958) is the third wife and widow of Dale Earnhardt. She is the biological mother of Taylor Nicole Earnhardt (born December 20, 1988) and she is the stepmother of Kerry Earnhardt, Kelley Earnhardt Miller and Dale Earnhardt, Jr. Teresa is currently the president and Chief Executive Officer of Dale Earnhardt Inc.
Early life
Teresa was born in Hickory, North Carolina the daughter of Hal Houston and the niece of Tommy Houston, legendary Busch Series driver. Teresa is a graduate of Bunker Hill High School in Claremont, NC where she was on the varsity basketball team. She has a degree in commercial art and interior design.[1] Teresa met Dale Earnhardt, NASCAR driver, at a race in the late 1970s. The two married November 14, 1982. It was Dale's third marriage. They lived on a 300-plus acre farm near Mooresville, North Carolina. Taylor Nicole Earnhardt was born to the couple on December 20, 1988.[2] Dale died racing the Daytona 500 in 2001.
NASCAR career
Dale Earnhardt Incorporated
Teresa headed Dale Earnhardt, Inc. (DEI) during four Busch Series championships in 1998, 1999, 2004 and 2005 plus two Craftsman Truck Series championships in 1996 and 1997.[1] Her first Daytona 500 win as a team owner occurred when driver of the #15 Chevrolet driven by Michael Waltrip won at the 2001 Daytona 500. This was the same race in which her husband Dale Earnhardt was killed in a crash during the final lap of the race.[3]
In late 2006, Earnhardt hired entertainment executive Max Siegel as President of Global Operations to help DEI expand into the entertainment industry. On July 25, 2007, DEI purchased Ginn Racing.[4]
Earnhardt Ganassi Racing merger
DEI joined forces for the merger with Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates in November 2008 that formed Earnhardt Ganassi Racing.
In 2010, the team won the Daytona 500 with Jamie McMurray.[5]
In 2014, Earnhardt's ownership of the EGR team was absorbed by Ganassi which reverted the name back to Chip Ganassi Racing. When Ganassi was asked why the team released her, he replied "Teresa was a good partner but she was no longer there. So I just bought her share of the team and reverted the name."[6]
Dale Earnhardt Inc. continues to operate in Mooresville, NC, as the parent company of the varied Earnhardt businesses, and Teresa Earnhardt works to continue her late husband's legacy through the work of the Dale Earnhardt Foundation.
References
- 1 2 Archived February 18, 2009, at the Wayback Machine.
- ↑ "Teresa Houston and Dale Earnhardt, Sr". Marriage.about.com. Retrieved 2014-03-17.
- ↑ "News & Media". NASCAR.com. Retrieved 2014-03-17.
- ↑ A.J. Perez, Usa Today (2007-04-08). "Newcomer Siegel looks to steer Earnhardt Inc. to top". Usatoday.com. Retrieved 2014-03-17.
- ↑ 2/14/2010 (2010-02-14). "Jamie McMurray Wins 52nd Annual Daytona 500". Daytona International Speedway. Retrieved 2014-03-17.
- ↑ Bonkowski, Jerry (2014-02-21). "Chip Ganassi explains why 'Earnhardt' is no longer part of team name". NBC Sports. Retrieved 2015-11-17.