Teresa Earnhardt
Teresa Earnhardt | |
|---|---|
 Teresa (right) with Dale Earnhardt | |
| Born | Teresa Houston December 20, 1958 Hickory, North Carolina, U.S. |
| Known for | NASCAR team owner |
Teresa Earnhardt (née Houston; born December 20, 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 cheerleading squad. 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 Merged with Ginn Racing with Bobby Ginn and Thomas Ginn gaining a part ownership in DEI.[4]
Earnhardt Ganassi Racing merger
Teresa was unable to retain the sponsorships of Budweiser and US Army who pulled support following the exit of Dale Earnhardt, Jr. This was a major factor leading to 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 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]
References
- ^ a b [1] Archived 2009-02-18 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.
{{cite web}}:|author=has numeric name (help) - ^ Bonkowski, Jerry (2014-02-21). "Chip Ganassi explains why 'Earnhardt' is no longer part of team name". NBC Sports. Retrieved 2015-11-17.