Dale Earnhardt Jr’s Sister Gets Nostalgic Over Military School Uniform Moment at NASCAR’s Coca-Cola 600

Dale Jr. and Kelly Earnhardt Miller did everything together. They watched television side-by-side in a house that eventually burned down. The duo even dealt with Dale Earnhardt’s tragic loss by using each other as a support system, being forced to contend with not being able to visit their father’s gravesite because of their stepmother, Teresa Earnhardt’s restrictions. Heck, they even marched together at military school, with Kelley playing the protective big sister role as she always has.

But while both of them recall their childhood fondly, it wasn’t always sunshine and rainbows. Kelley Earnhardt took a trip down memory lane to recall the horrifying time ‘The Intimidator’ made them wear military uniforms to the Coca-Cola 600, a situation that gives sends shivers down her spine even today.

‘The Intimidator’ made Kelly Earnhardt question her life choices

“I wanted to take care of Dale,” said Kelley Earnhardt, recalling her underlying motivation to join military school. Junior was sent there ahead of the seventh grade after incurring plenty of demerits at a private Christian school. Despite being a scrawny kid, Dale Jr. was quite a handful back in the day and was often found guilty of talking too much, making harmless jokes, and not adhering to the uniform. The legendary Dale Earnhardt thought a stint at military school might instill some discipline in his son, and sent him away before the threat of expulsion became real.

However, Kelley Earnhardt was not coerced in any way. Simply wanting to support her younger brother, she decided to join the military school as well, a decision that she regretted in some ways later on. Sharing her thoughts in an Instagram story uploaded on 29th May, 2025, she said, “At that time, it just seemed like the best decision. Didn’t think twice about it. Had I known Dad would make us wear these uniforms to the 600 that weekend, I wouldn’t have gone. Not the most pleasing thing a 9th grade girl wants to wear.”

While Kelley Earnhardt looks back on that moment with embarrassment, her presence helped Dale Jr. navigate through a difficult time in his life. The siblings leaned on each other for support, at an age when getting love and attention is key during those formative years. The bond between the siblings proved to be especially important when Dale Earnhardt passed away in 2001, as the family dynamics changed dramatically afterwards with Teresa Earnhardt moving to a key leadership role at DEI, a team Junior raced for until 2008.

Childhood wasn’t easy for Dale and Kelley Earnhardt Miller. Watching their mother, Brenda Jackson’s, house burn to the ground at the age of six and eight was quite traumatic, and moving to the Intimidator’s house wasn’t easy. Acknowledging that their father was a strict disciplinarian, Kelley said, “You felt like he didn’t like you, [like] he didn’t love you during times when we were in trouble.” But both siblings could take solace in the fact that they had each other, despite the lack of a “family-loving situation” at home.

Dale Jr. recalls his sister joining the military school

“We were set up to survive situations,” said Kelley Earnhardt, recalling her childhood with Dale Jr. Growing up, the Intimidator’s kids were well provided for, and crashed a lot of things back in the day. From go-karts, bicycles, to even a Volkswagen. They even T-boned each other while riding jet skis. But after just one semester at a Christian school, Dale Earnhardt Jr. was at risk of suspension because of talking in classes and goofing off, the sort of behavior that didn’t fly at the school he was at.

Being forced to switch schools again, Junior was shocked when his sister followed him to military school. He recalled, “I never heard from Dad or Teresa at military school. One day, I walk outside and my sister walks in and she’s wearing the shit. She’s a student. My mind could not register what I was seeing. I’m like, ‘What are you doing?’ and she goes, ‘I’m here, I missed you.’”

Feeling protective about her younger brother, Kelley Earnhardt said, “He was this scrawny little skinny, we used to call him chicken legs. Even in military school, it was like, ‘Kid, kid, kid, Dale.’ So I had to go there and protect him, because I didn’t have a clue what was going to happen in military school, but I figured he wouldn’t have been able to handle it without me.”

What followed was not just a deep sibling bond but a friendship rooted in mutual respect and love. Kelley Earnhardt is not just his big sister anymore, but also the ‘big boss’ of JR Motorsports, operating as chief executive officer. She’s not just responsible for the team, but also DEJ Management and digital content platform Dirty Mo Media. The siblings have come a long way since their military school days and are only taking the Earnhardt legacy to greater heights with every passing year.

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