Andrew Ravens · MotorBiscuit Thu, November 5, 2026 at 11:05 PM UTC · 2 min read About Our Ads Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Dale Earnhardt Jr. says NASCAR teams bringing in outside investors give up some control, a trend he called "kind of scary."
Earnhardt talked about the push for investors on The Dale Jr. Download this week, after co-host TJ Majors brought it up.
"I mean, there's all these freaking teams talking about wanting investors. That's wild to me," Majors said.
"That's the way this, the sports landscape as a whole, not just racing, is going," Earnhardt said. "It's kind of scary because as soon as you bring in investors, you lose control, a little bit of control."
"Those investors are going to want results. They're going to want control. They're going to want to, you know, know what's going on," he added. "And now this team that you were pulling all the strings on, you don't pull all the strings anymore."
His comments come days after Brad Keselowski reached an agreement with RFK Racing on Oct. 31 to give up his management role. Keselowski tried to buy RFK , but Jack Roush and Fenway Sports Group turned down his offer.
Keselowski is leaving the team after this season and will stay a passive investor for now while he plans to sell his 20% stake. His roles in team governance, competition oversight and the board have ended. He has said the split was not adversarial. Keselowski joined RFK as a driver and co-owner in 2022, alongside Jack Roush and Fenway Sports Group.
Several Cup teams have brought in outside partners in recent years. Legacy Motor Club announced more members of its ownership group this week, and Joe Gibbs Racing and Spire Motorsports also have outside investors.
Part of the reason is value. NASCAR's settlement with 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports made charters permanent, which made Cup teams a more secure investment.
Earnhardt knows the ownership side well. He co-owns JR Motorsports with his sister, Kelley Earnhardt Miller, and Rick Hendrick. The team races full time in the O'Reilly Auto Parts Series and has entered the Daytona 500 the last two years. Earnhardt has been open about wanting to run full time in Cup.
Running a Cup team takes millions each year. Sports Business Journal has reported that charter values are expected to reach $50 million to $100 million.
Earnhardt spent 18 seasons racing at NASCAR's top level and now runs a team in motorsports himself, so he has seen both sides of ownership.
His comments came the same week Dodge confirmed its Cup return with Kaulig Racing. Legacy is one example of how outside investment can work. Co-owner Jimmie Johnson has said new investment diluted his original stake, though he still controls the company.
Source: Sports
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