Dale Earnhardt Jr's sister left him taken aback with revelations about late father

Dale Earnhardt Jr. conceded that a new documentary centered around his father uncovered several revelations that he didn’t know about his own family.

Last week, the first two episodes of ‘Earnhardt’ were released on Prime Video. The brutally honest docuseries sheds light on Dale Earnhardt Sr.’s heartbreaking death and subsequent impact it had on not only NASCAR, but also his two children, who it emerged are unwelcome at his grave.

Heading into the last turn on the final lap of the 2001 Daytona 500, Earnhardt Sr.’s No. 3 Chevrolet Monte Carlo received a bump from Sterling Marlin, causing him to collide with Kenny Schrader's car and barrel into the wall at 160 mph.

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While making an appearance at the black carpet premier of ‘Earnhardt,’ Earnhardt Jr. revealed that the fateful day took a great toll on his older sister, Kelley. But it was only when the pair of siblings began unpacking their father’s death in front of the cameras that he truly understood how she felt.

“I learned a ton that I didn’t know about,” Earnhardt Jr. said. “Things she was dealing with and going through, and how hard that was for her.”

Earnhardt Jr. wasn’t the only person who came out of the screening learning something new. Kelley noted that the docuseries will show a side of their father that most fans — and even her children — never saw.

“They [my children] were introduced to many new aspects of our dad, our lives, and our families that they were previously unaware of,” Kelley said. “I hope many viewers take away a similar understanding of our father, his legacy, and his history. We want that legacy to endure in the sport and beyond.”

Earnhardt Jr. expressed a similar sentiment, adding: “We’re so far removed from that, a large portion of our fan base in NASCAR has never seen him race. I believe this is an excellent chance to introduce him to those who may not be familiar with him or his career.”

Though the documentary was intended to honor the life of one of a NASCAR legend, Earnhardt Jr. asserted that it also accomplished something else — teaching him more about Kelley.

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“The great thing about the documentary, the initial idea is obviously to celebrate Dad, but to show this human side of him, the true person,” he told Entertainment Tonight. “But I think also what indirectly happened was learning more about Kelley. I learned a lot about her, she learned more about me.

“We think we know each other, but we don't really, we never really sit down and go, here's how I felt about this, here's how this was tough for me. And so it's been great to really learn a lot.”

Though some viewers may be shocked by Earnhardt’s hard parenting style upon watching the documentary, Kelley insisted that it set her and Earnhardt up for success in life. “Well, I think he set a good foundation for us to be strong and independent,” she said.

“As we talk about some of the things that we felt like in our childhood maybe weren't the greatest, they also set us up for being strong, being independent, being able to take care of ourselves and weathering those kinds of storms.

“And so in hindsight, you're kind of thankful for that and thankful for that foundation that was kind of laid for us in that way.”