NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt Jr's mother Brenda Jackson dies at 65 from cancer
It's an unfortunate day as one of NASCAR's most beloved drivers, Dale Jr., lost his mother Brenda Jackson. She was 65 years old. Ralph Dale Earnhardt Jr. was voted NASCAR’s most popular driver a solid 14 times in a row. The sad demise of his mother happened just one day after Easter, on April 22. Dale Jr. lost his father 18 years ago in a crash during a NASCAR race.
Jackson is mother to Dale Jr. and his sister Kelley Earnhardt-Miller, and she married their father - world-famous racer Dale Earnhardt Sr. - back in 1972. Shortly after their wedding, she welcomed Dale Jr. and Earnhardt-Miller. Jackson was also the daughter of stock car builder Robert Gee, who was behind crafting rides for several drivers in the game through the 60s and the 70s.
After Dale Jr.'s father passed away, Jackson remarried in the late 80s and moved back to North Carolina to be closer to her children and grandkids. Among her grandchildren are Dale Jr. and his wife Amy's daughter, Isla, whom they welcomed into the world in May 2018, and Earnhardt-Miller's three children, one of whom, Karsyn Elledge, is also an aspiring racer just like her uncle and late grandfather.
Jackson was also an active part of her son Dale Jr.'s Xfinity racing team, JR Motorsports, with her daughter Earnhardt-Miller working alongside her as an integral part of the team. Jackson can be seen in a lot of the fun videos and other content posted online on her children's social media, and even took out the time to participate on both of her kids' very popular individual podcasts.
The tragic news of Jackson's passing was announced by JR Motorsports on their official website earlier on April 22, alongside a beautiful statement about her and the joy she was to be around. The statement revealed the cause of her death to be cancer, and the caption read: “Known for her wit, charisma and unparalleled ability to cut to the heart of any matter, Jackson became an instant favorite to her friends and colleagues at JR Motorsports when she joined the company as an accounting specialist in 2004. Her sarcastic musings and straightforward approach injected a brand of humor at JR Motorsports that became part of its fabric as it grew into a full-time NASCAR racing operation in 2006 and a championship-winning organization in 2014.”