Recently retired race car driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. made a good chunk of change while competing in NASCAR for nearly two decades. And apparently, he’s interested in investing some of that hard-earned money by becoming a minority owner with the NFL's Carolina Panthers, according to the Associated Press.
Although Earnhardt is a known Washington Redskins fan, he is born and bred in North Carolina. He says it was he who contacted Speedway Motorsports CEO Marcus Smith to express his interest in a potential business deal.
Earnhardt, who lives in Kannapolis, North Carolina, says he told the CEO of Speedway Motorsports, “‘Hey, Marcus, if you guys get in the middle of it and you think it's a good business deal, I definitely have some interest.'” Earnhardts says he “wouldn't have the kind of money where I would move the needle too much, but it would be something to have a lot of pride in.”
Current Panthers owner Jerry Richardson announced in December that he would be selling the team in light of sexual misconduct allegations coming out against him.
Earnhardt Jr., who was named the most popular driver in NASCAR for 15 straight years, won 26 Cup Series races during his career, which includes two wins at the prestigious Daytona 500. He was among the highest-paid drivers in the sport up until his retirement, and his net worth is reportedly around $225 million according to Forbes.
Earnhardt is not the only famous North Carolinian sports figure with eyes on owning a piece of the Panthers. NBA superstar and noted Panthers fan Stephen Curry has also expressed his interest to join P. Diddy in buying the football franchise.
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