Kerry Earnhardt didn’t hold back when he spoke up about a controversial rezoning proposal tied to his family name. “My dad would be livid for his name to be associated with this title,” he said, referring to a request that would convert nearly 400 acres of land in Mooresville, North Carolina, land owned by his stepmother, Teresa Earnhardt, from a rural residential and agricultural zone to an industrial one. “Frankly, I’m ashamed our family name is involved.” The words hit home for a community already on edge.
The land in question sits in a quiet, wooded stretch of Iredell County, where families have lived for generations, raising children, keeping livestock, and enjoying a rural lifestyle far removed from data centers and industrial infrastructure. For many residents, the proposal to transform this landscape into what’s being called the “Mooresville Technology Park” feels like a gut punch.
Opposition to the project has been steadily growing. Neighbors have turned out in force at Mooresville Planning Board meetings, voicing concerns about the environmental toll, increased traffic, noise and light pollution, and the potential loss of property value. One resident described the area as “the last bit of country we have left,” while another asked board members, “Would you want to raise your kids next to a giant data center?”
The tension is heightened by the Earnhardt name. Dale Earnhardt Sr. wasn’t just a NASCAR legend. He was also known for his love of the outdoors. He hunted on this very land and cherished its quiet, natural beauty. Many in the community feel the proposed project runs directly against that legacy. “He wouldn’t have stood for this,” Kerry said, echoing the sentiments of neighbors who remember Dale Sr. as a man who respected nature and rural life.
At the heart of the controversy is Teresa Earnhardt’s rezoning request, which has gone through multiple rounds of scrutiny. Although the Mooresville Planning Board initially voted 4 to 3 in favor of recommending the rezoning, an October 2024 meeting flipped the tide, resulting in a unanimous 8 to 0 vote against it after overwhelming public opposition. Renee Earnhardt, Kerry’s wife, also spoke at that meeting, calling for the community to be preserved and reminding the board that “We are a community in itself.”
Despite that strong advisory vote, the final decision now rests with the Mooresville Board of Commissioners, who have so far held off on scheduling a final vote. Mayor Chris Carney has said the town needs more answers before moving forward, including site visits to other data centers to better understand the real-world impact of noise and infrastructure demands.
While supporters of the project tout economic benefits, claiming it could bring nearly 200 high-paying tech jobs and substantial tax revenue, opponents aren’t buying it. They point to long-term tax abatements that would reduce those gains and raise questions about how much of the promised benefit would trickle down to residents. More urgently, they worry about the sheer volume of water and electricity the site would consume, and what that means for neighboring wells and farmland. With water usage expected to reach into the millions of gallons per day, it’s no surprise the community is pushing back hard.
Kerry Earnhardt’s emotional statement may have crystallized what many in Mooresville already feel. The land isn’t just property, it’s a way of life. It’s memories of family barbecues, of stargazing without light pollution, of deer and turkey crossing backyards at dawn. It’s a landscape that raised generations, including the one that gave NASCAR one of its greatest legends. As Kerry put it, “I’d rather see homes built with people loving the land we live on… the way this area was intended to be.”
For now, the future of that land hangs in the balance, but one thing’s clear: the community isn’t backing down, and neither is the Earnhardt legacy.
The fight’s gone beyond town halls, with fans and locals taking to Reddit to air their frustrations and rally behind Kerry’s stand against the data center. The passion for preserving Dale Sr.’s legacy and Mooresville’s rural charm is louder than ever.
Fan Reactions: Mooresville and NASCAR Fans Speak Out
The Reddit threads are buzzing with locals and NASCAR fans weighing in on Teresa Earnhardt’s rezoning push, and the sentiment’s heated. One user vented, “Facebook built a data center in our area, and it has been awful for the people around it. It’s run several people’s wells dry, and it employs zero local people. My buddy delivered food there and said there’s only like 125 people working in this massive building, and none of them are locals, like it was promised when it was built. The way it was pitched to the community was 180 degrees different than how it played out. They also barely pay any taxes because the county gave them a sweetheart deal.”
This echoes real concerns in Mooresville, where residents near a Meta data center reported wells drying up soon after construction began in 2019. Locals have shared stories of lost water pressure, vanishing farm irrigation, and low streams, blaming sediment disruption and massive water use. The promise of hundreds of jobs fell flat, too, with only 100 to 125 non-local workers hired, and hefty tax breaks leaving communities feeling shortchanged.
Another fan wrote, “So much for ‘Environmental Preservation’.” They’re calling out the irony of Dale Earnhardt Inc.’s website touting “children’s education and environmental preservation” while Teresa’s plan would clear 400 acres of woods. Locals fear damage to Coddle Creek’s watershed, wildlife corridors, and the rural charm that defines east Mooresville. At hearings, residents called it “the last slice of rural life,” warning of runoff, noise, and light pollution wiping out the area’s peace, dark skies, and natural habitat, exactly what Dale Sr. cherished.
“Teresa is an actual cartoon villain; she’s becoming a caricature of herself,” one user fumed, capturing the community’s view of Teresa as the driving force behind the controversial project. A petition with 1,700 signatures, “Stop Earnhardt Industrial Park,” shows the depth of opposition, with many seeing her as pushing corporate overreach into their quiet town, especially along Dale Earnhardt Highway, just 2.5 miles from DEI’s old headquarters.
Another fan, new to the area, posted, “As someone that moved to the area recently… Holy cow is that woman hates.” This sums up the intense local resentment. At a planning board meeting, 50 attendees sported “No Data Center!” stickers, and online forums reveal newcomers shocked by the polarized debate. Teresa’s become a lightning rod, with her leadership drawing ire from those who moved to Mooresville for its small-town feel.
“She has once again earned her title ‘wicked witch of the South,’” a user quipped, leaning into colorful metaphors seen across Reddit and local Facebook groups. Phrases like “the bitch witch strikes again” pop up, reflecting the emotional weight of the fight. For many, it’s not just about rezoning. It’s about Teresa’s role in pushing a project that feels like a betrayal of Dale Sr.’s legacy and the community’s way of life.
Finally, one fan lamented, “Well, I’m glad I got to see Mooresville before it gets turned into an outside-the-simulation scene from The Matrix.” This captures the existential dread that a data center’s 24/7 noise, lighting, and utility sprawl could erase Mooresville’s rural soul. Residents at hearings spoke of moving there for starry nights and birdsong, fearing an industrial complex will replace it. With Coddle Creek feeding nearby reservoirs, the environmental stakes are high, and fans echo Kerry’s call to keep the land as Dale Sr. loved it.
Fuente: https://www.essentiallysports.com/nascar-news-teresa-earnhardts-thirty-b-business-affair-faces-backlash-from-mooresville-natives-fans-after-step-sons-expose/
