KANNAPOLIS, N.C. — Martha Earnhardt, the matriarch of the Earnhardt family, died Christmas evening, according to family members.
Kelly Earnhardt Miller and Dale Earnhardt Jr. announced that she died in a joint statement on Sunday:
“It is with great sadness that we share the news that Martha Earnhardt passed away Christmas evening. As we grieve her loss and begin to imagine life without our beloved ‘Mamaw,’ we find solace in knowing she is at peace in eternal glory and in joyous reunion with her husband Ralph and sons Dale, Randy and Danny. Please keep our family in your thoughts and prayers, and thank you so much for loving our Mamaw as if she were your own. She was not just the matriarch to our family, but she was the matriarch to multiple generations of race fans.”
JR Motorsports also shared the message on its website along with a photo of the Earnhardt family.
NASCAR also shared a statement on Sunday about the passing.
This news comes less than a month after Danny Earnhardt Sr. passed away at age 66. JR Motorsports also shared the news to their website, saying he died at his home on Friday, Dec. 10.
Funeral arrangements have not yet been announced.