Nothing has come easy to Siegel on his way to the top (cont'd)

Siegel still had to convince everyone in NASCAR that he was the right man for the job. Despite working in the sports world for some time, Siegel was best known for his role in the music business. Some in the sport had trouble seeing how a music background could work in the world of NASCAR.

Siegel knew his abilities and wasn't concerned.

"One of the things that was very intriguing about this opportunity in this sport was that when you drill down on it and you look at the entertainment stage and the sports stage, there are so many areas that overlap," Siegel said. "The actual sporting event is really entertainment to the fans. We have personalities and all the intellectual property rights and the content, so to me, this is like being a kid in a candy store -- to get the adrenaline and competition on a weekly basis.

"It was a good opportunity to combine my passion for competition and sports, my experience in marketing and entertainment, and business skills as a lawyer to a company that's forward thinking, a great brand. I couldn't ask for a better opportunity."

Now that the Junior contract saga is finished, Siegel can focus on the future of DEI -- and he is more than ready for that challenge.

"I want to get back to basics," Siegel said. "We have two founders in Teresa and Dale [Earnhardt] who were very clear about who they were and what they were all about. Everything from championships to resilience to a commitment to excellence. I think that when you look at the impact [Dale] was able to have on the sport, he won seven championships. His performance gave him a license with his personality to have an impact.

"I want to focus as much as I possibly can on improving our business all around. I think what we are doing is we're pushing more systems of accountability in place and we are communicating more regularly like where we are in achieving our goals. Get back to basics."

Things haven't been easy for Siegel. But he doesn't expect sympathy for his hardship -- in fact, just the opposite. He's open about his difficult life because he wants to offer hope and inspiration for others who are dealing with tough situations. His goal is to prove that adversity can be overcome. It just took Siegel a long time to realize that.

"It probably wasn't until four or five years ago that I took the time to reflect," Siegel said. "I think that what I found in terms of what had motivated me and everything else, I was the overachiever for all the wrong reasons. I kept it moving and pressed on so I didn't have to deal with all this confusion and all my demons. However, my faith is really important to me, and when I reflected on it, it was the grace of God that I didn't wind up in the crazy house or go down the wrong path. When you start to have children, you start to reflect on the kind of life that you want them to have and you start to look at it. I feel very blessed and very fortunate and I am overwhelmed.

"I can not tell you at any point in time when I've accomplished anything that it really had an impact, you just kind of go through it and make it happen. I just go with my instinct and work my butt off."