By David Morgan, Associate Editor
BRISTOL, Tenn. – Junior’s last ride, at least for now.
Since retiring from full-time NASCAR Cup Series competition at the end of the 2017 season, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. has made it a habit of running at least one NASCAR Xfinity race each year since and once again, he’s back behind the wheel of the No. 88 JR Motorsports Chevrolet this weekend at Bristol Motor Speedway for Friday night’s running of the Food City 300.
A year after contending for the win before a small fire in the cockpit of his car derailed his night in this race last season, Earnhardt has brought the same car back to Thunder Valley this weekend as he looks to find the same pace he showed last time and contend for the win.
Earnhardt has always had an affinity for the high-banked half-mile bullring, where he grew up watching his father and other greats of the sport compete as well as finding success of his own at the track.
“I have been looking forward to running this weekend. Bristol’s just such a special track, not replicated anywhere. There’s nothing like it,” Earnhardt said. “You know, when I was very young, as a son of a driver that ran all the races, you knew you were gonna get to your fair share of races throughout the year as a kid. And it was like a playground.
“It was like an amusement park. I wanted to come to the races same way you, you know, as a child might want to go to Six Flags or Bush Gardens, whatever. This was my playground and my amusement park, and I think Bristol was at the top of my list as a really young kid.”
With no sponsor obligations for him to fulfill in 2025, Earnhardt explained that Friday night’s race is the last for him in the Xfinity Series for the foreseeable future and he is just trying to take everything in as he climbs behind the wheel of what should be a fast Chevrolet for him to pilot.
“Had a great car last year. Really, really great car. And, no surprise, the 88’s been fast every time they’ve taken it to the racetrack, no matter who’s driving it this year. So, I feel pretty, pretty good about the car being good.
“Again, it’s the same car we ran last year. They took it home, tore it apart, put it back together, and nobody’s drove it since then. So, I’m hoping it’ll drive as good as it did last year…
“Should be a fun experience. And hopefully at the end of the day we’ve ran all the laps. If I just run all the laps, I’m happy. I don’t…
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