Typically, fans can see Dale Earnhardt Jr. on their television screens on NBC broadcasts at this time of the NASCAR Cup Series season.
This time, however, Dale Jr. will not be commentating on the Cup race.
He will be back in the booth next year, broadcasting the 10-point race on Amazon Prime Video and TNT. Luckily, fans can instead see their favorite NASCAR star return to the track in the Xfinity Series at Bristol. Since retiring from full-time racing in 2017, Dale Earnhardt Jr. has competed in several Xfinity Series and Late Model races.
With no scheduled appearances on the NBC broadcast this year, fans were hopeful to see Junior compete in more races this season, and while his runs in the Xfinity Series and Late Model events were well-received by the NASCAR community, this year’s race at Bristol could be the final one for the two-time Xfinity Series champion.
Dale Jr reveals the bitter truth about his racing exploits
As with all major competitive sports, there comes a time when age catches up with the athletes. The most common symptoms for racing drivers are impaired vision, poor reflexes, and impaired decision-making on the race track.
Dale Jr. was perhaps worse off than other drivers, as he suffered a concussion that ultimately ended his NASCAR career.
In an interview with Bob Pockrass, Dale Jr. spoke about what his future holds as a racing driver: “When I’m around 60, I’ll probably be too old to compete with the younger guys. So we still have about 10 years until we can do whatever we want with the new model.”
JR Motorsports usually books a race or two for owners to come in and take part in a NASCAR race. Last season, Junior competed in two Xfinity races at Bristol and Homestead, Miami, and will return to Bristol this year.
This leaves Dale Jr.’s fanbase happy and satisfied that he’s still getting his share of NASCAR races, even though he’s retired from competitive racing. But even Junior isn’t sure how many more NASCAR races he’ll be able to take part in. “I don’t really talk about this publicly, but every year I feel like this could be my last. “I’m going into this year with the understanding that this race at Bristol may be my last.
There’s nothing that really influences this decision. I had a lot of fun last year and I led some laps. But it’s a big commitment,” he added.
It’s not that he doesn’t want to keep racing and compete against talented racers.
Another factor that made Junior reconsider participating in the limited race was the amount of preparation and commitment that was required to build this project and execute it on race day.
Adapting to modern racing trends is yet another challenge for veteran drivers
Every racer’s first priority is to be competitive and race to win. But nothing is guaranteed in the world of NASCAR racing, and races can sometimes be humbling for even the sport’s greats. Given the way his multi-race comeback in the Cup Series went this season, this should sound familiar to Jimmie Johnson.
Dale Jr. certainly isn’t racing for a trophy or an overall win, but at the same time, he’s not racing for the sake of racing. “So it’s not like I’m just going to show up and drive and say, ‘Oh, that was awesome.'” “We’ll do it again next year. There’s a lot of work that’s going to be done in advance, months and months… If you go out there knowing the car is good and you’re not getting the results you want, maybe it’s time to get it. Someone should let someone else do it,” he added.
It would certainly be a sad day for the NASCAR community if Dale Earnhardt Jr. decided to retire from racing altogether.
But until that happens, fans should cherish the moment and celebrate his limited outings, whether it be in NASCAR events or late model races.
