For only the third time since retiring from the NASCAR Cup Series, Dale Earnhardt Jr. is getting back behind the wheel for a second-tier XFINITY Series race Saturday at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
Yes, Earnhardt technically retired from full-time racing at the end of the 2017 Cup Series season. But for the last few years, he’s competed in a one-off race for his own team, JR Motorsports, and will drive the No. 8 Chevrolet in the Hooters 250 at Homestead.
And based on his past two XFINITY Series races, Earnhardt has laid out some high expectations. He finished fourth at Richmond Raceway in 2018 and came in fifth at Darlington in August.
But it’s also been a while since he’s raced at Homestead. In the Cup Series, the southern Florida track hosted his final race, but in the XFINITY Series, Junior hasn’t competed at Homestead since 2008. In five starts between 1997 and 2008, Earnhardt earned one top-five and three top-10 finishes, with his best being second in 1999.
Race day tomorrow at @HomesteadMiami. Back behind the wheel of the @Hellmanns ride. Excited. Nervous. But ready. pic.twitter.com/lM9jj4afSb
— Dale Earnhardt Jr. (@DaleJr) June 12, 2020
Earnhardt’s return to the track is a special occasion, and one fans have been waiting for longer than expected. Originally, the Homestead race was moved on the 2020 schedule from the traditional championship weekend to March, but then the COVID-19 (coronavirus) outbreak put the season on hold. And a double-header XFINITY weekend at Homestead was part of the solution — although Dale Jr. is only competing in Saturday’s race, not Sunday’s too.
So here’s everything you need to know about how to watch Earnhardt compete in his one XFINITY race of the year at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
How to watch Dale Earnhardt Jr. race at Homestead-Miami Speedway
Race: Hooters 250
Where: Homestead-Miami Speedway
Time: 3:30 p.m. ET
TV Channel: FOX
Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
And for the extra diehard fans, NASCAR is offering a live in-car feed of Earnhardt for the whole race Saturday, and he’s obviously super excited about it.
Oh boy 😬😆 https://t.co/Gjgc1bmteg
— Dale Earnhardt Jr. (@DaleJr) June 13, 2020
Earnhardt will drive the No. 8 Hellmann’s Chevrolet with a paint scheme that will be impossible to miss on the track.
https://t.co/K4R6p8rgMQ pic.twitter.com/W4UZTDGVZy
— Dale Earnhardt Jr. (@DaleJr) January 14, 2020
[jwplayer 5PyqT9vJ-q2aasYxh]
[vertical-gallery id=925852]
[lawrence-auto-related count=3 tag=421393221]