JR Motorsports reveals Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s paint scheme for Bristol in 2024

JR Motorsports reveals Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s new paint scheme for the NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway in 2024.

[autotag]JR Motorsports[/autotag] announced last week that Hellman’s signed a multi-year extension with the organization. The new deal features a six-race sponsorship for Justin Allgaier in 2024; however, the most notable detail involves its team owner. [autotag]Dale Earnhardt Jr.[/autotag] will run the NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway with sponsorship from Hellman’s, and the paint scheme has been revealed.

In last year’s race at Bristol, Earnhardt was sponsored by Hellman’s, but this season’s paint scheme might be the best yet. There isn’t as much yellow, with blue and white taking over most of the scheme. The No. 88 car looks very sharp with white letters and numbers. Overall, Earnhardt will have a clean ride for the Xfinity Series event in September.

Earnhardt goes to Bristol looking to redeem himself. The No. 88 car showed enough speed by leading laps in 2023, but the night was cut short after it caught fire. Earnhardt wouldn’t run races if he didn’t think he would win them, and last year provided more confidence. Everyone can’t wait to see Earnhardt back on the track, and this paint scheme makes it even better.

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Dale Earnhardt Jr. to run NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Bristol in 2024

JR Motorsports announced on Thursday morning that Dale Earnhardt Jr. will run the NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Bristol in September 2024.

[autotag]Dale Earnhardt Jr.[/autotag] will return to the NASCAR Xfinity Series in September. On Thursday morning, JR Motorsports announced a multi-year extension with Hellmann’s, which features primary sponsorship of Justin Allgaier for six races. However, Hellmann’s will also sponsor Earnhardt and the No. 88 car at Bristol Motor Speedway on September 20.

In 2023, Earnhardt competed in two Xfinity Series races at Bristol and Homestead-Miami Speedway for a best finish of fifth place. The JR Motorsports co-owner led 47 laps at Bristol and competed for the victory before a fire took him out of the event. Earnhardt ended with a 30th-place finish, which was not representative of his speed.

It is excellent to see Earnhardt back behind the wheel of a NASCAR stock car, but all race fans dream that he can win the event. In 2023, the NASCAR Hall-of-Fame member proved he can still compete for race wins. Now, Earnhardt returns to Bristol with Hellman’s, looking to have fun and redeem himself after his unfortunate luck last year.

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Dale Earnhardt Jr. not expected to run All-Star race at North Wilkesboro

Dale Earnhardt Jr. is not expected to run the NASCAR All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway in May 2024.

When Hendrick Motorsports teased that an announcement for Wednesday was coming on Tuesday night, many connected [autotag]Dale Earnhardt Jr.[/autotag] to the team. Hendrick Motorsports posted a video of a driver in a fire suit with National Guard colors and the classic skeleton gloves that Earnhardt wears when he races. Some fans thought Earnhardt could return to the Cup Series at the NASCAR All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway.

However, it was announced that Elliott would run a throwback paint scheme from Earnhardt’s victory in the 2014 Daytona 500. Following the announcement, there was more disappointing news for those who want Earnhardt to return. According to FOX Sports’ Bob Pockrass, Earnhardt isn’t returning to run the All-Star race at North Wilkesboro.

This was a possible scenario since Kyle Larson will be dealing with Indianapolis 500 qualifying on the weekend of the All-Star Race. Larson is trying to accomplish “The Double” in May and could need a replacement if he doesn’t return in time. Either way, it won’t be Earnhardt, and it’s unclear if he will ever return to the Cup Series as a driver.

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Chase Elliott to run special throwback scheme from Dale Earnhardt Jr. in 2024

Hendrick Motorsports revealed on Wednesday morning that Chase Elliott will run a special throwback scheme from Dale Earnhardt Jr. in 2024.

Hendrick Motorsports teased that an announcement was coming on Wednesday morning, and it lived up to the hype. [autotag]Chase Elliott[/autotag] will run a special throwback paint scheme from [autotag]Dale Earnhardt Jr.[/autotag]’s victory in the 2014 Daytona 500. Elliott will run the paint scheme at Darlington Raceway on May 12 as part of the “Throwback Weekend” theme.

This is a special moment for the Hendrick Motorsports driver, who competed with JR Motorsports in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. Elliott will be sponsored by UniFirst, which was open to changing the number style and colors compared to its original paint scheme. Earnhardt’s second of two Daytona 500 victories was in 2014, with National Guard as the sponsor.

As seen in the video above, this moment is extraordinary for Elliott and Earnhardt. The paint scheme for the No. 9 car looks very sharp, and it is a great honor for Earnhardt as Hendrick Motorsports celebrates its 40th anniversary. There are still three Hendrick Motorsports drivers who could run a throwback scheme, but nothing may top Elliott’s No. 9 car at Darlington.

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Dale Earnhardt Jr. denies rumors over departure from NBC Sports in 2024

Dale Earnhardt Jr. publicly denied the rumors surrounding his departure from NBC in 2024. Find out what Earnhardt had to say about it!

[autotag]Dale Earnhardt Jr.[/autotag]’s contract with NBC Sports expired at the conclusion of the 2023 NASCAR season, and it’s not expected to be renewed. According to a recent report, Earnhardt will join Amazon and Warner Bros. Discovery when the 2025 season begins. The NASCAR Hall-of-Fame member is not expected to broadcast with NBC in 2024.

Rumors were circulating that two reasons behind Earnhardt’s departure were the possibility of remote broadcasting and that NBC scolded him for not watching the TV monitors. On Monday evening, Earnhardt responded to those rumors by saying NBC is not considering a remote booth in Charlotte, North Carolina, and that he was never scolded for his actions.

It is disappointing that Earnhardt will not be in a broadcast booth this season; however, it is promising that he and NBC don’t have any complex differences right now. Earnhardt will do great with Amazon and Warner Bros. Discovery, as fans will hear more from him throughout the year. That is the best possible scenario, and NASCAR wins with Earnhardt’s increased involvement.

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JR Motorsports signs Bubba Pollard for Xfinity Series race at Richmond

JR Motorsports announced on Thursday morning that Bubba Pollard will drive the No. 88 Xfinity car at Richmond Raceway.

[autotag]Dale Earnhardt Jr.[/autotag], a co-owner of JR Motorsports, teased a major announcement for the No. 88 Xfinity car on Wednesday night. The organization already revealed Carson Kvapil as its driver for Martinsville Speedway, so the hype was through the roof. On Thursday morning, the expectations were met with a fantastic reveal.

JR Motorsports announced that Bubba Pollard will drive the No. 88 Xfinity car at Richmond Raceway on March 30. Rheem will back Pollard in his NASCAR Xfinity Series debut. The 36-year-old competitor is a prominent super late model racing driver and has won several significant events. Pollard has made starts in the ARCA Menards Series but never NASCAR.

This is a surprising and fantastic opportunity for Pollard to experience the thrill of short-track racing in his NASCAR debut. For JR Motorsports, it’s an opportunity to put a short-track ace in great equipment and allow him to display talent. It will be fascinating to see how Pollard runs at Richmond in one month.

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Jeff Gordon tells Dale Earnhardt Jr. why he’s a bit surprised Jimmie Johnson is still racing in NASCAR

When so many of Jimmie Johnson’s contemporaries have left NASCAR racing for good, the 48-year-old driver still going.

Seven-time NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson was just inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame last month. He’s 48 years old and retired from full-time NASCAR racing after the 2020 season, then trying out other styles of racing, including the Indianapolis 500.

He obviously has nothing to prove. But Sunday, he’ll start 23rd in the 2024 Daytona 500 — a race Johnson won in 2006 and 2013.

Johnson competed in last year’s Daytona 500, along with two other Cup Series races, and he has a nine-race schedule planned with the team he co-owns, Legacy Motor Club, behind the wheel of the No. 84 Toyota.

But when so many of his contemporaries have left the cockpit for good, Johnson’s still going. And his former Hendrick Motorsports teammates, Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt Jr., are a little surprised Johnson is still racing.

But not entirely.

Recently, Gordon — currently the vice chairman of Hendrick Motorsports — was a guest on the Dale Jr. Download podcast, and he explained to Earnhardt about Johnson:

“I am surprised he’s driving, I’ll be honest. You know, like, again, I admire what he did in IndyCar. I’m like, ‘Man, phew!’ I went and did one sports-car race and got my butt kicked. And it was the hardest I’ve ever had to work in a race car in a long time. And it made me think a lot about Jimmie and that commitment that he made to go run IndyCar. Whether you could say it was successful or not successful, just taking that step and committing to it is what I admired so much about it.

“It just goes to show you, I think, his mindset, his talent, his ability. So on one hand, I’m surprised he’s gonna run in the Cup Series, especially with the Next Gen car right and how different this car is. But at the same time, I’m not because I’ve seen him take on big challenges throughout his whole life.”

Johnson weighed in on this recently as well. He told Fox Sports’ Bob Pockrass that the nine races he has planned for 2024 are because he truly wants to race in them and running this schedule still allows him to balance his family life and business ventures, along with more racing.

More from Johnson, via Fox Sports:

“I know my friends that have all retired are like, “Why in the world would you want to go back to a plate race?” But this is Daytona. I just can’t see not racing in this race. I’ve always been after the marquee events. Sure, this is a plate race. But, man, having a shot to win another Daytona 500 is really something I want to experience.”

For Sunday’s Daytona 500, Johnson had to race his way into the 40-car field on Thursday at Daytona International Speedway, and he made it but just barely.

And this is exactly where he wants to be, telling Fox Sports:

“I am in race cars now because it’s truly what I love to do and want to do. … The desire to win, the desire to increase the win total number, to experience the thrill of victory — that’s always there. And that’s a given. So, one, I’m just going to continue to chase that. I love that aspect of it. But what will make me stop? There isn’t some number I’m trying to achieve and say, ‘OK now that’s enough.’ It’s probably going to be when my wife grabs him by the ear and says, ‘Look, you don’t need to be out there anymore. If you’ve been doing this long enough.'”

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Dale Earnhardt Jr. reveals his 2024 NASCAR playoff picks and championship prediction

Here’s who Dale Earnhardt Jr. is picking to win the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series championship.

A new NASCAR season officially began on Wednesday night with qualifying for the Daytona 500, as Joey Logano secured the pole position and Michael McDowell locked in a front-row spot. Cars will return to the track on Thursday night for the Duels, where the remainder of the starting positions will be determined for Sunday’s must-watch race.

We’re 36 races away from crowning a champion in Phoenix, but Dale Earnhardt Jr. shared his early playoff predictions on his podcast, the Dale Jr. Download. Dale Jr. has a shocker among his predictions, as a three-time race winner in 2023 is not in his top 16.

So who did Dale Jr. pick? He’s backing Ryan Blaney to win back-to-back titles – something that has never occurred in the era of the championship four – but also believes Christopher Bell has a good chance to win his first title. Dale Jr. explained that either Blaney or Bell will win the championship, but that he expects Bell could have some bad luck that keeps him out of the championship race.

Dale Jr. also expects Corey LaJoie to win a regular-season race in 2024, locking himself into the playoffs, which will knock Chris Buescher out of the top 16.

Dale Jr’s championship four:

1. Ryan Blaney
2. Denny Hamlin
3. Kyle Larson
4. Joey Logano

Round of 8

5. William Byron
6. Martin Truex Jr.
7. Tyler Reddick
8. Chase Elliott

Round of 12

9. Ty Gibbs
10. Alex Bowman
11. Ross Chastain
12. Christopher Bell

Round of 16

13. Brad Keselowski
14. Kyle Busch
15. Bubba Wallace
16. Corey LaJoie

Dale Earnhardt Jr. states desire for Busch Light Clash to return to Daytona in 2025

Dale Earnhardt Jr. has stated his desire for the Busch Light Clash to return to Daytona. Find out what Earnhardt had to say about it!

The Busch Light Clash is NASCAR’s opening race of each season, and while it doesn’t count toward the point standings, it still has significance. The Clash opens as a “teaser” for the NASCAR season and gives fans a preseason-like atmosphere. For the last three years, the sport has taken the Busch Light Clash to the Coliseum in Los Angeles, California.

However, one NASCAR Hall-of-Fame member believes the Busch Light Clash shouldn’t be in Los Angeles. In fact, it shouldn’t be anywhere except Daytona International Speedway. [autotag]Dale Earnhardt Jr.[/autotag] discussed this concept on his podcast, The Dale Jr. Download, and didn’t mince words.

“[The Clash] doesn’t need to be going around to all of these other race tracks,” Earnhardt said. “It doesn’t need to go to Mexico, it doesn’t need to go to Canada, it doesn’t need to go back to the Coliseum, it doesn’t need to go to your local short track.”

“It needs to go back to Daytona, it needs to be that tease, it needs to be pole winners. If it’s 12, 14 cars, I do not care. If it’s a 20-lap race and it lasts 15 minutes, I do not give a (expletive). That’s all it needs to be.”

Earnhardt firmly believes NASCAR should bring the Busch Light Clash back to Daytona, with recent reports suggesting the sport’s desire to take it outside of the United States to Mexico. NASCAR wants to expand its reach to race fans and compete internationally; however, it might be best for everyone involved if the sport returns to where the Clash began.

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