Tag: Jeffrey Earnhardt

Jeffrey Earnhardt joins Sam Hunt Racing part-time for 2024 NASCAR season

Sam Hunt Racing announced on Tuesday morning that Jeffrey Earnhardt will drive the No. 26 Xfinity car for select races in 2024.

[autotag]Jeffrey Earnhardt[/autotag] has found a new home for the 2024 NASCAR season. On Tuesday morning, [autotag]Sam Hunt Racing[/autotag] announced that Earnhardt will drive the No. 26 Xfinity car part-time during the 2024 season. The 34-year-old driver spent the 2023 season with Alpha Prime Racing but only ran 24 of the 33 races after being announced as a full-time driver.

Earnhardt didn’t record a top-10 finish in those 24 races but did earn one top-5 finish and two top-10 finishes during the 2022 season between Richard Childress Racing and Sam Hunt Racing. This represents a reunion between the two parties. As for Sam Hunt Racing, this comes as the organization won’t bring Kaz Grala back as its full-time driver in the No. 26 car.

As of now, Earnhardt’s exact schedule hasn’t been announced, but he will compete in multiple races starting at Atlanta Motor Speedway. ForeverLawn will sponsor him as he looks to break through for a victory. Overall, this is a great partnership between Earnhardt and Sam Hunt Racing as the duo looks to earn an Xfinity Series victory.

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3 candidates for Kaulig Racing in NASCAR Xfinity Series for 2024

Kaulig Racing might need to replace its entire NASCAR Xfinity Series driver lineup so here are three good candidates for the seats in 2024!

[autotag]Kaulig Racing[/autotag] likely needs to overhaul its NASCAR Xfinity Series lineup due to Daniel Hemric’s promotion and Chandler Smith’s expected departure to Joe Gibbs Racing in 2024. As of now, A.J. Allmendinger is likely to join the Xfinity Series program but what about the other rides? Here are three realistic candidates for a possible seat.

[autotag]Derek Kraus[/autotag] should be the top option as Kaulig Racing loves what he brings to the program. Kraus has competed in seven races with the organization for three top-10 finishes and a 13.7 average finishing position. The 22-year-old driver has shown promise in his select starts and would be in a good position with Allmendinger possibly mentoring him throughout his first full-time season.

[autotag]Layne Riggs[/autotag] would also be a good choice for Kaulig Racing in 2024. Riggs has competed in two races with the organization during the 2023 Xfinity Series playoffs and has a best finish of 10th place at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The 21-year-old has impressed in his NASCAR starts since the beginning of the 2022 season and would be worthy of an opportunity.

Finally, [autotag]Jeffrey Earnhardt[/autotag] would be a quality option and likely represent the best full-time equipment in his career. Earnhardt previously earned a second-place finish at Talladega Superspeedway in 2022 with Richard Childress Racing so he can compete if given the car. The 34-year-old driver could also bring sponsorship, which would help out the program.

Any driver out of the trio of Kraus, Riggs, and Earnhardt would be a good option for Kaulig Racing in 2024. Kraus likely serves as the most reasonable option as he has the most recent experience with the organization; however, Riggs and Earnhardt would be good too. Overall, Kaulig Racing should have options available and it will make for an interesting outcome.

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JR Motorsports should consider these drivers in the Xfinity Series for 2024

JR Motorsports should be interested in these drivers for the NASCAR Xfinity Series starting in 2024.

[autotag]JR Motorsports[/autotag] is one of the powerhouse organizations in the NASCAR Xfinity Series and their success during the 2022 season is the greatest example. While the race team didn’t win the title, three of its four drivers were in the fight at the Championship 4 event in Phoenix, AZ.

During the 2023 season, JR Motorsports has not been on the same level. Sam Mayer, Justin Allgaier, Josh Berry, and Brandon Jones have only combined for two wins. Plus, the organization is set to lose Berry to the NASCAR Cup Series as Stewart-Haas Racing has given him the opportunity to replace Kevin Harvick in the No. 4 car. So, which drivers would be good replacements in the No. 8 car to bring the team back to the top?

[autotag]Carson Hocevar[/autotag] is one of the top drivers that people will mention for JR Motorsports; however, Hocevar remains one of the top candidates at Spire Motorsports in the Cup Series. The Michigan native has a relationship with both organizations as JR Motorsports supports Spire Motorsports’ efforts in the Xfinity Series.

Hocevar is clearly ready for the next step and JR Motorsports represents the best opportunity in the Xfinity Series. The only question is whether a ride in the Cup Series will develop with Spire Motorsports, as Ty Dillon has seen a slight improvement in performance with the No. 77 car as of late. Either way, the rising NASCAR talent seems set for a new ride in 2024.

[autotag]Christian Eckes[/autotag] is another talented Truck Series driver that currently drives for Chevrolet. Eckes competes in the No. 19 truck for McAnally-Hilgemann Racing and seems poised to make a run at the 2023 Truck Series title. Both drivers mentioned to this point would make sense for JR Motorsports if the overall goal is to bring the most talented drivers to the team.

The New York native could also be a fit with Richard Childress Racing if Austin Hill decides to depart for the Cup Series. Eckes has opened some eyes during the 2023 season and his good performances are likely to be rewarded in the next few years. If Hocevar makes the jump to the Cup Series with Spire Motorsports, it makes sense for Eckes to be the next target for JR Motorsports.

[autotag]Jeffrey Earnhardt[/autotag] is certainly the most popular driver on this list as he is the nephew of JR Motorsports co-owner Dale Earnhardt Jr. It has been an up-and-down journey for Earnhardt but this would be his best opportunity yet. Earnhardt Jr. has also named dropped the North Carolina native as a possible replacement for Berry in the No. 8 car.

Earnhardt would be a feel-good story as a full-time ride would finally go his way in the Xfinity Series. He wouldn’t be a young option at 34 years old; however, it would be a full-circle moment for the Earnhardt family to be together at JR Motorsports.

For now, these three drivers make the most sense on the surface but JR Motorsports will have plenty of options moving forward.

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Jeffrey Earnhardt looks to build on last year’s Talladega moment

Jeffrey Earnhardt returns to Talladega Superspeedway this weekend in the NASCAR Xfinity Series for the first time since grabbing headlines in the same race a year ago with a career day. Earnhardt will again be sponsored by ForeverLawn but now …

Jeffrey Earnhardt returns to Talladega Superspeedway this weekend in the NASCAR Xfinity Series for the first time since grabbing headlines in the same race a year ago with a career day.

Earnhardt will again be sponsored by ForeverLawn but now driving for Alpha Prime Racing. The fourth-generation driver is competing full-time for the organization this year.

A year ago, Earnhardt put a black No. 3 ForeverLawn Chevrolet on the pole at Talladega while driving for Richard Childress Racing and working with crew chief Larry McReynolds. Earnhardt is the grandson of Dale Earnhardt, who made the No. 3 car famous while driving for Childress and working with McReynolds.

Earnhardt turned his pole-winning run into a second-place finish. He led 10 laps.

Jeffrey Earnhardt on point for Richard Childress Racing last year. Rusty Jarrett/Motorsport Images

“I’m so excited to be back at Talladega,” said Earnhardt. “Last year’s opportunity in the No. 3 car was incredible, and we’re hoping to finish one spot better in our SouthPoint Bank x ForeverLawn Black and Green Grass Machine. They say ’Dega is Earnhardt Country, so we’re going to give them something to cheer for.”

Earnhardt enters Talladega (Saturday, 4 p.m. ET, FS1) searching for his first top-10 finish with the No. 44 team. Through eight races, Earnhardt has finished a best 18th at Richmond Raceway and sits 27th in the standings.

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“We are thrilled to be back in Earnhardt Country for a great race like Talladega,” said Dale Karmie, ForeverLawn co-founder. “Jeffrey winning the pole and finishing P2 last year gathered an amazing response, and we hope to replicate those results with the Alpha Prime Racing Team and our No. 44 Camaro.

“We are also happy to have our partners along for the ride as the Black and Green Grass Machine hits the track.”

See Jeffrey Earnhardt’s Darlington throwback paint scheme paying tribute to Dale Earnhardt Sr.

Jeffrey Earnhardt will honor his late grandfather with his Darlington throwback car this year.

NASCAR’s throwback weekend at Darlington Raceway is in May this year instead of late-summer or early fall, and that means fans are getting teasers for celebrated, old-school paint schemes several months earlier.

One of the latest drivers to reveal this year’s throwback paint scheme is Jeffrey Earnhardt, whose No. 0 JD Motorsports Chevrolet will honor his late grandfather, Dale Earnhardt Sr., in the Xfinity Series race on May 8.

For the 1996 All-Star Race, Earnhardt Sr.’s iconic No. 3 Chevrolet ran an Olympic-themed paint scheme ahead of the Games in Atlanta that year. So for Darlington’s throwback weekend this season in an unusual Olympics year, Jeffrey’s car will run a similar look.

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The second-tier Xfinity Series’ Steakhouse Elite 200 is Saturday, May 8 and followed by the premier Cup Series’ Goodyear 400 that Sunday.

In a statement about the paint scheme reveal from JD Motorsports on Wednesday, Jeffrey Earnhardt said:

“Man, this ForeverLawn Chevrolet is beautiful. Any time I get the chance to honor my family’s history in the sport, I jump at the opportunity. I remember seeing this car that my grandfather drove as a kid, and I loved it. Throwback Weekend is always something I look forward to each year, and I’m so happy that we get to be a part of it once again.”

Here’s a closer look at Earnhardt’s No. 0 car for the Darlington weekend — they are digital mockups of the car — and how the two paint schemes compare.