Dale Earnhardt Jr. “damn excited” about Easter weekend NASCAR races 

Former NASCAR star Dale Earnhardt Jr. has expressed his enthusiasm over the upcoming high-octane schedule bound for the Easter Weekend.

The sixth week on the NASCAR Xfinity Series calendar and the seventh on the Cup Series schedule will flag off on Saturday, March 30, at 1.30 PM ET, and Sunday, March 31, at 7.00 PM ET, respectively. 36 Cup Series drivers will tame their stock cars across the Toyota Owners 400-lap race, whereas 39 Xfinity cars will be witnessed at the 250-lap ToyotaCare250 run.

The Cup Series race will air live on FOX, MRN, and SiriusXM. FS1, MRN, and SiriusXM will broadcast the Easter weekend runs of the Xfinity Series. Ahead of the weekend races, Dale Earnhardt Jr. expressed his love for Richmond Raceway, stating that it reminded him a lot about the Myrtle Beach Speedway.

"I’m damn excited about the races this weekend @RichmondRaceway Always loved that track. Reminded me a lot of Myrtle Beach Speedway. Easter with family and @NASCAR action."

The Myrtle Beach Speedway, about which Earnhardt Jr. spoke, used to host the Xfinity Series races from 1988 to 2000, with the Myrtle Beach 250 being the last major NASCAR event on that track.

Moreover, generations of the Earnhardt family had run on the South Carolina oval, including Ralph, Dale Sr., Kelley, and Dale Earnhardt Jr. himself. So, nostalgia is natural to kick in. The venue closed its doors to the public after wrapping up the final Late Model race on the asphalt in August 2020.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. opens up about the potential "massive success" of 17-year-old debutant Connor Zilisch

Zilisch ran his first NASCAR stint at the XPEL 225 Truck Series race at the COTA. During the qualifying run, the Spire Motorsports driver set the fastest speed at 93.012 mph, and showcased his supremacy at the 42-lap dash, coming home with a P4 finish on his debut NASCAR run.

Being a teenager and having no experience in fielding NASCAR vehicles, the affair to ace the race became cumbersome for Zilisch. However, the North Carolina native paved the way for a remarkable top-5 finish at the 3.426-mile road course track.

His adrenaline-packed stint has garnered a lot of commendations, including from Dale Earnhardt Jr. During the Dale Jr Download podcast, the two-time Xfinity Series champion lauded the 17-year-old boy's performance and expressed the possibility of "massive success and potential" coming Zilisch's way, saying (15:57):

“Connor Zilisch comes in, sets a new track record, right?” Qualifies on the pole well clear of the rest of the field...he’s doing it all and what he’s 17 still? So, it’s insane. This kid has the runway to become a multi-time NASCAR Cup champion.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. added:

"The runway is right there in front of him. Not many people are getting all of this experience at this age, right? If everything goes well and he keeps his head on straight, massive success and potential ahead.”