“I don’t know what I’m doing wrong”: Dale Earnhardt Jr. sums up his performance during 2024 IceBreaker at Florence Motor Speedway

Former NASCAR Cup Series driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. reflected on his fourth-place finish in the recent CARS Tour season-opener at Florence Motor Speedway.

The NASCAR community witnessed the culmination of the ninth annual Florence IceBreaker as Dale Earnhardt Jr., both owner and driver for JR Motorsports, embarked on a quest for redemption at the South Carolina circuit.

The 49-year-old, who had notched up a lowly 16th-place finish last season in the same race, crossed the finish line in fourth position.

Reflecting on his performance, Earnhardt acknowledged the challenges he faced during the race, particularly in qualifying, where he started 13th on the grid.

While he made significant strides throughout the event, Earnhardt lamented his inability to secure a victory, citing his limited race appearances as a hindrance to his competitiveness. Speaking to Matt Weaver of Short Track Scene following the race, he said:

"You so badly want to win races but it’s such a tough crowd and when you don’t do it every week, that really shows up in qualifying. I don’t know what I’m doing wrong or need to do differently. Like anything else, you just need to do it more to be good at it."

He added:

"To come here and run 3-4 weeks in a single week, you can’t expect to win a lot races against all the guys who do this every week."

Dale Earnhardt Jr. "thankful" for improved Florence performance

Despite his disappointment upon failing to win, the former Hendrick Motorsports driver expressed gratitude for his improved performance at the Icebreaker race. Comparing his outing to the previous seasons', Earnhardt said:

"With 20 to go, I was trying to do everything I could to park it on this front straightaway but just came up a little bit short. Thankful we got to running better we weren’t running as well the last couple of times we raced out here."

Acknowledging the collaborative efforts of his team, Dale Earnhardt Jr. emphasized the rigorous preparation undertaken to enhance their competitiveness. He added:

"We tested and worked really hard. Practice today and worked really hard. It’s a tough crowd and a lot of tough racing. I never have a bad time here. I had a blast and just thankful to be running a little better."

Carson Kvapil of JR Motorsports, the two-time defending zMAX CARS Tour Late Model Stock Car champion and part-time NASCAR Truck Series driver, won the event ahead of Connor Hall and Casey Kelley respectively.