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Former NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. has left a legacy in stock car racing, winning 32 races in the Cup Series and the prestigious Daytona 500 twice, in 2004 and 2014.
During most of these races, the number on his Chevrolet remained the same. From his debut in 1999 to 2007, racing with Dale Earnhardt, Inc., he stuck with the number 8 on his car. He won a total of 17 races with the team.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. announced that he would break away from the team in 2007. This company was founded by his father in 1980. He explained this move with his goal to win the Cup Series Championship, which he believed would not be possible with DEI. Later, the 49-year-old signed a new contract with Hendrick Motorsports, which has been dubbed the best team in the history of the sport.
Moving to the team, he revealed that he would not be using the number 8 anymore. He then adopted the 88 number, with which he raced till the end of his Cup Series career in 2017.
The number '8' was historical in his family. His grandfather Ralph Earnhardt used the same number in racing and even his father, Dale Earnhardt Sr., used it early in his career.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. without a contract after NBC's expiration in 2023
After retiring from NASCAR at the end of the 2017 season, Dale Earnhardt Jr. moved to the broadcasting side of the sport, appearing as an analyst on NBC. Being one of the most popular drivers of the sport of all time, he was loved by fans on the broadcast. However, his contract has expired ahead of the 2024 season.
Dale Earnhardt Jr said, via Dale Jr Download:
"My contract with NBC is up. It was up at the end of last year. I’m currently working through what that looks like for me. I definitely love being in the broadcast booth and want to continue doing that."
He then revealed that there have been meetings with more TV partners but currently he has nothing set ahead of the season in 2024:
"We’ve had some great conversations with all of NASCAR’s TV partners. My home and my love is at NBC and I’d love to be back with them so we’ll see where it goes. But right now, I really don’t have a job in terms of broadcasting."
Despite his retirement, Dale Earnhardt Jr. occasionally appears on the NASCAR Xfinity Series. He made two appearances for JR Motorsports in 2023, a team that he partially owns.
