Dale Earnhardt Jr. drops major update on racing again in NASCAR

Dale Earnhardt Jr. made a surprising comment about his NASCAR future during a recent appearance, hinting he might not be finished racing Xfinity cars. The remark came as he recalled a personal moment involving his family and one of his team’s drivers, Justin Allgaier.

In a tweet shared on X by motorsports commentator Daniel Baldwin, he mentions how heartwarming it was for Dale Jr. to see Allgaier, his JR Motorsports driver, celebrate a win by taking his daughters to victory lane. Deliberating on that, Dale Earnhardt Jr. said that as a father, moments like those resonate deeply with him. Then, out of nowhere, he added,

“I might not be done running Xfinity cars.”

Further elaborating on what a win would mean after returning to racing now, Dale Earnhardt Jr. shared,

"It's kind of this new trend where drivers are encouraged to have their kids be a part of that front stretch interview (after winning)," he said (via Tennessean).

"It's a great moment, it really is if you are a father,” he added.

Since stepping away from full-time racing in 2017, Dale Earnhardt Jr. has continued to run occasional races in the Xfinity Series. He’s done one race per year since retiring — usually on short tracks or speedways. At the age of 50, he’s well past the typical peak of a NASCAR driver, but not too old to return for a couple of races, especially given his experience and selective schedule.

This latest hint comes at a time when JR Motorsports is performing well. On May 31, at the Tennessee Lottery 250 at Nashville Superspeedway, Justin Allgaier delivered a commanding win, leading 101 of 188 laps and finishing ahead of rookie teammate Connor Zilisch. Allgaier now holds a 92-point lead over Austin Hill in the Xfinity standings. Meanwhile, Sam Mayer rounded out the podium.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. was in North Carolina the morning of the race, attending his daughters’ dance recital, before flying to Nashville in time to witness Allgaier’s win. Watching Allgaier drive his daughters to victory lane hit home. Earnhardt Jr. never had that kind of moment as a driver, and it’s something he clearly wishes he could’ve experienced.

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“That was the one father-son talk that we had that sunk in,” — Dale Earnhardt Jr. recalls the moment that shaped his racing mindset

In the newly released Earnhardt documentary on Prime, Dale Earnhardt Jr. opened up about a defining moment early in his racing career — a conversation with his father, Dale Earnhardt Sr., that changed how he approached the sport. The story is featured in the third episode, which focuses on his early years in NASCAR and the complicated relationship he had with his father.

At the time, Dale Earnhardt Jr. was still trying to establish himself in the Busch Series. After crashing his car in a practice session, he was emotionally overwhelmed. Believing his career might be over, he chose to distance himself and spent the evening drinking with friends. Meanwhile, his team worked late into the night, fixing the damaged car.

That’s when Dale Earnhardt Sr., a seven-time NASCAR champion, showed up unannounced at Dale Jr.’s trailer. As Dale Jr. recalled, his father kicked his friends out and gave him a blunt reality check. According to a direct quote from the documentary, Dale Earnhardt Jr. said:

“The door flies open on this double-wide trailer I lived in. Boom, boom. I know immediately those are dad’s footsteps. He looks over at my buddies that are sitting over there, and he goes, ‘get the f**k off my property’ He said..., ‘Man, what are you doing?’ I was like, ‘I thought my racing career is over.’ He’s like, ‘no, they’re gonna fix that car. That’s where you should be. You should be wanting to fix your car."

"Where is that? Where is that inside of you? What’s missing in you that you thought to come over here and sit on your ass and feel sorry for yourself?’ That was the one father-son talk that we had that sunk in.”

The documentary debuted its first two episodes on May 22 and released its final two episodes on May 29. It explores not just Dale Jr.’s racing career, but also the emotional and psychological pressures that came with being the son of a racing legend.