“If you want it bad enough, you'll figure it out” - When Jeffrey Earnhardt opened up on rebuilding after career setbacks in NASCAR

Jeffrey Earnhardt, the grandson of NASCAR legend Dale Earnhardt, once opened up about the challenges he faced and the mindset that has kept him going through the toughest moments in his NASCAR career. His NASCAR career was marked by inconsistent opportunities and a lack of performance.

Last year, during an appearance on “The Dale Jr. Download” podcast, Jeffrey Earnhardt explained how he derived his motivation to never back down and rebuilding his racing career after facing setbacks in NASCAR. This strong belief came after Jeffrey won an amateur MMA fight in 2012 on his debut. Reflecting on this, he stated that when someone desires something deeply, they will find a way to achieve their goals.

Speaking to his uncle Dale Earnhardt Jr., the 35-year-old Jeffrey Earnhardt said:

“I looked at my racing career when we get knocked down, and we've been knocked down plenty of times, but we always get back up and we keep fighting, and it's something obviously I have a huge passion to race. I love it. I tell everybody it's an addiction that we get hooked on that adrenaline rush of just going out there and being competitive. But if you want it bad enough, you'll figure it out. I feel like that's with anything in life.” [4:42]

Jeffrey Earnhardt is a fourth-generation NASCAR driver from the Earnhardt family, and coming from that family means immense expectation. His NASCAR career has been more modest, largely spent in the Xfinity Series and occasional starts in the Cup Series. In Xfinity, he mostly competed with underfunded teams and had inconsistent opportunities.

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Jeffrey Earnhardt once had a career best performance in NASCAR

Jeffrey Earnhardt, the son of NASCAR legend Dale Earnhardt's eldest son, Kerry Earnhardt, had one of the most memorable moments of his career in 2022 at Talladega Superspeedway, where he nearly won the Xfinity Series race.

Driving his grandfather’s iconic #3 car for Richard Childress Racing (RCR), Jeffrey earned a career-best second-place finish at the Dega. He fell 0.131 seconds short to eventual winner Noah Gragson.

The 35-year-old Mooresville, North Carolina, native has found a renewed sense of purpose in 2024, competing in six Xfinity Series races for Sam Hunt Racing in the #26 Toyota. He finished eighth in his first start of the season at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

Unlike his family members, who found early success, Jeffrey’s career has been a grind.