Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s CARS Tour return mixes redemption with a deeply personal tribute

Dale Earnhardt Jr. is set to strap back into the driver's seat this Saturday night (August 16) at Anderson Motor Speedway in a very familiar paint scheme. The NASCAR Hall of Famer will pilot the No. 8 Budweiser Chevrolet, bringing nostalgia to the zMAX CARS Tour.

Dale Jr. will pilot the same MLB All-Star Game (baseball) scheme he made famous at Daytona in 2001 for his second Late Model Stock start of the season. It's his first race since April, when a late restart crash left him 21st in the running order.

"Real good. Ready to go, yeah, feeling good," he said on The Dale Jr. Download when asked about returning to CARS Tour competition. (4:23 onwards)

The car he'll race Saturday is a recreation of the 2001 Budweiser MLB All-Star Game livery. He first ran the No. 8 Chevrolet at the Pepsi 400 at Daytona International Speedway less than five months after his father, Dale Earnhardt's passed away in the Daytona 500.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. led the closing laps and took one of the most emotional wins in NASCAR history, and it was seen as a healing moment for the sport.

Fans raise three fingers to salute the late Dale Earnhardt on Lap 3 of the 2021 Daytona 500. Source: Imagn

Now, more than two decades later, the co-owner of the CARS Tour - alongside Kevin Harvick and Jeff Burton - is putting that scheme back on track. His involvement in the series has included select one-off starts, with mixed results. His April outing ended in disappointment after running mid-pack most of the night, but Earnhardt made clear he's eager to get another shot.

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Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s zMAX CARS Tour returns to Anderson Motor Speedway

Dale Earnhardt Jr. before the 2023 CARS Tour Late Model race at North Wilkesboro. Source: Getty

Saturday's Bennett Equipment 225 marks the CARS Tour's first visit to Anderson since 2017 for Late Model Stock Cars and its debut for the Pro Late Model division. The .375-mile paved oval in Anderson, South Carolina, will host a 125-lap feature for the Late Model Stocks and a 100-lap feature for the Pro Late Models.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. prepared for the weekend with a morning test session, logging about three hours behind the wheel. That seat time gave him a feel for the car and the new Hoosier tire compound, which the JR Motorsports co-owner says changes the game.

"This new tire this year just too durable. And so it's kind of going to be like where you qualify is how good your chance is to win. I'm not a great qualifier,” Earnhardt explained in the Dale Jr. Download. (4:53 onwards)

Qualifying, though, has never been his strength.

"I did qualify mid-pack... like 15th at Cordele and I was real happy with that... You haven't seen my qualifying efforts before that. They were terrible. It's a tough field. You don't just show up and just fu**ing qualify in the top five," he admitted. (5:07 onwards)

The CARS Tour has become a proving ground for future NASCAR talent. Drivers like Josh Berry, Kaden Honeycutt, and Brenden “Butterbean” Queen have used it as a launch pad to the national series, with others like Ty Gibbs and Carson Kvapil also making their mark. Supported by FloRacing broadcasts, the series gives Late Model drivers a national stage and exposure to team owners and sponsors who can advance their careers.

With a packed crowd and a tight points race among the CARS Tour regulars, Anderson is set for an intense night of short-track racing. But for Dale Earnhardt Jr., though, Saturday is about honoring the car's history.