It is always a delight to see someone like Dale Earnhardt Jr. get back in a NASCAR car. Well, this October the former Hendrick Motorsports driver will be setting foot back into an Xfinity Series car for the race at Homestead Miami. He will be driving the Bass Pro Shops sponsored Chevy Camaro of JR Motorsports out on the race track, donning his iconic number #88.
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The Homestead race will be his second start in the Xfinity Series for this season. Junior is also scheduled to appear at the Bristol Motor Speedway later in September this year. The last time Juinor raced more than once in the Xfinity Series was back in 2017.
How good was Dale Earnhardt Jr at Homestead Miami during his prime?
The track holds a special place for the former HMS driver, mostly because this was the place where he raced his final Cup Series race back in the 2017 season. He has also been relatively successful in racing at the South Florida Oval within the Xfinity Series. In his 6 Xfinity starts, he has managed four top 10s. Moreover, he finished as a runner-up on the track on the way to the 1999 championship win as well.
Of course, returning to the venue, he would not be contending for points, but it would surely be a spectacular and memorable run for him. This is especially considering his previous highlights, some of the best finishes, and iconic moments he has had at Homestead.
Out of his 16 Cup Series starts at the track, the highest Junior ever finished was during the 2013 season. This was when he ended up in 3rd place as the checkered flag fell. That race marked the only time when he was able to finish within the top 5 at the venue in his Cup Series career.
Can Junior win at Homestead Miami during the Xfinity Race?
The current Xfinity Series grid has some pretty talented drivers who would be out to win the race for themselves. However, for Junior who has plenty of experience around the race track scoring a win would definitely make everything better, considering he has never won here.
Although looking at the competition the #88 car would be surrounded by, it would be really hard for him to win. Looking back in a realistic capacity, the odds would not favor the 48-year-old former NASCAR driver to even finish ahead of his teammates at JR Motorsports.
