Dale Earnhardt Jr. has competed in at least one NASCAR race every year since 2001. In 2024, he will be appearing in an Xfinity Series race at the Bristol Motor Speedway in September. While he has managed to appease his countless fans thus far with these cameos, how much longer will he be able to carry on? He answered the question in a recent interview with Fox Sports’ Bob Pockrass.
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Currency 49 years old, Dale Jr. hopes to be racing late model cars until he is 60. This gives him ample time to do everything that he wants to with his late model. However, over in his #88 JR Motorsports ride, he doesn’t have such long-term plans. He admitted that every year felt like his last and that he would continue racing in the second tier only for as long as he felt competitive.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. says he wants to run his late model for another 10 years or so. But whether he continues to run a race in the Xfinity Series is a year-to-year decision. He explains: pic.twitter.com/J76OW4cMGL
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) June 13, 2024
He said, “I’m going into this race at Bristol this year knowing that it might be the last one I run. There’s nothing that really makes that decision. Last year was a lot of fun. Led some laps. But it is a big commitment.” He noted how months of preparation go into him entering a race in the series, making him question the rewards that he would get for all the effort.
“When you go out there and you know the car is good and you just aren’t able to produce the result, then it’s probably time to let somebody else try it,” he concluded. In 2021 and 2022, he finished outside the top-10 at Richmond and Martinsville. He had a better outing last year in Bristol, where he led 47 laps before his car failed him. He followed that up with a fifth place in Homestead-Miami.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. keeps himself busy with his pursuits outside the racecar
So, safe to say, that Dale Jr. is still worthy of his Xfinity Series seat for now. His race at Bristol the coming September could play a meaty role in his decision over whether he will be continuing to race in NASCAR beyond 2024. But what are his ambitions for the time that he has when he isn’t racing? DirtyMo Media continues to grow into a giant under his able leadership.
He continues drafting strategies, creating new programs and content, and promoting the podcast platform. Also, his new job with Amazon and TNT which is set to begin in 2025 has given him a lot of work to do. Between being a multiple business owner and a race analyst, Dale Jr. has but little time on his hands. He puts it, “A lot to do, a lot to keep me busy.”
