Winning a zMAX CARS Tour race is reason enough to celebrate. Beating Dale Earnhardt Jr., one of the biggest names in NASCAR, takes that celebration to a whole other level.
The potential for that type of party is within reach for the field of drivers in the Tootsies Music City Showdown at Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway at 7 p.m. CT on April 11.
Advertisement
It will be a return to the Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway for Earnhardt, who raced at the historic track several times early in his NASCAR Hall of Fame career.
After competing in the 1999 BellSouth Mobility Busch Grand National Series race at Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway, Earnhardt went on to win 26 NASCAR Cup Series races in his 19-year career. He was the Most Popular Driver 15 consecutive times and was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2021. Earnhardt is still one of the most popular figures in the sport, serving as a broadcaster, co-owner of JR Motorsports, and a podcaster.
Why is Dale Earnhardt Jr. returning to Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway
Earnhardt is a co-owner of the zMAX CARS Tour along with Kevin Harvick, Jeff Burton, and Justin Marks. They acquired the series to promote short-track racing for late model stock cars and pro late models.
Advertisement
Earnhardt races from time to time in the series, and that’s why he’ll be back at Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway on April 11, giving lesser-known drivers the chance to race against a legend. He will drive the No. 8 Bass Pro Shops/Tracker Boats Chevy in the 31-car field.
WHY DALE JR. IS RETURNING TO NASHVILLE: Why Dale Earnhardt Jr. is racing at the Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway
“It’s going to be cool having (Earnhardt) there for sure,” said Lebanon driver Dylan Fetcho, 25. “It’s actually a division that I’ve never run before, so that will be new to me too. I’ll have to get used to the car. Luckily, I know the track well.”
Earnhardt is also familiar with the 0.596-mile track at Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway. He raced there about a dozen times from 1996-99. At times, his brother Kerry and sister Kelley joined him in the late model division. Dale Earnhardt Sr. raced multiple times at the Fairgrounds, most notably winning the 1983 Busch Nashville 420 in the NASCAR Cup Series.
Advertisement
“It’s still the same old track that it used to be, so I’m sure (Earnhardt) has an idea of what’s going on,” Fetchco said. “I think I’ve got a shot. I really do. I’m looking forward to it, and I’m going to give it all I’ve got to try and show them what we can do.”
Did Dale Earnhardt Jr. race in 2025?
Earnhardt competed in four zMAX races in 2025 at Cordel Motorspeedway in Georgia, Anderson Motorspeedway in South Carolina, Myrtle Beach Speedway in North Carolina, and Tri-City Motorspeedway in Michigan. His best finish was 10th at Anderson Motorspeedway.
Earnhardt did not race in NASCAR’s top three divisions (Cup, O’Reilly Auto Parts or Craftsman’s Truck) in 2025, the first in 29 years.
Advertisement
“Anytime he races with us, obviously it’s cool to race against him considering everything he’s done for the sport and especially everything he’s continuously doing for our series and short track racing in general,” said Brandon Pierce of Oak Ridge, North Carolina. “Anytime you’re racing against him, of course, you want to beat him because, all that stuff aside, he’s still Dale Jr. and it means something.”
Pierce joined the zMAX Tour in 2018 and has grown close to Earnhardt after racing against him several times.
“I’ve gotten to know him pretty well and been able to talk to him quite a bit,” Pierce said. “He reaches out to me at times, and he always responds when I reach out. He’s always willing to see what we drivers need to do to improve the series. Or what he can do to make the series better. That shows that he’s genuinely invested in it, not only from a monetary standpoint but trying to make sure that we’re sufficient and growing this thing the best we can.”
Pierce has raced against Earnhardt in every zMAX Series race Earnhardt has run, and beaten him in half of them.
Advertisement
Big crowds still show up when Dale Earnhardt Jr. races
Landon Lewis won the zMAX Series Tour in 2025. He won four races on the Tour driving for Kevin Harvick Inc. and enjoyed winning when the crowds were big and loud.
The Supply, North Carolina resident twice raced against Earnhardt and said a big crowd showed up for both races. A sellout is expected for the April 11 race at Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway.
“That’s the best thing about having him in the race, the crowd is so much bigger,” Lewis said. “You can feel the intensity in the air, and the crowd is always into it. It’s a lot of fun, and it’s cool to win in front of all the fans that show up, even if they’re not there to watch me.”
Reach Mike Organ at 615-259-8021 or on X @MikeOrganWriter.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Dale Earnhardt Jr. faces challengers at Nashville Fairgrounds race Saturday
