Dale Earnhardt Jr. might be returning to NASCAR sooner than most fans think. Daytona 500’s energy is hard to miss, and it seems even Amy couldn’t miss out on it, as she wants her husband to go for it next year. But will he make the stunning return?
Dale Jr. is in disbelief as Amy asks him to run the 500
A two-time Daytona 500 winner, Junior knows how to navigate his way through the track. However, it has been eleven years since his last victory on the track. While he does return to the track every year to watch the Great American Race, his wife, Amy Earnhardt, wants him to do more than that.
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“Amy told me I should run the Daytona 500 next year. I was like, what? We were laying in bed Sunday night after the race. She’s like, ‘You should just drive it next year.’ I’m like, ‘Hello. Are you okay?’” He said on the Dale Jr Download podcast.
Junior ran the Daytona 500 a whopping 18 times throughout his Cup Series career. He also managed to clinch ten top-10 finishes, including two race wins.
Despite not having raced in the Cup Series for almost a decade now, Dale Earnhardt Jr. doesn’t stay away from racing. Every year, he runs a race (sometimes two) in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series with JR Motorsports. Moreover, he also manages to clinch top-10 finishes, so it wouldn’t be wrong to say that Dale Jr. hasn’t lost the control he had over a car back in the day.
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On top of that, he is still a huge racing fan. His life, understandably, revolves around racing, and the fans love him. In fact, many were excited about the slightest possibility of watching him race at the 500 next year.
Fans on the edge of their seats for Earnhardt Jr
“@budweiserusa Jump on this NOW. Make it happen!”
Safe to say, the fans do want some of that nostalgia from decades back. When Dale Jr. began showing his true racecraft behind the wheel, he had already become a fan favorite. It was easy to assume that he had his father’s skills, but more than that, he had an immense fanbase who just wanted to see him return.
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“If amy actually wants it then dale has absolutely no choice,” suggested a fan.
At the same time, this would also be a huge business opportunity for many merchandise brands. Some suggested that Lionel Racing, NASCAR’s official die-cast model producer, could benefit from this return:
“My god. Dale Jr? In his own team’s Cup car? In the Daytona 500? That diecast would be like printing money for @Lionel_Racing.”
While some were also interested in the overall merchandise: “Merch sales alone would rival the GDP of small countries.”
BRISTOL, TN – SEPTEMBER 20: Dale Earnhardt, Jr 88 JR Motorsports Hellmann s Chevrolet talks with members of his crew during practice for the NASCAR, Motorsport, USA Xfinity Series Food City 300 on September 20, 2024 at Bristol Motor Speedway in Bristol, TN. Photo by Jeff Robinson/Icon Sportswire AUTO: SEP 20 NASCAR Xfinity Series Food City 300 EDITORIAL USE ONLY Icon240920952300
It is not wrong to say that Dale Earnhardt Jr. has a massive fanbase. In fact, many of them just want to be associated with him in one way of another, and one of the comments suggested the perfect idea for this, mentioning: “Crowdfund the car with a sponsor and put everybody’s names who donated on it. I’m betting hundreds of thousands of us would help out!”
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While this is a genius idea, and the thought of his return to a Cup car does excite his entire fanbase, there is no guarantee that it might happen. As of now, it only sounds like an idea off the top of Amy’s head. However, things could change as the season progresses, and Dale Jr. could ultimately listen to his wife.
