HOMESTEAD, Fla. — Dale Earnhardt Jr. is set to make a comeback in an Xfinity car next year, although it will likely only be for one event, he revealed after finishing fifth in Saturday’s race at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
Securing his first top five in the Xfinity Series since 2020, which occurred at the same track, Earnhardt’s race also included an incident that he was responsible for involving teammate Josh Berry. Nevertheless, Earnhardt ended up in victory lane as the winning team owner after Sam Mayer’s victory ensured his spot in the championship race ( Source: NBC Sports).
The 49-year-old Earnhardt mentioned that the location of his race next year has not been finalized yet, but he is leaning towards Bristol after his performance there earlier this season.
Earnhardt stated, “That went so well, and I love the night race and the atmosphere there, so Bristol is probably leading the pack right now. However, I only plan on doing one race next year, not two.”
In September, Earnhardt encountered mechanical issues at Bristol, resulting in a 30th-place finish. He found Bristol to be easier compared to the race at Homestead, which took place in temperatures in the 80s.
Earnhardt admitted, “Physically, I wasn’t at my best as a driver. I got tired. Since I don’t do this every week, my body isn’t conditioned for it, and I definitely don’t work out. If Kyle Larson had been driving, the car probably would have won the race, but considering I’m 49 years old, do this once or twice a year, and hardly practice, I’m satisfied with a fifth-place finish.
“During qualifying, I was completely lost. I was worried all morning about our race performance. I made the wrong adjustment at the end of stage one, which put us a little behind, but the team made the necessary improvements to help the car, allowing us to drive up through the ranks.
“We had good speed. If we were running these races every week, we might have won a race or two in this series. It’s a lot of work, and I truly admire the drivers and teams that compete week after week. Just doing it once takes a lot.”
Despite the challenges he faced, Earnhardt is already looking forward to racing again next year. When asked about returning to Homestead, Earnhardt admitted, “It’s tempting. It’s fun. I’ll likely go about six months and forget how tough it was and be like, ‘Yeah, let’s do it again.'”
It seems the excitement and passion for racing still burn brightly in Dale Earnhardt Jr., and fans eagerly await his return to the track.
