Dale Earnhardt Jr. might be NASCAR‘s biggest personality even in retirement, but even he still has the urge to race every once in a while. As part of JR Motorsports‘ expanded partnership with sponsor Bass Pro Shops, Earnhardt has added a second Xfinity Series race to his 2023 schedule to go with his annual start with Hellmann’s backing. Both entries will come in the #88 Chevrolet Camaro for JRM.
After winning the 1998 and 1999 Xfinity Series championships, Earnhardt moved up to the Cup Series full-time but occasionally returned for select runs. This trend continued after his retirement in 2017 as he began making one start each year save for two runs at Bristol and Richmond in 2017. His 2022 start came at Martinsville in April, where he finished eleventh. Of his twenty-four career Xfinity wins, eleven have come as a part-time racer with the msot recent being in 2016 at Richmond.
Earnhardt, ever the ambassador, has also been dabbling in late model racing. On 19 November, he will resume usage of his family’s iconic #3 for a late model race at Florence Motor Speedway.
“We’re excited for Bass Pro Shops to continue their partnership with JR Motorsports,” said Earnhardt. “We’ve had a lot of success together with Bass Pro Shops over the years, and that’s been a big part in seeing this partnership evolve. I can’t say enough about what it means to have Johnny (Morris, BPS owner) and Bass Pro involved on so many levels with us. The JRM Bass Pro Chevrolets will be at a lot of different race tracks in 2023, and I can’t wait to be part of it.”
A longtime supporter of the Earnhardt family, BPS will also sponsor JRM driver Josh Berry in eleven races in 2023, along with Carson Kvapil in regional competition.
