Dale Earnhardt Jr. Says NASCAR Race in Miami ‘Might Be the Last One’

Dale Earnhardt Jr. competed in the NASCAR Xfinity Series Hooters 250 race at Homestead-Miami Speedway this past weekend and had a strong showing as he finished fifth. And while Earnhardt proves he still can compete at a high level, it’s very likely his race on Saturday could be the final one his career. Earnhardt talked to reporters after the race and teased his possible retirement from NASCAR.

“I don’t know how many more of these I’ll do,” Earnhardt said via NASCAR.com. “This might be the last one, and this ain’t no tease or anything like that. I’m not trying to be annoying about that. It’s a lot of a commitment, and I just … I don’t know.” Earnhardt added he’s at the point in his career where he’s “got to decide whether I’m helping things or I’m not helping the team, how can I help the team in other ways.” He also said he enjoys racing part-time, but “there’s got to be a point to where I decide to make the change to broadcasting entirely.”

Earnhardt retired from racing full-time in 2017. Along with racing part-time, Earnhardt has been doing broadcast work, specifically with NBC Sports. In terms of racing on Sunday, Earnhardt said he’s “learned a ton that’s going to help me in the (broadcast) booth. I’ve just got to think about it, and I certainly don’t want to run more.” This was the first race for Earnhardt in the 2020 season and the first since August when he competed in the Sport Clips Haircuts VFW 200 at Darlington Raceway in Darlington, South Carolina.

Regardless if Earnhardt races again or not, it’s very likely he will be inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame. The NASCAR legend will find out this week if he will be in the Class of 2021, and Earnhardt said he’s honored to be a finalist. “I’ve said this from the start and I really feel it in my heart that everybody on that list belongs in there, and it doesn’t seem like at this point that there’s one more deserving than the other,” he said. Earnhardt is considered as one of the best drivers in NASCAR history. He has completed in 631 NASCAR Cup Series races and won 26 of them while finishing in the top 10 260 times.