Published 01/11/2023, 12:30 PM EST
It’s been nearly half a decade since NASCAR icon Dale Earnhardt Jr retired from the sport. However, there seems to be something interesting brewing in the JR Motorsport camp for the 2023 season. As per the latest reports, Junior will return to the iconic Bristol Motor Speedway to race once again. Back in his glory days, Junior was the one who coined the term, “It’s bristol, baby.” Now, after several years, he returns to the precise same venue for yet another iconic race.
His team JR Motorsports recently announced that Junior would be running in the Xfinity Series race at the Food City 300 this year. The last time the Hall of Famer raced at this iconic track was back in 2017. During this, he raced both in the Xfinity and Cup Series for that weekend. He would bring out his iconic number 88 car with JR Motorsports for the race.
In the press release, Junior mentioned that he “loves” the high banks of Bristol. Further stating that when he was younger and watched his dad race, he would wait for Bristol out of all the races. Adding, “It’s just electric there and I would always beg dad to go to that race.”
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JR Motorsport announced, “NEWS: @DaleJr set to run @ItsBristolBaby NXS night race as @unileverusa and JRM extend partnership for 2023.“
NASCAR fans react to Dale Earnhardt Jr’s return to Bristol
Fans were obviously ecstatic to hear the news of Junior’s return to the iconic venue. Many of them began preparations to get their tickets for the race beforehand. A few of them even suggested that they might road trip across to watch the Junior race at Bristol.
NORTH WILKESBORO, NC – AUGUST 31: Dale Earnhardt Jr. 3 smiles on the starting grid just before the Cars Tour LMSC 125 on Aug 31, 2022, at the North Wilkesboro Speedway in North Wilkesboro, NC. Photo by David Jensen/Icon Sportswire AUTO: AUG 31 Cars Tour LMSC 125 Icon220831014
All in all, everyone did not want to miss out on Juniors’ brief return to the world of NASCAR. That too at such an iconic circuit.
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While the race would not be towards advancing up the field in the standings, it will definitely be a day for the former NASCAR icon to relive some of his greatest years in the sport. The moment will surely be a tear-jerker both for him and his age-old fans. We definitely need to see more and more of Earnhardt Jr get back to NASCAR in a varying capacity and occasional races here and there. In the end, this year’s bristol race for the Xfinity Series is going to be very special for everyone and absolutely a must-watch for the ones who won’t be able to attend.