Dale Earnhardt Jr. will still run two XFINITY Series races in 2018

Dale Earnhardt Jr. might be leaving NASCAR as a full-time Cup Series driver, but that doesn’t mean he’s run his last NASCAR race.

Good news, Junior Nation: you’ll be able to see Dale Earnhardt Jr. race again even if you can’t get to one of the remaining 2017 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series races.

During his retirement press conference on Tuesday, Earnhardt Jr. revealed that he will still run a couple of XFINITY Series races next season.

“I don’t see myself really detaching from NASCAR,” Earnhardt said. “My intention is still to be involved in the sport on some level. In fact, I still have two XFINITY races to run for JR Motorsports in 2018, so even after this season is over, you’ve not seen the last of me on a racetrack.”

Those appearances are likely to come in the No. 88 Chevy that became a part-time ride in 2017. JR Motorsports is fielding the car in select races this season for Earnhardt Jr. and Kasey Kahne alongside the full season cars driven by Elliott Sadler, Michael Annett, Justin Allgaier and Michael Annett.

Interestingly, Earnhardt deflected any talk of one day elevating the JR Motorsports operation to the Cup Series level, mentioning that his sister and co-owner Kelley Earnhardt Miller was off to the side, shaking her head. But Junior also mentioned a desire to stay active in the sport and his belief that he could still be part of winning teams, so it’s fair to wonder if he might change his mind down the road.

It’ll likely be a while until the specific races that Earnhardt Jr. runs in the XFINITY Series next year will be announced (restrictor plate races would seem logical), but expect them to be hot tickets as fans get what could be their last look at Junior behind the wheel in 2018.