Jeffrey Earnhardt could still find a 2018 Cup Series ride
By Nick Tylwalk
It’s not 100 percent certain there will be an Earnhardt at the top level of stock car racing this year, but one is still working on making it happen.
Jeffrey Earnhardt wasn’t a name you heard thrown around a lot during the most recent NASCAR Silly Season. That’s what happens when you finish the most recent Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season 36th in points.
Still, the 28-year-old nephew of Dale Earnhardt Jr. received one of the crueler offseason surprises, thinking he probably had a ride for 2018 and then finding out he didn’t when The Motorsports Group and Circle Sport parted ways in December.
He’s not giving up, though. In a recent post to his Facebook group, Earnhardt’s crew announced to his fans that he has a potential deal in the works to continue his Cup Series career.
"We found an incredible opportunity that requires a certain level of sponsorship to make things work. In a very short period of time we’ve put together most of the puzzle. Out of respect for all involved Jeffrey has to maintain confidentiality until there is 100% certainty in sponsorship. With the Daytona 500 not far away this deal has to come together in weeks not months. Urgency to execute is understatement."
Earnhardt has had limited success as a Cup Series driver, to say the least, never recording a top-10 finish in 58 starts. However, he’s also driven the entire time for underfunded, less competitive teams, so it’s fair to say we’ll never quite know if it’s a lack of talent or opportunity holding him back.
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Getting sponsorship from a high profile company like Hulu — one that people wouldn’t necessarily associate with NASCAR, to boot — seemed like a feather in Earnhardt’s cap and a sign that maybe he might be turning a corner, at least with sponsors, but now he’s effectively back to square one. For the sake of a driver who seems like a legitimately good guy, as well as all those who would prefer the Earnhardt name stays in the sport, here’s hoping he and his team get a deal worked out.