NASCAR will have an Earnhardt in the Cup Series full time in 2018 after all
By Nick Tylwalk
Dale Jr. is still moving to the broadcast booth, but the Earnhardt name will still be represented every week in NASCAR’s top series.
The most recent NASCAR Silly Season dealt some tough blows to a number of drivers, but the bad luck that Jeffrey Earnhardt experienced was right up with any of their stories. After piloting the No. 33 for Circle Sport-TMG in 2017 and seeing Hulu come aboard as a sponsor, he looked to be in good shape after signing a contract last fall to return for 2018.
Instead, things went south when Circle Sport and The Motorsports Group parted ways, leaving Earnhardt without a ride in mid-December. That left him little time to regroup and find a new team, but he’s managed to pull it off.
As reported by Jayski, Earnhardt has landed on his feet with a full-time gig for StarCom Racing. Founded just last year, the team has ramped up quickly from debuting the No. 00 Chevrolet at Kansas in October to running the complete 2018 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series schedule.
Even better, StarCom is leasing the charter of the defunct-for-now No. 27 Richard Childress Racing entry, so Earnhardt is guaranteed a spot in every race. He’ll roll into Daytona with sponsorship from VRX Simulators, a Canadian company that is new to NASCAR.
His last minute save means Earnhardt will keep the family name in the Daytona 500 for the 40th straight running of the Great American Race. That fact clearly was important to the 28-year-old nephew of Dale Earnhardt Jr.
“I am so appreciative of everyone at StarCom Racing and VRX for having confidence in me and making this a reality,” Earnhardt said in a press release. “There’s been an Earnhardt driving in the 500 for 39 years so to be able to keep that streak going for a 40th year means a lot to me and I’m sure a lot of Earnhardt fans are going to be happy to hear this news.”
Next: Established stars vs. young guns is biggest story of 2018 NASCAR season
Earnhardt has never won a Cup Series race or even recorded a top-10 finish, but he has perhaps his best chance to date with experience like team manager Derrike Cope and crew chief Tony Furr. At least he’s got the comfort of knowing he’s back in the saddle for 36 races again, and that has to be a much better feeling than the one he was experiencing just a few months ago.