There’s a seat open for a Cup Series team with a charter, and Jeffrey Earnhardt is once again looking for work.
Jeffrey Earnhardt had authored one of the feel good stories of the 2018 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season, but it appears the script has taken an abrupt turn of the sadder kind.
According to Earnhardt’s official Facebook page (and as reported by Racer), Sunday’s race at Fontana was his last with StarCom Racing. It does sound like fans may not have seen the last of Earnhardt in 2018, as it references “exciting news on the horizon.”
The post also includes the following:
"Wanted to let everyone know that tonight was Jeffrey’s last race with the 00 team. They are wonderful people and we’re very appreciative to have had the opportunity to work with them and begin the 2018 season. Jeffrey & JEI will be exploring other options and working on some new sponsorship programs."
That announcement was later confirmed by StarCom Racing on Twitter.
We want to thank @JEarnhardt1 for his time with SCR, we have mutually agreed to move in different directions at this time. It was a pleasure working together & we wish success to Jeffrey & his team. Stay tuned this week for more information on who will be at the wheel of the 00!
— StarCom Racing (@StarcomRacing) March 19, 2018
StarCom Racing is a brand new team for the 2018 season, one that threw Earnhardt a bit of a lifeline when his previous ride fell apart during the offseason. It appeared to be an excellent opportunity for the 28-year-old grandson of Dale Earnhardt and nephew of Dale Earnhardt Jr., one that probably wouldn’t allow him to run up front but would give him some stability.
That hasn’t turned out to be the case, even as rumors circulated that StarCom Racing was considering a second car for the upcoming race at Texas. The team describes the parting as mutual, but one has to wonder if it is seeking even marginally better performance, as Earnhardt has failed to finish in the top 30 in every race since the Daytona 500.
Next: NASCAR Cup Series standings after California
That leaves us with two points of intrigue for the coming week, one involving who might take over the No. 00 Chevrolet and the other focused on where Earnhardt might land next. But for the time being, fans are left with no Earnhardts in the NASCAR Cup Series for the first time in a very long time, and that’s a bummer for anyone who loves the sport.