Jeffrey Earnhardt’s run in the No. 55 Chevrolet at Charlotte probably won’t be his only appearance in that car this year.
Say what you want about Jeffrey Earnhardt, but it’s hard to point to too many other NASCAR drivers as resilient as he’s been over the past six months. First it looked like he would have a full-time ride again with the same team he drove for in 2017, but that organization fell apart. Then, it looked as if he had landed a regular gig with StarCom Racing, but that partnership lasted for only a handful of races.
Yet there was Earnhardt back in a Cup Series car again at Charlotte Motor Speedway last weekend for the Coca-Cola 600, driving the No. 55 Chevy for Premium Motorsports. He managed to finish 30th, about what you might expect for both driver and team given their performances over the last year or two.
The good news for Earnhardt’s fans is that it doesn’t sound like it was a on-shot deal. The 28-year-old driver told The Racing Experts that he expects to run more races for Premium Motorsports this season.
"We’ve got some more races planned … We have some more with them with Nine Line Apparel and some foundations that they work with. We’ll be posting about that soon."
The team formerly known as Jay Robinson Racing has already used six different drivers across its two cars in 2018. The No. 15 has been driven primarily by Ross Chastain but has also had Justin Marks behind the wheel, while the 55 has seen Joey Gase, Reed Sorensen and JJ Yeley all take turns along with Earnhardt despite making fewer starts. The 15 is currently 32nd in owner points.
Next: Check out our Jeffrey Earnhardt interview prior to the Daytona 500
Earnhardt’s best finish so far this season (and career best) was 21st in the Daytona 500, as he finished 31st or worse the next four weeks before he and StarCom Racing decided to part ways. He remains popular with fans, however, not just for his obvious family ties but for his humble, hard-working demeanor.