Dale Earnhardt Jr. to serve as Indianapolis 500 analyst

Dale Earnhardt Jr. laughs in a press conference before the Daytona 500 NASCAR race at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach on Sunday, February 17, 2019. (Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel/TNS via Getty Images)
Dale Earnhardt Jr. laughs in a press conference before the Daytona 500 NASCAR race at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach on Sunday, February 17, 2019. (Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel/TNS via Getty Images) /
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Dale Earnhardt Jr. will make his IndyCar debut as an analyst for the 2019 Indianapolis 500, as NBC Sports has tapped him to join Danica Patrick.

Another NASCAR driver will be covering IndyCar‘s biggest race, as NBC Sports has hired Dale Earnhardt Jr. to serve as an Indianapolis 500 analyst.

Earnhardt, who’s in his second season as part of the NASCAR on NBC team, has never broadcast an IndyCar Series race before. Nor did he ever compete in the Indy 500 during his 19-year career; in fact, 2019 will be the first time he’s even attended the race.

He had five Top 10 finishes in the Brickyard 400, which is the NASCAR Cup Series race that takes place at Indianapolis Motor Speedway; his best finish was fourth in 2012.

That makes him seem like a curious choice to join an IndyCar broadcast booth; however, as NBC’s press release points out, Earnhardt Jr. is tremendously popular and since he’s never been to this event before, he’ll automatically bring a fresh perspective.

“Dale Jr. is one of the most popular personalities in racing history, so adding Dale to our inaugural broadcast the Greatest Spectacle in Racing on NBC was a no-brainer,” said NBC Sports executive Sam Flood.

“Dale has never been able to attend the 500, and now he will have the opportunity to experience every aspect of this massive event—from the party in the Snake Pit and the hundreds of thousands of fans in the grandstands to the key strategic decisions and bold moves on track.”

The move comes less than a month after NBC Sports announced Danica Patrick would also be an analyst for this year’s Indy 500. It’s certainly different to see an IndyCar booth with drivers who’re more known for NASCAR; after all, NBC hasn’t brought any IndyCar drivers over to pitch in with its coverage of the Daytona 500.

But with this being NBC’s first year covering the Indianapolis 500, they’d be wise to try and make as big a statement as possible. Hiring recognizable, popular faces like Patrick and Earnhardt (who was named NASCAR’s Most Popular Driver more than a dozen times) is definitely going to create buzz, even if it also means less experienced analysis during the race.

For his part, Earnhardt has been able to adapt to other events relatively quickly, as the network also enlisted him to assist with its coverage of the Winter Olympics, Super Bowl and Stanley Cup Final. If anyone can segue into a new sport, it’s him, and on Wednesday he certainly sounded like he’s determined to provide quality up in the broadcast booth.

“I fully understand the responsibility we have of bringing this race to television viewers across the country,” he said in the press release. “There’s no better broadcast team to do it. I’m blessed to be a part of it.”

NBC’s full Indy 500 team also includes Mike Tirico (host), IndyCar veterans Leigh Diffey (play by play), Townsend Bell and Paul Tracy (analysts), with NASCAR veterans Krista Voda and Rutledge Wood. The regular IndyCar team of Marty Snider, Kelli Stavast, Kevin Lee and Jon Beekhuis will be in the pits, with additional reporting by Robin Miller and Dillon Welch.

But will Dale Earnhardt Jr. bring more eyeballs to the Indianapolis 500? And more importantly, is Dale Earnhardt Jr. going to be a quality analyst for a league he’s never been involved with before? We’ll find out on May 26.

Next. Danica Patrick joins NBC Sports for Indy 500. dark

The 2019 Indianapolis 500 takes place May 26. For complete coverage of the 2019 IndyCar season, follow the IndyCar category at FanSided.