Posted on by Staff Report

RELATED: Dale Jr. announces retirement | Reactions | Relive every Dale Jr. win


RICHMOND, Va. — Dale Earnhardt Jr. said he had some concerns about how the bombshell news he dropped on the NASCAR world this week would be received, worried that it would be upsetting, met with a mix of emotions. He seemed relieved by the generally positive feedback and strong outpouring of support after making his decision to retire from full-time driving at season’s end.

With that part behind him, Earnhardt turns his attention to getting "back to my routine" this weekend at Richmond International Raceway, site of Sunday’s Toyota Owners 400 (2 p.m. ET, FOX, MRN, SiriusXM Radio) for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. But his at-track habits might take on a more freewheeling approach, with little to lose in the 28 points-paying races left in his career.

"The team, the guys, they all and myself we would love to win some races," Earnhardt said Friday after opening practice at the .75-mile track, where he is a three-time premier-series winner. "I’m going to say ‘a race,’ but ‘some races’ would be great going out in your last season to get some victories. We just want to go to Victory Lane one more time, just to get that experience one more time would be awesome for me and I think the guys would love it, for sure.

"But, I certainly did feel a lot more relaxed now. I don’t know whether it’s because I finally got to tell everybody and let everybody know what we are doing, get that over with, but I certainly felt real relaxed today in the garage during practice. I felt like there was less pressure from somewhere and a large amount, a lot different."

Earnhardt, 42, announced Tuesday that 2017 would be his final year driving the No. 88 Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports. Sunday’s race will mark the unofficial start of his farewell tour, which is sure to come with a heaping helping of tributes and parting gifts.

Earnhardt sits 24th in the series standings with just one top-five finish in the eight races so far this year, leaving him in need of a victory or momentous rally in the points to assure a playoff berth. Reaching the postseason by either method might require some risk-taking, something Earnhardt said is a ripe possibility.

Earnhardt related the tale of his former crew chief Steve Letarte, now an analyst with NBC Sports’ broadcast team. Letarte had announced before the 2014 season that he would mount one final campaign with the No. 88 group before making the transition to the television booth the following year.

With his plans in place and a firm sense of direction, Letarte and Earnhardt picked their spots for well-calculated gambles and combined for their most successful year together — four victories, including the driver’s second Daytona 500 win, his first grandfather clock trophy from Martinsville Speedway and a season sweep of both Pocono Raceway events.

"He called that whole season completely different," Earnhardt said. "He was more aggressive and I think it was because he had the freedom to be that way. He was like, ‘What if it doesn’t work?’ And a lot of times it ended up working out. We won both of those Pocono races on pit calls that he made. We didn’t just outrun everybody. There are things he did in the middle of the race that we might not have done had he not had his mind made up what he was doing and ‘Hey, this is my last hurrah, we are going to go for it’ kind of attitude.

"I noticed that whole year he was a much easier going, approachable. I mean he’s pretty damn likable, but he was much more likable and easier to be around. Everything rolled off his back, we didn’t get frustrated as easily and I am anticipating that being similar for me."

Also in the no-pressure department: The search for Earnhardt’s replacement in the No. 88 Chevrolet. Tuesday’s announcement included a note that Hendrick Motorsports would reach that decision at a later date. XFINITY Series rookie William Byron, a top Hendrick prospect, demurred earlier Friday when asked about the organization’s soon-approaching driver vacancy, saying only that he was eager to get his chance to race in NASCAR’s top division.

For Earnhardt, he remains an interested party invested in the team’s success, now and after his departure. He said he wouldn’t demand to be included in the discussions to find his successor, but said he’d value the opportunity to offer his input.

"I can’t read their minds, but I’m sure they all have a direction that they want to go and they have ideas," Earnhardt said of Hendrick Motorsports’ management team. "There are just things about the company that I’m not quite as in touch with that they are that will help them make that decision. They probably have everybody in the world telling them what they ought to do and they don’t need me, but if they ask for it I’m certainly wanting to be involved in that.

"I want the team to have more success. I want it to be … I said this every offseason: Every offseason is a chance to be better than you were the year before. It’s an opportunity to make those personnel changes and those hard decisions. It’s a chance to do it, the things you can’t do in the middle of the river, in the middle of the season."


Posted on by Staff Report

BUY TICKETS: See the races at Richmond

RICHMOND, Va. — The cyclical churn of talent in the NASCAR garage took another turn this week with Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s announcement that 2017 will be his final year in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. His impending departure follows those of household names Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart and Carl Edwards — all in short order since the end of the 2015 season.



In outlining his decision to leave the cockpit, Earnhardt was asked about NASCAR’s ability to reload with a new generational thrust in driver star power. He named Kyle Larson and Chase Elliott among the sport’s several young aces in waiting, offering assurance that the NASCAR roster remained vibrant and strong.



As for those young stars? Asked upon their Friday arrival at Richmond International Raceway about their readiness to assume the mantle, the newest and brightest of those newer drivers might not be waiting much longer.



"Although it’s sad that we have all our veterans and heroes retiring, I think NASCAR is in a great position with all the young talent that they have in the (Monster Energy) Series currently, and really in every feeder series below them, there’s a lot of young guys with great equipment and good backing," said 24-year-old Kyle Larson, the series’ current points leader. "So, I think the competition will be good. And, there’s a lot of personalities, too, with people getting themselves out there on social media and stuff like that, showing their personalities. So, I feel like we’re in a good spot to have some new stars step up."



Larson and Elliott — both 20-somethings — have already begun to make that push on the track, sitting 1-2 in the series standings. They’ve been joined by 23-year-old Ryan Blaney, plus rookies Erik Jones, 20, and Daniel Suarez, 25, as just some of the newest faces in the garage.



The current transition of the sport’s paradigm isn’t a new phenomenon. If the genealogy of NASCAR stardom read like the Book of Chronicles, it would include a traditional biblical list of "begats."



The career of Lee Petty begat Richard Petty’s, Fireball Roberts’ and Ned Jarrett’s careers begat David Pearson’s, which begat Cale Yarborough’s, Bobby Allison’s and Darrell Waltrip’s. Then came Earnhardt and Elliott and Wallace, then Gordon, then Stewart and then Jimmie Johnson — all with a host of other dynamic personalities in between.



Mere mention as a part of that incoming next wave, with the potential to join a list of stars with Hall of Fame clout ranks as heady territory. Being singled out by the series’ 14-time Most Popular Driver as one of those candidates is too, something that Blaney — Earnhardt’s neighbor and friend — accepts with a degree of pride and reverence.



"He has a very big impact of what people think, whether it is fans or in the garage area," Blaney said. "Him talking up younger drivers or the sport in general is going to get his fans excited about the future of going forward even though he won’t be driving next year. What he says will be very important. I know he has always said great things about the sport and drivers in it and been very positive, which makes him a great person and great ambassador for the sport. It means a lot to hear him say those things.



"Like I said, I know he says that about a lot of young drivers and try to set everything up for the future, but it is nice to be a part of that conversation when he speaks."



Gracefully making the transition to stardom is a multi-pronged challenge, requiring both on-track performance and a proficiency in engaging with fans new and old. The former requires both raw talent and a full team effort. As for the latter, Suarez said there’s no secret code to making that connection.



"I think it’s very simple — it’s just being yourself," said Suarez, in his first year of replacing Edwards at Joe Gibbs Racing. "I think every single driver out there in the garage has different personalities: Dale has his personality; Kyle has his personality; Jimmie Johnson has his personality; I have my personality; and everyone is different. When every single driver can go out there to be himself, I think that’s very cool, and the fans like that.



"You know, so far it’s what I’ve been doing and I think it’s the right thing to do. But like I said, overall, Dale has been more than a role model for the sport and it’s great what he has done."


Posted on by Staff Report

BUY TICKETS: See the races at Chicagoland

 

Raphael, Leonardo, Michelangelo and Donatello are back! Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Nickelodeon return to Chicagoland Speedway this September as entitlement sponsor for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series playoff opener. This marks Nickelodeon’s second consecutive year wearing the sponsor hat at the Illinois track. 

 

The pair made the Nickelodeon Tales of the Turtles 400 announcement Friday, coming off a wildly successful 2016 partnership and campaign. The news coincided nicely with National Superhero Day.

 

"We’re thrilled that Nickelodeon is coming back with their Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle franchise as the entitlement partner of our playoff kickoff on Sunday, Sept. 17," Chicagoland track president Scott Paddock told NASCAR.com.

 

Nickelodeon also joined NASCAR in 2015’s SpongeBob SquarePants 400, which saw Jimmie Johnson collect his third win at Kansas Speedway.

 

Last year’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 400 — which Furniture Row Racing’s Martin Truex Jr. won — sparked cross-generational pizazz thanks to Nickelodeon’s revamp and ownership of the franchise.

 

"Brands like Nickelodeon attract a younger audience," Paddock furthered. "We saw impact last year with about a 12 percent increase on kids that came to the race. And what’s really fascinating about the ‘Turtles’ franchise is it’s got cross-generational appeal so it was hot back in the ’90s and (now) you’ve got this whole generation that grew up with it and now their kids are following Nickelodeon."

 

It appears that this is a two-way relationship built on a foundation of deep admiration and appreciation.

 

"This is Year 2 of our partnership with Chicagoland. We’re thrilled to be coming back," Anthony Di Cosmo, senior vice president of sports marketing and content development for Nickelodeon, told NASCAR.com. "I think when we carried out this partnership it was really to kind of build a platform of something long term that we can really engage kids and family in the sport in a way that felt very authentic to Nickelodeon." 

 

Building off 2016’s successful weekend, Nickelodeon plans to have its characters prominently displayed at the speedway as well as driver and team involvement with special paint schemes paying tribute to the network’s cartoon.

 

Last year, Monster Energy Series drivers such as Danica Patrick, Michael McDowell and David Ragan rocked Turtle-related schemes for the 400-miler. 

 

Although it is, as of yet, uncertain who will partake in the themed paint jobs this year, some of the characters — as well as Nickelodeon stars — are scheduled to be prominent during the September weekend with many activities for the entire family.

 

Cowabunga, indeed.

 

Posted on by Staff Report

BUY TICKETS: See the races at Richmond
RELATED: How the Dash 4 Cash works



To hear NASCAR XFINITY Series driver Elliott Sadler tell it, the addition of stages and the modification of the Dash 4 Cash format have had a profound effect on race strategy, because drivers and crews have to take both parts of the equation into account.

The top 10 drivers in each stage earn points, with the winner of the stage getting an additional playoff point that will carry through to the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway. In addition, the top two XFINITY regulars in each stage earn eligibility for the $100,000 Dash 4 Cash bonus, with the highest finisher among them at the checkered flag winning the money.


RELATED: Stage lengths at Richmond

"We’ve actually changed our strategy a lot this year, based on the stage racing," Sadler said. "We didn’t really know how much we’d change it until we actually got to Daytona and saw how different everybody races, getting close to the ends of the stages.

"That’s what’s neat about this Dash 4 cash race (Saturday’s ToyotaCare 250 at Richmond). We’ve actually got a couple things going on. Yes, we’re trying to get qualified for the Dash 4 Cash, but we’re also trying to get bonus points for the stages, too."

All that adds a layer of complexity to the decision-making process.

"We’re just kind of playing it by ear—what decision can we make to best benefit us? It’s definitely changed the way we’re looking at the races, not just from the Dash 4 Cash side, but also the stage racing side. There’s a lot of points to be made, and now that you know you’re going to be saved by a caution, you can be more aggressive.

"We can be more aggressive on pit road. We can take more chances, because we know there’s a caution coming out to save us."

Posted on by Staff Report

BUY TICKETS: See the races at Richmond


RICHMOND, Va. — Naturally enough, Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s bombshell announcement that he will retire from Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series racing at the end of the year shifted focus to the 20-somethings who might take the reigns of the sport.

But that doesn’t mean we should forget the veterans who will still be around.

"I’m only 36," Martin Truex Jr. said plaintively before leading Friday’s opening practice at Richmond International Raceway with a lap at 124.178 mph. "I don’t feel old, so that’s good. That’s the most important part I guess, but, yeah, there’s definitely a lot of young guys coming up.

"But I feel like I’ve got my best years ahead of me. They can keep talking about who’s retiring and who’s going to fill their shoes, and hopefully I’ll be here to take a bunch of checkered flags home."

Not that Truex minds staying in the background and winning races for his No. 78 Furniture Row Racing team, while relative newcomers such as Kyle Larson, Chase Elliott and Ryan Blaney get the lion’s share of attention.

"I can tell you I don’t mind being that guy," Truex said of his low profile.


Posted on by Staff Report

BUY TICKETS: See the races at Richmond

RELATED: Full results

 

RICHMOND, Va. – Matt Kenseth won’t have to come from the middle of nowhere, as he did Monday at Bristol Motor Speedway, where he started 22nd, charged toward the front in the closing laps and finished fourth.

Quite the contrary. In Sunday’s Toyota Owners 400 (on FOX at 2 p.m. ET) at Richmond International Raceway, Kenseth will lead the field to the green flag in the ninth Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race of the season after winning the pole during Friday’s knockout qualifying session.

Kenseth posted a lap at 121.076 mph (22.300 seconds) to edge Ryan Blaney (120.854 mph) for the top starting spot by .041 seconds. The driver of the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota claimed his first Coors Light Pole Award of the season, his second at Richmond and the 19th of his career.

Kenseth was fast enough to make the cut for the first two rounds despite running a single lap in each, and the tire conservation paid off in the money round.

"We had enough speed in our Circle K Toyota Camry that we only had to do one lap each of the first two rounds to get us into the third round, and we improved a little bit the second lap (in the final round). It was a good qualifying effort for us. Feels good to be on the pole.

Kenseth is 20th in points after bottom-five finishes at Daytona, Phoenix and Fontana, and qualifying rainouts hurt him at Bristol and Martinsville, where he had to start mid-pack on owner points.

"This year has not been a good year for us, obviously, so far," Kenseth said. "We finished strong at Bristol, but we didn’t get to qualify because of the rain, and that put us in the middle of the pack – there and Martinsville.

"We haven’t been getting any stage points. We’re buried in the points back there and we finally got a decent finish last week, so hopefully this week we can start up front, stay up front and hopefully collect some of the stage points. But most importantly we’re in the mix for a win at the end of the day."

Martin Truex Jr. (120.681 mph) will start third, followed by Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (120.471 mph) and Joey Logano (120.380 mph).

It was the third second-place qualifying effort of the season for Blaney, who also put the No. 21 Wood Brothers Ford on the front row at Phoenix and Texas.

"We weren’t great the first round but kept getting steps better each round, which we’ve done a really good job of this year," Blaney said. "I thought that’s where we struggled a lot last year. We didn’t improve last year, we would go backwards. This year we’re improving round-to-round.

"It’s just communication and knowing what we need to change in our car. That’s something to be proud of. That’s a lot of second starts now. I really want to race the Clash at Daytona (the season-opening exhibition race primarily for pole winners). That’s my biggest thing right now. It’s upsetting me that we can’t get a pole. I think our Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Fusion is good—we’ll find out in race trim."

WATCH: Dillon makes … interesting … qualifying lap

 

Both Kenseth and Blaney saved their fastest laps for the final round. The same couldn’t be said of Logano, who ran the fastest lap of the afternoon (121.468 mph) in the second round but couldn’t sustain his speed in the third.

"We just lost a little bit there the last run," said Logano who tied Kevin Harvick for the fastest lap in the opening round at 120.870 mph. "We got loose into (Turns) 3 and 4, missed it the first lap and did the same exact thing the second lap.

"It’s so frustrating when you win the first two rounds and the one that pays the money, you’re not there. That’s always frustrating. I guess we have decent speed in our car… it is just frustrating. I don’t know what else to say. It just sucks."

 

Posted on by Staff Report

BUY TICKETS: See the races at Richmond
RELATED: Full weekend schedule for Richmond


The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR XFINITY Series are at Richmond International Raceway this weekend.


Below are the stage lengths for each race. Click here to bookmark stage lengths for every race this season.


Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series (Race is Sunday, 2 p.m. ET, FOX)

Stage 1: Ends on Lap 100
Stage 2: Ends on Lap 200
Final Stage: Scheduled to end on Lap 400


XFINITY Series (Race is Saturday, 1 p.m. ET, FS1)

Stage 1: Ends on Lap 75
Stage 2: Ends on Lap 150
Final Stage: Scheduled to end on Lap 250

Posted on by Staff Report

BUY TICKETS: See the races at Richmond
RELATED: Dale Jr. announces retirement | Amy’s message to Dale

A statistical look at the NASCAR career of Dale Earnhardt Jr., with numbers as of April 25, the day he announced his retirement from the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series at the end of the 2017 season.



For a deeper statistical dive, visit Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s page at racing-reference.info.



0 — The number of laps completed in Earnhardt Jr.’s shortest race, the result of a first-lap crash in the 2001 Dura Lube 400 at Rockingham. The event was the first for NASCAR after the death of Dale Earnhardt Sr. in a last-lap crash in the Daytona 500.



1 — The number of NASCAR All-Star Race victories in Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s career. He became the invitational event’s first rookie winner in 2000.



2 — The number of Daytona 500 victories recorded by Dale Earnhardt Jr.



3 — The car number made famous by his father, NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt. Also, Earnhardt Jr.’s highest-ranking finish in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series standings, in 2003.



6 — The number of wins recorded by Earnhardt Jr. at Talladega Superspeedway, the most among active drivers. Also, the number of victories Earnhardt achieved in his winningest season (2004).


RELATED: All of Junior’s wins | Dale Jr. through the years


8 — Earnhardt Jr.’s first car number in NASCAR premier-series competition. Also, his starting spot in his premier series debut in the 1999 Coca-Cola 600.



10 — The number of seasons that Dale Earnhardt Jr. has driven for Hendrick Motorsports, which fields his No. 88 Chevrolet.


11.3 — The best average finish in a single full season in Earnhardt Jr.’s career, recorded in his three-win campaign of 2015.


12 — The number of tracks where Dale Earnhardt Jr. won in his premier-series career — Talladega (6), Daytona (4), Phoenix (3), Richmond (3), Pocono (2), Michigan (2), and one each at Atlanta, Martinsville, Bristol, Chicagoland, Texas and Dover.


RELATED: Best paint schemes | Junior plans to run two XFINITY races in ’18


13 — The number of Coors Light Pole Awards that Earnhardt has collected in his career in NASCAR’s top division.



20 — Over two seasons (2012 and 2016), the number of races that Earnhardt missed due to concussions.



21 — The age at which Dale Earnhardt Jr. made his debut in what is now the NASCAR XFINITY Series. He finished 14th on June 22, 1996 at Myrtle Beach (S.C.) Speedway.



22 — The number of top-10 finishes Earnhardt Jr. posted in both of his NASCAR XFINITY Series championship seasons.



24 — The age at which Dale Earnhardt Jr. made his debut in NASCAR’s premier series.



42 — The age at which Dale Earnhardt Jr. made his decision to retire from the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series.


RELATED: Dale Jr. explains his decision — best quotes from the No. 88 driver and Rick Hendrick


50 — The number of NASCAR national series victories for Dale Earnhardt Jr., with 26 in premier-series competition and 24 in what is now known as the XFINITY Series.



88 — The car number the Dale Earnhardt Jr. has campaigned since moving to Hendrick Motorsports in 2008.



100 — Dale Earnhardt Jr. reached this milestone number of premier-series starts on Sept. 1, 2002 in the Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway. He finished 16th.



143 — The number of races in the longest losing skid of Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s career, spanning 2008-12. Both wins that bookended the dry spell were recorded at Michigan International Speedway.



149 — The number of top-five finishes that Earnhardt Jr has registered in his career at NASCAR’s top level.



291 — The number of starts that Earnhardt Jr. made for Dale Earnhardt Inc., the team founded by his father that gave him his start in what is now the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series.



312 — The number of starts — as of April 25, 2017 — made by Dale Earnhardt Jr. for Hendrick Motorsports.



426 — The number of laps led by Earnhardt in his first full season (2000) in NASCAR’s top division.



540 — The number of times that Dale Earnhardt Jr. was scored as running at the finish in his career, an 89.6 percent rate.



595.5 — The number of miles Dale Earnhardt Jr. completed in his big-league debut May 30, 1999 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Earnhardt placed 16th, three laps down in the Coca-Cola 600.



600 — The milestone number of premier-series starts Earnhardt achieved in March 2017 at Auto Club Speedway.



1,131 — The number of laps led in Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s most prolific season (2004) in that category.



8,195 — The number of laps led in Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s career to date.

Posted on by Staff Report

RELATED: See the complete iRacing schedule


Rookie NASCAR PEAK Antifreeze Series driver Bobby Zalenski scored his first victory at Phoenix International Raceway Tuesday night, holding off Ray Alfalla and Ryan Luza on two late-race restarts. Zalenski took the lead on a restart with ten laps to go when leader Andrew Fayash missed a shift. Logan Clampitt, who was restarting second, also moved alongside Fayash as the three raced door-to-door into Turn 1. Zalenski had such a sharp angle into the corner he could not keep his car on the bottom which led him to hit Clampitt, spinning the erstwhile series leader out of contention.



Zalenski escaped with minimal damage and had the race lead, but he would need to execute on one more restart with the two strongest drivers in 2017 thus far right behind him. The green flew with five laps left but before Alfalla and Luza could challenge for the win, Michael Conti spun Fayash entering Turn One leading to a race-ending caution.



Alfalla finished runner-up, right in front of Luza as both rebounded from their problems at Texas. Dylan Duval finished fourth and Zack Novak was fifth, the first time either driver has finished in the top five this season.



Matt Bussa started on pole and led the race to the green flag, building a comfortable lead on Luza during the opening laps. Bussa led the entirety of the first run, only relinquishing the lead to pit for tires and fuel on Lap 53. However, Bussa would not return to the front after the stops as several sim racers short-pitted including Michael Conti, who assumed the lead.



A caution on Lap 59 brought nearly all the lead lap cars back into the pits for tires with Conti leading the pack off pit road. Conti would restart third but only took one lap to pass Adam Gilliland and Marcus Richardson to retake the lead.



Unlike the first run when Luza kept in touch with Bussa, nobody came close to matching Conti’s speed on the long run as the No. 5 drove off and left the field. Like Bussa, Conti led until pitting for routine service on Lap 106 and just like the first round of stops, a caution interrupted the pit cycle before it was complete, costing Conti and other frontrunners some track position.



The final 40 laps were quite the wreckfest as drivers tried to gain positions after restarts. Chris Overland held the lead briefly but Fayash got by shortly after the restart. Despite not showing speed early in the race, Fayash looked quite strong out front and led until his unfortunate missed shift and subsequent crash one restart later.



Luza is back on top of the standings thanks to his third-place effort and Clampitt’s troubles. He leads Zalenski by five points while Clampitt slips to third, seven points adrift. Alfalla sits fourth, but is within striking distance as he is only 13 points out of the lead. Darik Bourdeau rounds out the top five, 32 points back.



Next up is a date with Richmond International Raceway, the second-consecutive short track on the schedule. Look for many of the same faces to be up front as Luza, Alfalla, Clampitt and Zalenski look to break away from the field. With 2017 looking like one of the most competitive NASCAR PEAK Antifreeze Series seasons ever, can anyone break away and become the favorite for the sim racing title? Find out in two weeks on iRacingLive!


Posted on by Staff Report

BUY TICKETS: See the races at Richmond
RELATED: Dale Jr. to retire after ’17 | Cain: How Junior endears himself to fans

Plenty of reaction has poured in over the days since Dale Earnhardt Jr. announced his retirement from full-time Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series racing at the end of the 2017 season.

Drivers, fans, friends and everyone in between have taken time to thank Dale Jr. for everything he has done for the sport. In the video above, Kurt Busch expresses his thoughts on Dale Jr.’s retirement, saying "there’s nobody that could ever replace Dale Jr."

RELATED: NASCAR reacts to driver’s announcement

In the video below from JR Motorsports, an assortment of drivers from Kyle Larson and Danica Patrick to recently retired three-time champion Tony Stewart, spotter TJ Majors and a host of others wish Junior well. Former No. 88 crew-chief-turned-TV-analyst Steve Letarte warns of a "Honey-Do" list. Regan Smith also provided some humorous foreshadowing for what he think Dale’s post-retirement life will look like.

Will we see "Honey-Do list Dale" join "Water Cooler Dale" on a Nationwide commercial? Perhaps, but for now everyone is extending their gratitude toward the racing superstar.