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Dale Earnhardt Jr. Will Retire From NASCAR Cup Series After This Season

Dale Earnhardt Jr. has announced his retirement from NASCAR after the 2017 season.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. salutes his fans 1 photo
Photo: Dale Earnhardt Jr. on Instagram
The announcement was made by Hendrick Motorsports, his current team, in a press release published today. Earnhardt Jr. was elected Most Popular Driver for 14 times during his career, which began in 1999. He was 24 at the time, and he accomplished 26 wins in 603 starts until the day of the announcement.

Dale Jr. holds two championship wins in what is known today as the NASCAR XFINITY Series, along with two Daytona 500 crowns. The latter two were won in 2004 and 2014.

The number 88 driver had eight starts this season, and his best finish was fifth place at the Texas Motor Speedway, a competition that was held on April 9, 2017.

Dale Jr. is currently ranked 24th in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series standings. He has proven his abilities in the sport, and managed to win at the biggest and fastest ovals in the series, including six first place finishes at Talladega Superspeedway.

Earnhardt Jr. has been with his current team for ten seasons, but he had known his current boss since the 1980s. He even signed a “lifetime contract” with him on a napkin as a joke in 1991, Nascar.com informs.

The driver used to race under the number eight, but later switched to 88. He has suffered several concussions in his career, which has turned him into a safety advocate for the athletes who went through high-speed crashes.

It is believed that Dale Jr. inherited the fans from his late father, who lost his life on the last lap of a race at Daytona 500 in 2001. His personality and humorous approach to social media have brought him new fans, who are believed to continue to follow the athlete even as he puts his helmet back in the box.

There's no word on who will replace the driver in the team, but we should learn more on the topic as the next season approaches.
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About the author: Sebastian Toma
Sebastian Toma profile photo

Sebastian's love for cars began at a young age. Little did he know that a career would emerge from this passion (and that it would not, sadly, involve being a professional racecar driver). In over fourteen years, he got behind the wheel of several hundred vehicles and in the offices of the most important car publications in his homeland.
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