Dale Earnhardt Jr Retirement Announcement Expected Today

Dale Earnhardt Jr Retirement Announcement Expected to come in 3PM/et Press Conference

Out of the blue, a Dale Earnhardt Jr retirement announcement is expected in less than an hour.

It’s scheduled for 3PM/et.

It was announced from Dale Earnhardt Jr himself via twitter. Stating, “Press Conference at 3pm to give me the opportunity to discuss the retirement news. Incredible to see the support today. #FinishStrong”

It’s likely that concussions will be announced as a key to his retirement. Dale Earnhardt Jr has had several concussions throughout his career. Including last year when he was forced to sit out for the bulk of the season. Jeff Gordon came out of retirement to fill his seat, sharing the position with Alex Bowman.

In February 2017, NASCAR extended it’s concussion protocol. Likely, a direct result of Dale Earnhardt Jr’s symptoms from the previous season. 2016 wasn’t Dale Jr’s first concussion. Here’s a story from 2012. Nearly an identical story from 2016.

He is NASCAR’s undisputed most popular driver. Uncontested, he has won NASCAR’s most popular driver award every year since 2003, 14 times in total.

Dale Earnhardt Jr has spent 19 years in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. Over that time, he’s run 603 races to date. 26 wins, 149 top-5’s and 253 top-10’s.

Career earnings between 1999-2015 were $95,680,982. Data from this year and years previous are not added to that gross value collected. NASCAR stopped releasing earnings data after the 2015 season.

He was the 1998, 1999 Busch Series Champion (NASCAR Xfinity Series). Dale Earnhardt Jr has never won a Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Championship. His best season points finish came in 2003 where he finish 3rd.

Author: Shane Walters

Hendrick Motorsports Announcement

Dale Earnhardt Jr and Jimmie Johnson — DAYTONA BEACH, FL – FEBRUARY 23: Dale Earnhardt Jr., driver of the #88 National Guard Chevrolet, celebrates in Victory Lane with Jimmie Johnson, driver of the #48 Lowe’s Chevrolet, and team owner Rick Hendrick after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway on February 23, 2014 in Daytona Beach, Florida. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)

CONCORD, N.C. (April 25, 2017) – After 18 seasons and more than 600 races behind the wheel, Dale Earnhardt Jr. will bring his NASCAR Cup Series driving career to a close at the conclusion of 2017. Today, he shared the news with members of his No. 88 Hendrick Motorsports team.

The fan favorite and two-time Daytona 500 champion will discuss his decision in a press conference this afternoon. He will be joined by Hendrick Motorsports owner Rick Hendrick, for whom Earnhardt has driven since 2008. The two first met about the driver’s decision on March 29.

Earnhardt, who will turn 43 in October, made his first career Cup Series start on May 30, 1999, at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Since then, the Kannapolis, North Carolina, native has captured 26 points-paying Cup race wins and been voted by fans as NASCAR’s Most Popular Driver a record 14 consecutive years. He has qualified for the NASCAR playoffs eight times.

Now in the midst of his 18th full-time season at the elite Cup level, Earnhardt made his 600th career series start on March 26 at Fontana, California. He will compete in his final NASCAR Cup Series race on Nov. 19 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

Hendrick Motorsports will announce plans for its 2018 team alignment at a later date.