NASCAR: Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s decision may end 46-year streak

If Dale Earnhardt Jr. decides to fully retire from NASCAR competition, that decision could end a family streak that dates back nearly five decades.

While 15-time NASCAR Most Popular Driver Award winner Dale Earnhardt Jr. retired from full-time competition following the 2017 Cup Series season, his 18th season as a full-time driver at NASCAR’s top level, he has competed in one Xfinity Series race every year since then.

Earnhardt, who co-owns JR Motorsports, drove the #88 Chevrolet for the team in the race at Richmond Raceway in September of 2018 and finished in fourth place. Then last August, he drove the #8 Chevrolet for the team at Darlington Raceway and finished in fifth.

He was slated to make his lone start in the 2020 season at Homestead-Miami Speedway in March, but that race was put on hold due to the coronavirus pandemic. He did end up competing in the event, but that race did not take place until June.

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After finishing in fifth place in this race, Earnhardt admitted that he does not know whether or not that race will be his last. He hasn’t said anything more about the matter since then.

He had previously stated that he would run one Xfinity Series race per year for as long as he could, but perhaps this was his final shot. Since retiring from full-time competition, he has served as an analyst for NASCAR on NBC, and he admitted that it may be time to shift his full focus to the broadcast booth from the race track itself.

If he does that, NASCAR could see quite an impressive streak come to an end, although there are still two other drivers who could keep it alive.

Not since the 1974 season has the Earnhardt name not competed in NASCAR at any level. This was after Ralph Earnhardt competed in the Cup Series in eight seasons from 1956 to 1966 and before the late Dale Earnhardt made his debut in 1975.

Dale Sr. competed in the Cup Series from 1975 until he was killed in 2001 as a result of a last-lap crash in the season-opening Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway. He also competed in several Xfinity Series races for 13 consecutive seasons from 1982 to 1994.

Dale Jr. made his Xfinity Series debut in 1996 and his Cup Series debut in 2000. The only Xfinity Series season he has completely missed since 1996 is the 2000 campaign. He has not competed in a Cup Series race since retiring after the 2017 season.

If he does not return for another Xfinity Series race in 2021, that could end a 46-year streak of the Earnhardt name in NASCAR.

Other than Dale Jr., the two drivers who could keep this streak alive in 2021 are Jeffrey Earnhardt and Bobby Dale Earnhardt.

Jeffrey has competed in Xfinity Series races in each of the last two seasons after not doing so from 2016 through 2018, although he did compete in the Cup Series during those three seasons. He entered the 2020 season having competed in the Cup Series for five consecutive seasons, although he hasn’t done so yet this year.

Between the Xfinity Series and the Cup Series, he has competed in NASCAR on some level for 10 consecutive seasons and 11 of the last 12. It would not be shocking to see him back in 2021 to extend this streak, but nothing is guaranteed.

The 2020 season is currently the only season since 1974 not to feature an Earnhardt in the Cup Series, although it is believed that Jeffrey will extend that streak to 46 years as well by competing for The Money Team Racing, the team in which legendary boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr. is involved. They have yet to make their NASCAR debut but are expected to do so in the near future.

As for Bobby Dale, he entered the 2020 season having competed in the Xfinity Series for three consecutive seasons, although there are currently no plans for him to compete in 2020, much less in 2021.