NASCAR: 3 hints about Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s 2021 plans
By Asher Fair
Dale Earnhardt Jr. Hint #3 – Sam Mayer’s contract
Dale Earnhardt Jr. didn’t state this to us specifically, but JR Motorsports confirmed quite a while back that Sam Mayer is set to drive full-time for the team in the Xfinity Series once he turns 18 in June.
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Earnhardt already confirmed that he won’t be competing in the Martinsville Speedway playoff race, which makes sense given the fact that it is slated to be contested in late October, at which point Mayer is set to be the full-time driver of the #8 Chevrolet.
But this also rules out the race at Richmond Raceway. The only race at Richmond Raceway on the 2021 Xfinity Series schedule is scheduled to take place on Saturday, September 11. Again, if all goes according to plan, an 18-year-old Mayer will be a full-time driver by that point in time.
Darlington Raceway does have a September race as well, scheduled to take place one week before the race at Richmond Raceway, but unlike Richmond Raceway, it also has a race in the spring.
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And that is why you can expect to see Dale Earnhardt Jr. behind the wheel of the #8 Hellman’s Chevrolet for JR Motorsports on Saturday, May 8 at Darlington Raceway in the Toyota 200.