NASCAR: Dale Earnhardt Jr. 2023 announcement looming

Dale Earnhardt Jr. is set to return to the NASCAR Xfinity Series again in 2023, and he is set to compete in two races instead of one. But where will he compete?

Shortly after competing at Martinsville Speedway in a NASCAR Xfinity Series race for the first time in his career this past April, Dale Earnhardt Jr. confirmed his plans to return to JR Motorsports, the team he co-owns with his sister Kelley Earnhardt Miller, in 2023.

After retiring from full-time Cup Series competition following the 2017 season, Earnhardt decided that he didn’t want to step away from NASCAR racing completely and opted to compete in one Xfinity Series race per season.

He competed at Richmond Raceway in 2018 and finished in fourth place before competing at Darlington Raceway in 2019 and finishing in fifth. After finishing in fifth at Homestead-Miami Speedway in 2020, he hinted that he may be done competing, but he ultimately decided to return.

In 2021, he competed at Richmond Raceway once again and finished in 14th place. He finished in 11th in his first Xfinity Series start at Martinsville Speedway in 2022.

It was later announced that Dale Earnhardt Jr. would be competing in not one but two races in the 2023 season.

This is something which the 48-year-old Kannapolis, North Carolina native hasn’t done since the 2017 season when he competed at both Bristol Motor Speedway and Richmond Raceway.

The deal was announced as part of a renewed and expanded partnership between JR Motorsports and longtime sponsor Bass Pro Shops, as the outdoor and conservation company is set to sponsor him in one of the two races.

Unilever’s Hellmann’s brand, which has sponsored him in all five of his races from 2018 to 2022, is set to sponsor him in the other.

However, what hasn’t yet been announced is where and when he will be competing in 2023.

Dale Jr. is once again set to compete in a fifth part-time entry, with four drivers — Sam Mayer, Justin Allgaier, Josh Berry, and Noah Gragson replacement Brandon Jones — set to compete full-time for the team behind the wheel of the No. 1 Chevrolet, the No. 7 Chevrolet, the No. 8 Chevrolet, and the No. 9 Chevrolet, respectively.

No other drivers have been confirmed for the fifth entry, the No. 88 Chevrolet, for the 2023 season, so Earnhardt could technically compete anywhere and there is not yet a timetable for an official announcement.

The 2023 NASCAR Xfinity Series season is scheduled to begin on Saturday, February 18 with the Beef. It’s What’s for Dinner. 300, which is set to be broadcast live on Fox Sports 1 from Daytona International Speedway beginning at 5:00 p.m. ET.