Back in September 2024, Dale Earnhardt Jr. said he was running his final NASCAR race. That was an eventful Xfinity Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway, a track he won back in 2004. He savored the challenges and thrills he faced in the event, and projected 2025 as a rest year. However, with the start of 2026, the veteran just announced his return to racing seat – in an off-NASCAR ride, but on an old NASCAR track.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. is ready for a musical ride

“On April 11th, a new chapter begins. An icon of Nashville nightlife, @tootsiesnet, teams up with the best short track touring series in the country for one unforgettable night at @RaceFairgrounds,” the official X account of CARS Tour posted recently.

On April 11th this year, the zMAX CARS Tour visits the Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway. On Tuesday, the hallowed racetrack of NASCAR announced that Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge will serve as the presenting sponsor for the event, featuring the CARS Tour’s Late Model Stock Cars and Pro Late Models. To add a cherry on top of this cake, Dale Jr. will compete in the LMSC division in his No. 8 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet.

“I’m racing at Nashville Fairgrounds April 11,” said Dale Earnhardt, Jr. on the Dale Jr Download. “Driving the Bass Pro Shops car at the fairgrounds for the CARS Tour. I’m going to do the tire test here in a couple of days. I’ll have a better idea of how fast it is.”

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The last time Dale Jr. wheeled a car was at the NASCAR Xfinity race in Bristol in September 2024. That 300-lap race was eventful, as the veteran faced a plethora of issues. These included ongoing radio issues, a helmet change, a swap of wiring harnesses, and glasses gone missing. Yet he wheeled the No. 88 JR Motorsports to a 7th-place finish – marking an end to his ‘Bristol’ lore, that had started with the iconic ‘It’s Bristol, baby!’ slogan back in 2004.

Now, however, Dale Earnhardt Jr. is back in the wheel. He co-owns CARS Tour with fellow NASCAR luminaries Kevin Harvick, Justin Marks, and Jeff Burton. It’s largely considered the most prestigious regional short track racing series in the country. Marks, Trackhouse Racing owner, convinced Tootsie’s owner, Steve Smith, to serve as the title sponsor of the Nashville event.

“The CARS Tour coming to the Nashville Fairgrounds is huge,” Marks said. “Such a historic track, in a great city, with the most exciting late model racing in the country, is a recipe for success.” The NASCAR Cup Series races were held at Fairgrounds Speedway from 1958 until 1984. Now, only the OAPS and the Truck Series race there.

While Dale Earnhardt Jr. gears up for a CARS Tour event, his nieces were involved in a viral video from the series.

Defusing a volatile situation

The zMAX CARS Tour LMSC season opener unfolded at Southern National Motorsports Park with much drama. JR Motorsports driver Caden Kvapil held off for the victory, but ended up upsetting Doug Barnes Jr. in the process. And the latter was looking for a fistfight, shoving his hands inside Kvapil’s car while he was strapped inside. However, Dale Jr.’s nieces – Karsyn and Kennedy Elledge – showed their own muscle power.

The two girls, along with other CARS Tour officials, wrestled Barnes away from Kvapil. And the video showing their action went viral. Dale Earnhardt Jr. commented on it and emphasized restraint.

“That’s a fine line,” Dale Earnhardt Jr. said. “…If it wasn’t a JR Motorsports car… They have to absolutely try to kind of keep the peace, but they have to also be careful not to cross the line and be physical themselves. But I didn’t see anything that I would say was problematic.”

“It’s a balance because they do work for the series. They also have a connection to me. I own the car that won the race that guy’s mad at. Doug Barnes was upset with Caden Kvapil after Caden squeezed him into the fence off of Turn Four coming to the white.”

Clearly, the Earnhardt family is elevating the CARS Tour experience. Let’s wait and see how Dale Earnhardt Jr. performs on his racing comeback.