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Dale Earnhardt Jr’s Promising Prospect Making Way for NASCAR Return of Retired Legend Has Racing Fandom Sold Out

Published 09/16/2023, 8:05 PM EDT

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A NASCAR driver’s career can be gratifying at times. Undoubtedly a risky affair, competing in the Cup Series has, however, put some legendary drivers on the pedestal of immortality in motorsports. Giving rise to champions, cult heroes, and fan favorites, NASCAR has witnessed its fair share of greatness over the years. One such driver, renowned as one of the most loved personalities in the sport, is Dale Earnhardt Jr.

The two-time Xfinity Series champion has been evident throughout the golden age of NASCAR and understands the gravity of emotions that some of the sport’s legends can stir in a fan. Presenting a hypothetical opportunity to the fans, Junior tries to get a consensus about some of the fandom’s most favored drivers.

Dale Earnhardt Jr tried to convince retired NASCAR legends to make a return

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Former drivers have rarely been able to stay away from the fast-moving sport. The most notable example would be Dale Earnhardt Jr., who has gotten into multiple ventures in and around NASCAR that have maintained his community presence and paid off handsomely. Junior has left no stone unturned in his attempts to rebuild and renovate iconic tracks, bringing forth his opinions and the community’s issues through podcasts and even racing in late-model tours.

Wishing to bring back some of the memories from his days of racing and going toe-to-toe with some of the sport’s best-ever drivers, Junior revealed that he had some exciting conversations with 4-time Cup Series champion Jeff Gordon and Jeff Burton, which motivated him to persuade them to race again if the opportunity presents itself. He tweeted,

I got a few cool text messages from guys like @JeffBurton and @JeffGordonWeb from last evening. I spent that opportunity to try to persuade them to do a one off Xfinity race next year. How cool would that be?!? What retired driver would you love to see compete again.”

NBC used this very chance to learn more about how the fans felt about this question. If the idea comes to fruition, it will shift many eyes towards that race, for sure. Getting to see any of the mentioned legends in a race one more time officially sounds like a magnificent plan.

The fandom responded in kind, showing eagerness to see some of their dearest drivers back in action for one more time.

Fans display their choice of drivers

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One of the fans commented, “Carl Edwards or Jeff?” Carl Edwards has been at a crossroads between a return and staying away from the sport for a long time. Edwards was spotted at the trackside often in the initial months of this season, which sparked off rumors of a possible return to racing.

While he has denied any such developments in his life, he hasn’t completely ruled them out either. It would be lovely to see one more backflip from him in the victory lane, surely.

Some of the fans named Cale Yarborough as their preferred choice of return as well. It might be too late for his return now as the 84-year-old has stayed away from racing for a long now and has entered the world of business instead.

“Dale Jr always my first choice then I guess Tony Stewart,” said another comment while a fan came up with a brilliant idea that could also bring in some revenue for NASCAR apart from pleasing the fans with some nostalgia. Tony Stewart also appeared in a great number of comments.

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“Can’t we just do a retired driver race on a Wednesday night during the season? Pick a fun track like Bristol. 300 laps, with professional pit crews”, he commented.

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It is always great to see the enthusiasm with which fans support their loved drivers. While it would be tough to gather all of them together for a race, it does sound like a great plan.

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Written by:

Ansuman Abhisek

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Ansuman Abhisek is a NASCAR Writer at EssentiallySports. As an engineering graduate, he has a strong affinity for cars, and it didn't take long for him to translate that into his love for the sport. He is a big fan of Kyle Busch and believes that the Richard Childress Driver still has his best years ahead of him.
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Edited by:

Shivali Nathta