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Dale Earnhardt Jr’s Nephew Jeffrey Earnhardt Bags Full-Time Ride With JD Motorsports in NASCAR Xfinity Series

Published 12/22/2020, 5:22 AM EST

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For the 2021 NASCAR Xfinity Series, one more puzzle piece of the ‘Silly Season’ has fallen in place. To be precise, Jeffrey Earnhardt, who is the nephew of Dale Earnhardt Jr,  has signed a new deal with JD Motorsports.

Last year, he was in the JD Motorsports stable, but on a part-time basis. All that has changed now, as he is set to race as a full-time driver in 2021, once again piloting the no. 0 Chevrolet Camaro in the Xfinity Series.

Last season, Earnhardt flitted between the no. 0 and no. 15  cars and competed in 29 races. In the process, he broke into the top-20 on 13 occasions, including five top-15 finishes. Now, he is back with a vengeance and eager to compete full-time for the outfit.

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We got a late start and the plan was to run six to twelve races but something good was happening and by Bristol, you could sense the momentum we were having,” he said.

“We came home in 15th in our third race and that’s an accomplishment when just a few weeks earlier we had no plans to work together.  We had great partners join us and the season had some real bright spots to build on,” Earnhardt added.

How did Jeffrey Earnhardt perform in the 2020 NASCAR season?

In 2020, Earnhardt recorded a best finish of 12th at the Texas Motor Speedway, before he went one better in Charlotte as he braved soggy conditions at the Roval.

For this season, he targets top-10 finishes more consistently.

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Over the years, the team has grown from strength to strength and 2020 was one of its best to date. It is safe to say that Jeffrey Earnhardt had a small hand in their growth as well with his performances.

The 31-year-old knows that 2021 will offer new challenges and loftier goals for himself. However, he also knows that he cannot bank on his family name alone to bring him success. Instead, the fourth-generation driver is aware that he and the team are underdogs.

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Owing to this, they will rely on hard work to try and make the playoffs. On a parting note, he is excited to return to the no. 0 team and partner with Colby Howard.

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Written by:

Dhruv George

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Dhruv George is a senior Formula One and NASCAR analyst for EssentiallySports, having authored nearly 12000 articles spanning different sports like F1, NASCAR, Tennis, NFL, and eSports. He graduated with a PG Diploma in Journalism from the Xavier Institute of Communications. Dhruv has also conducted interviews with F1 driver Pierre Gasly and Moto2 rider Tony Arbolino.
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