“My time has passed, and I am cool with that.” Dale Earnhardt Jr. brought the curtain down on his full-time NASCAR Cup Series career in November 2017 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. And for his final race, he set modest goals—he just wanted to run all the laps and finish the race. And he stayed true to his word, crossing the finish in 25th despite tire troubles and then celebrating with his team on pit road.

Since then, Junior has seamlessly shifted from driver to one of motorsports’ most respected voices, cementing his status as a broadcaster, star, team owner, and grassroots champion. But with his new music video cameo venture, rumors exploded. Was NASCAR’s beloved veteran about to make a full-time comeback? Junior was quick to extinguish the speculation, making it clear to the NASCAR community before they jumped the gun.

Dale Jr. on his return to Cup amid Late Model races

Earlier this week, country star Luke Combs dropped a teaser from his upcoming music video, and motorsport fans were thrilled to spot Dale Earnhardt Jr. in the frame, alongside NASCAR legend Richard Petty. Their appearance added major clout to the production, reflecting Combs’ deep dive into racing culture.

It is hardly Junior’s first time in front of the camera. He has also previously appeared in Jay Z’s ‘Show Me What You Got’ with Danica Patrick, 3 Doors Down’s ‘The Road I’m On’ alongside Tony Stewart, and even had a cameo in Carrie Underwood’s hit ‘The Champion.’ When Luke pitched the idea, Junior knew he was a natural fit and jumped right in.

In his recent episode of DJD, Junior revealed the makings of the cameo and assured the fans that he wasn’t going to be racing in the Cup Series anytime soon. He said, ” So, you know, Luke’s like, ‘Hey, whatever Dale wants is great. I’m glad he’s doing it.’ And so, you know, I’ve never driven a Next Gen and I never will be racing in a Next Gen car in my life. And so, having me in a Next Gen running around a racetrack at Charlotte talking about ‘Back in the Saddle,’ people are going to go, ‘Man, this is b——-.'”

And before he could shut down any type of rumor, TJ and co-host Mike were quick to jump on the bandwagon. TJ jokingly quipped, as if he could read Dale Jr.’s mind. He said, ” You want to run the Roval, don’t you?” Determined to make it announcement, TJ and Mike were determined to make it a funny announcement. However, Dale Jr. didn’t pay heed to it and said, “Yeah. They’re going to go, ‘Oh, is he really? Is this b——-?”‘They’re going to be disappointed more than anything. And so I thought, well, let’s do something realistic because I do run four or five late model races.” 

That realism is rooted in his short comeback. Since 2022, Junior has steadily built his Late Model dancing card, including your memorable third-place finish at North Wilkesboro’s 2022 revival event. Fast forward to 2025, and he already has at least three CARS Tour events on his calendar. He debuted with a mid-pack run at Cordele in April, and now, with just three weeks remaining, he is set to make his appearance at Anderson Motor Speedway in August and Tri-County in October. But as for the Cup Series, the veteran is definitely done.

Dale Jr. reveals why he pushed to film at Tri-County Motor Speedway

During the Ask Jr. segment of his DJD podcast, Dale Earnhardt Jr. opened up about why he chose a particular short track in his cameo in Luke Combs’ music video. It all started with a simple text. Luke reached out, asked if Junior would be in it, and the two decided to film at Tri-County Motor Speedway in Granite Falls, North Carolina, home of Eric Church.

Wanting the shoot to feel true to the spirit of this song, Junior was hands-on with the location, and he may have had his own reason for picking Tri-County. He says, “And then he’s (Luke) up in the flag stand, and I’m making laps. And I’m racing at Tri-County later this year, so I thought I wanna go somewhere where I can get some laps. And so I ran, and I followed a camera car around the track a little bit; we got some shots that way.”

It is the October race that he is referring to. Junior is set to run his Sun Drop-backed No. 8 Late Model under JR Motorsport at the zMAX CARS Tour event on October 4. The video wasn’t just a cameo; it was a soft preview of his return to the track. Junior’s decision to include Tri-County on his 2025 schedule reflects his larger mission: spotlighting grassroots racing and bringing attention to historic short tracks. It’s not just another race; it is a full circle moment that ties his legacy, the culture of local racing, and the sport’s future all in one lap.