Most people would choose a quieter life when they’re nearing retirement age, but Dale Earnhardt Jr. isn’t like most. At 50, with his place in the Hall of Fame secured, he still feels the racetracks call out to him. He chooses to trade the cozy confines of the broadcast booth for the raw, unscripted thrill of competition, chasing a feeling that only the driver’s seat can provide. With over 600 NASCAR Cup Series starts, 26 wins, and two Daytona 500 victories, Earnhardt’s resume is more than just complete; it’s iconic.

This enduring passion led him to compete this past weekend in the zMAX CARS Tour’s return to Anderson Motor Speedway. The event drew a sold-out crowd, eager to see the retired legend race again. Earnhardt Jr. honored the old-school short track with a classic paint scheme on his car, and despite starting deep in the field, he battled his way to a respectable 10th-place finish. In the same race, championship contender Connor Hall finished fifth, continuing his tight points battle with the winner, Landen Lewis.

Beyond the competition, the weekend was a significant win for fan interaction. Dale Earnhardt Jr. and other drivers spent a considerable amount of time signing autographs and engaging with the massive crowd. As Earnhardt Jr. himself noted, “We signed a lot of autographs all day long, Friday and Saturday, took care of a ton of people.” Now, he looks forward to his next race track participation, where he and his team hope to deliver another strong performance.

Dale Earnhardt Jr relives the old school days as he races on a short track

For Saturday’s race, Dale Earnhardt Jr. brought back a piece of racing history. He raced with a paint scheme that mirrored his emotional July 2001 Daytona victory, which was his first return to the track after his father’s passing. This special Budweiser and Major League Baseball design wasn’t just about winning; for him, it was a heartfelt tribute. It was a chance to honor his past, relive the pure joy of racing, and show everyone the passion that keeps him coming back to the track. 

He further elaborated on his performance, comparing it with the practice sessions.  His car was fast in practice, but he wasn’t able to get the same performance during the official qualifying session, which put him in a bad starting position of 22nd. But irrespective of all odds, he is glad with his finishing position of 10th as he hasn’t raced much recently. He said, “Ended 10th overall. Probably in my last 50 laps, I had a 6-place car, so not too terrible, having not messed with it all summer.” He continued to make a comparison of the short track cars with those of the Xfinity cars.

The active racer highlighted the intense heat inside the short track cars compared to XFINITY cars, which he hadn’t driven in over 20 years, underscoring the physical demands on drivers during the summer months. He said, “I don’t envy the Cars Tour pros and late model stock drivers that run through this summer because it’s tough.” With Saturday’s racing event now done, he is already preparing for another track event.

Earnhardt Jr. is gearing up for Florence Motor Speedway on Friday, August 29th, treating it as a warm-up before the big Southern 500 at Darlington that same weekend. One driver he’s keeping an eye on is Landon Lewis, who just picked up a win in the Late Model Stock race. Dale says, “He’s a great driver, and at 29 car, is hooked up, so gonna be tough for the rest of the competition to compete with him. Seems to have some great momentum, trying to win this points championship in the late model stock side.”

The racer has a clear appreciation for the “character” of old, bumpy short-tracks, which gives him an old-school feel of classic ventures. Seeing these imperfections as a positive challenge. He encourages fans to subscribe to FloRacing for $14.99 a month to watch the CARS Tour at Florence. Dale Jr. might not have won, but someone emerged victorious in the said track.

Landen Lewis wins the Anderson Speedway

This past summer, Landen Lewis and his Kevin Harvick Inc. team had a rough go of it. They were fast, no doubt, but Lewis’s aggressive driving had become a hot topic in the CARS Tour. Late in races at Caraway and Hickory, mistakes cost them big, turning top-three runs into wrecked cars. He took the heat for it, and their championship hopes started to fade.

But they came to Anderson Motor Speedway with a different attitude. They were tired of the “what-ifs” and focused on the big prize: the championship. That new mindset worked like a charm. In a tough battle with veteran Jared Fryar, Lewis made a perfectly clean pass with just 13 laps left and drove away to victory lane. That win was pure redemption. Post his race, the driver said, “You don’t really get this feeling anywhere else. It’s super cool to win out in front of this big crowd like that. Like I said in my interview earlier, it shows that short track racing is still alive and these fans love it.”

 It was his third of the season, and it put him just 12 points behind the leader. Now, the path to the championship is clear for Lewis and the No. 29 team. All they have to do is keep racing with that same focus for the last four races.