Dale Earnhardt Jr. will return to the driver’s seat on April 11. The NASCAR Hall of Famer confirmed he will race a Late Model Stock Car at Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway during a recent episode of The Dale Jr. Download.
The event will be part of the CARS Tour schedule and marks another rare driving appearance for Dale Earnhardt Jr. since stepping away from full-time NASCAR Cup Series competition after the 2017 season. The race is scheduled as the Tootsie’s Music City Showdown, bringing renewed attention to one of stock car racing’s most historic venues.
According to Motorsport.com reporter Matt Weaver, Earnhardt confirmed the Nashville Fairgrounds entry during the podcast episode as plans for the CARS Tour event continued to come together.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. Confirms Nashville Fairgrounds Return
Dale Earnhardt Jr. shared the announcement during his podcast while discussing upcoming racing plans. The one-night appearance will put him behind the wheel in the CARS Tour Late Model Stock division.
“I’m racing at Nashville Fairgrounds on April 11. You know, I have a million things going on up here in my head? And looking around in there, I think it’s April 11, and I’m driving the Bass Pro Shops car at the Fairgrounds. Yep, for the CARS Tour. I don’t know if there’s anything more I need to say. I’m going to do a tire test here in a couple days so I’ll have a better idea of how fast it is.”
The tire test will help the team prepare the Late Model Stock Car for the Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway surface. Testing allows teams to evaluate tire wear, grip levels, and overall balance before race weekend.
According to Matt Weaver of Motorsport.com, Earnhardt confirmed the entry on Tuesday during the podcast conversation.
CARS Tour Brings New Event to Nashville
The April 11 race will mark the first time the CARS Tour competes at Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway. The event will feature both the Late Model Stock division and the CARS Pro Late Model Tour.
The tour has grown quickly in the short-track racing world over the last several seasons. Drivers and teams from across the country regularly compete in the Late Model Stock series, making it one of the strongest regional stock car tours in the United States.
According to Matt Weaver of Motorsport.com, Justin Marks helped secure the title sponsorship for the Nashville event through Steve Smith.
Earnhardt Jr. Has Long History With Nashville Fairgrounds
Dale Earnhardt Jr. has raced at Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway earlier in his career. The April 11 event will mark his first race there since 1999. That year, he competed in the BellSouth Mobility 320 Busch Grand National race at the track.
Track promoter Bob Sargent said the return should bring excitement to the local racing community.
“Obviously, the fan favorite that Dale Jr. is, we just think it will be a great night of racing. The Nashville-area and the surrounding community have been wanting Dale to race here again for quite a while. We just had to get the right date to work in his schedule.”
Earnhardt has also spoken about his personal connection to the speedway. He once recalled his early visits to the track during his racing career.
“I still remember the first time I came to race here. We came out here and tested. Jeff Green and Mark Green came with me because they had a little experience with this race track. I fell in love with the place after the first lap.”
The track also holds family history. Earnhardt noted that his father also raced there during his career.
“I knew about the history of the track. I knew about my father’s history here. I knew about Nashville and what Nashville was all about.”
The upcoming CARS Tour event will now bring Earnhardt back to a venue that helped shape his early racing years.
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