Dale Earnhardt Jr. to retire from racing at the end of 2017

Dale Earnhardt Jr., probably the most recognizable driver on current NASCAR grid, announces a retirement from racing at the end of the 2017 season. The son of seven-time champion Dale Earnhardt Sr, who made his full-time Cup Series debut in 2000, along with his father, will retire after 18 seasons in the NASCAR’s premier division.

In that period, Dale Jr was driving the #8 Chevrolet for Dale Earnhardt Inc. (until 2007) and the #88 Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports, collecting more than 600 Cup Series starts. Dale Jr scored 26 Cup Series wins, including two victories at Daytona 500, in 2004 and 2014. His best series’ finish was third place in 2003. Besides his race results, Dale Jr has been voted by fans as NASCAR’s Most Popular Driver a record 14 consecutive years

Dale Jr returned to full-time racing at the start of this season, following his recovery from injuries sustained at Michigan in June 2016. He missed more than half of a season in 2016. For Earnhardt, the 2017 season is the final year of his contract with Hendrick. The team said in a statement that Earnhardt’s replacement will be announced at a later date.

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