When Dale Earnhardt Jr. announced that he would race at Bristol in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, fans were excited and the 48-year-old did not disappoint. He delivered a fine performance, even leading the race for a substantial period. However, a scary mechanical issue cut short his amazing run. However, the day ended positively for the JR Motorsports owner, who had reason to celebrate despite not finishing the way he would have liked to.

The Xfinity race at Bristol was the first playoff race of the 2023 season. Junior could not have picked a more competitive setting to make his return to NASCAR. But the former Cup driver surprised everybody with his driving as he led 47 laps. In an interview after the race, Junior admitted he had an outside chance of winning.

All’s Well That Ends Well for Dale Earnhardt Jr.

A mechanical issue cut Earnhardt Jr.’s night short. It could have escalated to something extremely serious. With 30 laps to go, the JR Motorsports owner was driving in fifth place and looked set for a potential top-five finish. However, he found himself scrambling out of the #88 as he pulled in front of the pits.

As it turned out, a component inside his car, towards his feet, had caught on fire. After rushing out of the car, Junior revealed that a part of his uniform had burned, exposing his skin. It was a lucky escape for the 48-year-old who could have easily been involved in something far more serious.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. must have been disappointed with the way his race ended since he was running so well until that point. Ahead of the event, Junior had revealed that he was racing for his daughter and a top-five finish would have been the perfect way to show her what her dad was the best at.

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“Well, I am racing for my daughter so that she can see what we like to do and what we have done all our lives. Just gonna have some fun. I missed Bristol. I ain’t raced here for 6 or 7 years,” Junior had said earlier.

But all’s well that ends well. He might not have finished the race the way he wanted to, but it was a big day for his team, JR Motorsports. The driver of the #7 Allgaier took the checkered flag and became the first driver to cement his place in the round of 8 in the Xfinity Series. The 37-year-old drove his employer, Earnhardt Jr., and his father to victory lane in what was a heartwarming moment for the team.

JR Motorsports also announced that Justin Allgaier signed a contract extension. He will stay with the team for the 2024 edition of the NASCAR Xfinity Series. They could not have picked a better time to announce the extension. The people over at JR Motorsports had even more reason to celebrate after what happened in Bristol.

But things could have turned out a lot worse for Junior, whose car had caught on fire on the inside. Had he not been able to rush out of the driver’s seat, there’s no telling what could have happened. Later, the 48-year-old showed the damage it did to his suit. It burned a hole straight through and exposed a part of his body.

Junior Shares Terrifying In-Car Experience

Speaking in a post-race interview with reporter Kim Coon, Junior said, “I got a hole in the pants. Somehow I don’t know the shift caught on fire. I saw some smoke in the car and I smelled it and thought that hopefully it’s not me.”

“In the last lap, I saw the big fireball down in the car and I felt it obviously, my uniform was burning up and I couldn’t keep going, I had gotta stop, and usually when you stop the fire usually gets bigger. I pulled by the pit stall and some of the guys pretty alert, helped me out,” the JR Motorsports owner added.

Although he praised the people in the pit stall for being alert, Dale Earnhardt Jr. sat in his car trying to get out for longer than expected. Luckily, Junior walked out of the car without any serious injuries.

Despite how his race ended, fans loved seeing Dale Earnhardt Jr. race like he used to do in his prime. And for the 47 laps that he led, it looked like he had turned back the clock. There is no doubt that the 48-year-old will receive a lot of support the next time he goes racing.

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