Watching your favorite driver retire from the sport is never easy, but NASCAR drivers make it easier for fans. Take what Dale Earnhardt Jr did with his racing career. After retiring in 2017 from full-time racing, Earnhardt Jr returned on occasion in the #88 Camaro for JR Motorsports in the Xfinity Series. While the racing legend may have called it quits on returning next year, there may be something on the cards in the coming years.

During the NASCAR race at the Bristol Motor Speedway, Dale Earnhardt Jr’s seemingly innocuous radio call after the race hinted at a return to racing in the future despite calling it quits.

Is Dale Earnhardt Jr going to come back to racing?

In the build-up to the race at Bristol, Dale Earnhardt Jr announced his bold decision not to return to racing next year. As fans may remember, despite retiring back in 2017, Earnhardt Jr made guest appearances with his team JR Motorsports in the Xfinity Series. While fans were definitely bummed about his decision to call it quits completely, there is still some sense of hope.

As the Xfinity race in Bristol concluded, Dale Earnhardt Jr confirmed his intention to return once again, with a message to the garage. The message highlighted that while 2025 may not see Earnhardt Jr race at the track, the current race left him so elated that a return was certainly on the cards for the future. It seems the excitement in the race has been enough to convince him to stay.

Dale Earnhardt Jr had quite an eventful race at Bristol, going from nearly last on the grid to a 7th position in the end. However, during the race, the #88 car faced a bunch of different problems. You see, he started in 13th place but found himself relegated to the bottom end of the pile after being forced to pit early due to a radio issue. The final solution to this came on lap 120 when the crew strapped a radio to Earhardt’s chest to make things work. As Earnhardt Jr thought his issues were resolved, he was forced to pit for a replacement pair of glasses.

With his issues all resolved, it was time for the #88 to get to the top the hard way. By the end of Stage 1, he was in 19th place, and by the end of Stage 2, the top 10 was breached. All he had to do was hold on to his spot to get some points and make his time at Bristol worthwhile. Finishing 7th in the race certainly did enough to raise his spirits about the race. As a result, Earnhardt Jr is considering a future return to the track, continuing his practice of a singular appearance throughout the year.

This possibility was not completely out of the picture, even when he announced his desire to call it quits. “I’m just going to see how badly I miss it and see. I mean I figure I’ve only got a handful of these years left to be relatively somewhat competitive, but I’m gonna be fine,” Dale Earnhardt Jr said in his pre-race interview.

While Earnhardt Jr did indeed confirm his interest, there is no guarantee he will participate. His ‘disciple’, on the other hand, remains hopeful.

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Dale Earnhardt Jr is not the only Cup Series winner who leaves the sport in 2025. Earlier this year at the Iowa Speedway, Martin Truex Jr announced his plans to retire in 2025. While he plans to continue participating in one race every year, he won’t be participating full-time. Upon hearing Earhardt Jr’s decision, MTJ has a special request for the driver he came up through the NASCAR leagues with.

“I learned a lot of the ropes of how things go from him. Just tag along, learned a lot of things that he got to do, and got to experience a lot of things that I would never have at that point in my career. A lot of fun, and a lot of memories together. We got to go to Victory Lane together which was really cool. I told him, ‘Can you just do one more year in the Xfinity Series so that we can race together one last time?’” MTJ said at the 2024 Bass Pro Shops Night Race.

Given Dale Earnhardt Jr’s radio message, the chance to race together may not be a long shot. Earnhardt Jr also owns JR Motorsports, a team that remains quite active in the Xfinity Series. The two driving for a guest appearance may be a possibility, but only if JR Motorsport solves its problems right now. As it stands, prodigy Connor Zilisch is the only confirmed driver, current drivers Sam Mayer and Brandon Jones are not continuing in the team.

Before taking on a guest appearance with MTJ, Earhardt Jr and JR Motorsport need to make these considerations. Additionally, if Zilisch competes for the playoffs, getting both cars empty during the latter half of the season, if they decide to compete at Bristol, will essentially be an impossibility. At the moment though, MTJ is in the round of 12 playoff, yet stands outside the cutoff line. If he wishes to continue competing in the Cup Series championship, it is now or never with only two races remaining to make a difference.