Dale Earnhardt Jr. is getting back behind the wheel this weekend, and this time he will take on a new challenge in the CARS Tour.
Earnhardt Jr. is set to make his CARS Tour Pro Late Model debut Friday night at Florence Motor Speedway in Timmonsville, South Carolina,The CARS Tour’s Florence event features both Pro Late Models and Late Model Stocks, with the Pro Late Model race scheduled for Friday evening.
While Earnhardt has plenty of experience racing Late Model Stock Cars, this weekend will mark his first CARS Tour start in the Pro Late Model division. The biggest difference is the type of chassis, with Earnhardt preparing to drive a straight-rail Late Model rather than the perimeter-rail Late Models he has raced throughout his short-track career.
The opportunity also brings a family connection. Earnhardt will be working with his first cousin, Tony Eury Jr., who serves as GMS Race Cars’ Director of Chassis Development. Tony Eury Sr. is also involved with GMS, making the weekend something of a reunion for Earnhardt and two people who played important roles during his NASCAR Cup Series career with Dale Earnhardt Inc.
Earnhardt decided to add the Florence race to his schedule because he felt he had not raced enough this year. Rather than wait until his previously planned CARS Tour Late Model Stock start at Newport Speedway in October, he decided to put together a Pro Late Model and give Florence a shot.
Florence should provide a serious test. The CARS Tour attracts some of the best short-track drivers in the country, and Earnhardt will be learning a different car while competing against drivers who regularly race Pro Late Models.
The weekend will also feature plenty of star power. Trackhouse Racing teammates Shane van Gisbergen and Connor Zilisch are entered in the Late Model Stock event, with SVG making his CARS Tour debut and Zilisch returning to the series.
For Earnhardt, however, the goal is simple: get back to racing.
The NASCAR Hall of Famer has never lost his passion for short-track racing, and Friday night at Florence gives him another opportunity to prove that he still belongs behind the wheel. With a new car, familiar faces and a competitive field waiting for him, Dale Jr.’s latest racing adventure could be one of the weekend’s biggest stories.