Getty Dale Earnhardt Jr. climbs into his No. 8 Chevrolet Camaro.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. has answered a lingering question about when he will make his second NASCAR Xfinity Series start of 2023. He will make his way back to Florida.
According to an announcement video on July 6, Earnhardt will drive the No. 88 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet Camaro at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Saturday, October 21. He will take on the intermediate track for only the seventh time in the Xfinity Series and the 24th time between the top two series.
Getting all the supplies I need for @HomesteadMiami from @BassProShops. 🎣🏁
See you all in October.
Questions have lingered about when this second start would take place since November 1, 2022. This is the day that JR Motorsports held a special event at Bass Pro Shops and unveiled multiple schemes for Earnhardt, Josh Berry, and Carson Kvapil.
Earnhardt used the event to provide some unexpected information. He had expanded his annual Xfinity Series schedule from one event to two. He did not initially reveal when the starts would take place, but he confirmed that they would be in the second half of the season when NBC Sports was the broadcast partner.
Earnhardt Made a Post-Retirement Start at Homestead-Miami Speedway
GettyDale Earnhardt Jr. races at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
The trip to South Florida will not be the first for Earnhardt since he walked away from full-time NASCAR competition. He actually competed on the intermediate track once during a unique season.
On Saturday, June 13, 2020, Earnhardt joined the lineup for the Xfinity Series race at Homestead-Miami Speedway. He drove the No. 8 Chevrolet with Hellmann’s as his primary partner, and he delivered solid results.
The two-time Xfinity Series champion started 12th overall in the yellow and blue Chevrolet, and he led four laps before finishing fifth overall. Earnhardt also finished seventh in Stage 1 and fourth in Stage 2.
Homestead-Miami Speedway was a track where Earnhardt regularly performed well during his time in the Xfinity Series. He made six starts with only one DNF due to an engine issue. He did not win, but he had four top-10 finishes and two top-fives. The other start resulted in a 13th-place finish.
Earnhardt’s First Start Features a Short Track
GettyDale Earnhardt Jr. does a burnout at Bristol Motor Speedway.
The return to Homestead-Miami Speedway will be significant for Earnhardt and Bass Pro Shops, but it will be his second start of the season. The first will take place weeks earlier at a historic short track.
Earnhardt and JR Motorsports announced on January 10, 2023, that he would make his first start of the season at Bristol Motor Speedway. He would return to the Last Great Colosseum with Hellmann’s as his primary partner, and he would battle the top names in the Xfinity Series.
The Hall of Famer has achieved success at Bristol Motor Speedway in both the Xfinity Series and Cup Series. One particular weekend in 2004 saw him sweeping both races on August 27-28.
Along with the wins, Earnhardt delivered consistency at Bristol Motor Speedway during his time in the Xfinity Series. He delivered nine top-10 finishes and seven top-fives in 12 starts. His most recent start at the Tennessee short track, which took place in 2017, resulted in a 13th-place finish.