Well, you can’t win them all. Dale Earnhardt Jr. opened up his racing season at Florence Motor Speedway in the IceBreaker. However, things didn’t go the way he had hoped. Sometimes, that’s just how stock car racing goes.
This race is a fun one. It opens up the late model racing season and sometimes stars like Dale Earnhardt Jr. make the trip out. Given his latest investment as an owner of the CARS Tour, it makes sense that Dale Jr. wants to highlight small tracks and late-model racing.
Earnhardt wasn’t the only former Cup Series driver among the bunch. Jeb Burton was out there as well. Neither performed great, but Jeb had an edge over Dale Jr. this time around. Burton surged to P9 at the finish while Dale Jr. finished P17.
There were moments when Dale Earnhardt Jr. and his driver in the No. 8, Carson Kvapil, made some runs. However, nothing lasted long and it was hard to make up spots. Earnhardt was driving on the edge of the top 10 for a while but soon fell back to around P15 for the end of the race.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. Had a Rough Day But Looked Good
You know, at this point in his career, Dale Earnhardt Jr. isn’t too worried about winning. His car or maybe he himself just wasn’t ready for the IceBreaker today. Others had better days. Plain and simple. However, it’s more than that when he shows up to a track like this.
Fans and more crowded around the legendary driver for pictures, autographs, and just to talk. He’s a superstar in general, but at these small tracks, he is an inspiration. His No. 3 Mom ‘N’ Pops car looked awesome.
The JR Motorsports team looked great as a pair.
I really hope we get more of Dale Earnhardt Jr. on these small tracks. The CARS Tour is going to be a lot of fun with the new ownership group in place. Grassroots racing is the lifeblood of stock car racing as a sport.
Like he has his entire life, Dale Jr. is carrying the torch for the sport in the best way possible.
