Retired NASCAR legend Dale Earnhardt Jr. races in Jacksonville

JACKSONVILLE, N.C. (WITN) - Two-time Daytona 500 champion and retired NASCAR legend Dale Earnhardt Jr. competed at an Eastern Carolina raceway this weekend.

Saturday, thousands of people came to watch The National Dodge Chrysler Jeep Ram 250, which is part of the Zmax cars tour. Taking place at the New River All-American Speedway in Jacksonville, fans watched racers from everywhere compete, including NASCAR legend Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Earnhardt drove the iconic number 3 that was made famous by his late father, Dale Earnhardt Sr.

Born and raised in North Carolina, Earnhardt said it’s hard to beat the great weather on the coast and the great track at the speedway.

“It puts a little more strategy in your hands on how you take care of your car and not to abuse your car and the tires itself when you’re racing around the racetrack,” Earnhardt said.

Earnhardt has been watching the races at this speedway on streaming platforms for years and said despite what some people think, streaming platforms have helped in-person attendance for races.

“I think there was a concern years ago that streaming was gonna put people back in the house and they wouldn’t come out to the track and physically be here but I actually think it introduced more people to us and other series that’s on streaming platforms to where we have more people come to see us when we go to their neck of the woods,” Earnhardt said.

As a series owner and partner in the cars tours, he realized you can’t have success without the fans wanting to come out so he was excited to put on a good show for all who came.

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