Dale Earnhardt’s Grandson to Drive a Ford during his 2016 Rookie Season in the Sprint Cup Series
Jeffrey Earnhardt will be racing for the 2016 Rookie of the Year Award in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
Photo: Royal Broil
The late Dale Earnhardt Sr. was one of NASCAR’s most legendary drivers. He was a seven-time champion of NASCAR‘s premier series, won 76 races, and many people will always remember him as the driver of the black No. 3 Chevrolet, often forgetting or dismissing entirely that he drove a Ford Thunderbird, sponsored by Wrangler Jeans, early in his career.
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Fifteen years following Earnhardt’s tragic death at Daytona, his grandson Jeffrey Earnhardt made his debut at Richmond International Raceway in a Ford Fusion racecar, and he’s recently announced he will be competing for the Rookie of the Year Award next season in the Sprint Cup Series.
The No. 15 Ford Thunderbird driven by Dale Earnhardt Sr. (1982-1983)
Photo: Mike Traverse
Jeffrey Earnhardt will be driving the No. 32 Ford owned by Go Green Racing. The racecar will be sponsored for 11 races by Can-Am, which is an all-terrain vehicle company, for those who didn’t already know. Can-Am will also take over sponsorship of the Daytona qualifying races that had been sponsored by Budweiser.
“I’m really excited to join GFR,” said Earnhardt “I’m thrilled to have Can-Am on board as our partner for 2016. I’m an avid outdoorsman, and their products are the gold standard for outdoor sports, so it’s a perfect fit. With Can-Am supporting our team, we’re certain to increase our competitiveness throughout the 2016 season.”
Jeffrey finished 40th in his Sprint Cup Series debut at Richmond, and he will be competing again this weekend at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. For his career, the 26-year-old Earnhardt has started 66 races in NASCAR’s XFINITY Series, but has never finished inside the top ten at any track, and has only led a total of seven laps.
It is worth noting that Jeffrey Earnhardt will not be competing in the restricter plate races next season. He will be replaced in those races by former NASCAR champion Bobby Labonte.
You can see both Jeffrey Earnhardt and his uncle Dale Earnhardt Jr. competing in the Sylvania 300 Sprint Cup race on September 27 th, which will be broadcast by NBCSN.
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News Source: Fox Sports
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