DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. –This season could be the last for NASCAR’s most popular driver. Dale Earnhardt Jr. admitted Wednesday that if he were to win a NASCAR Cup title in 2017, he might just pull a mic drop moment and retire. Reigning Formula 1 champion Nico Rosberg stunned the motorsports world at the end of last season when he won his first, and only title and announced his immediate retirement.
Earnhardt said Wednesday that something like that isn’t out of the question for him.
“Hell yeah man,” Earnhardt told assembled media during the Daytona 500 media day at Daytona International Speedway, site of Sunday’s season opening Daytona 500. “I would definitely not want to come back and try to race anymore if I won the championship. I would be outta here.”
The Hendrick Motorsports driver missed the second half of least season recovering from concussion symptoms. He was cleared to race in December and makes his competitive return in the Daytona 500, a race he has won twice. He will start Sunday on the outside of the front row beside his Hendrick teammate Chase Elliott. It shows perhaps that Earnhardt’s ability to win hasn’t lost an edge.
“I’ve always wanted to win a championship so badly,” Earnhardt said.MORE>>>>
Greg is the author of "The Nuts and Bolts of NASCAR: The Definitive Viewers' Guide to Big-Time Stock Car Auto Racing" and has been published in major publications across the country including the Los Angeles Times, the Cleveland Plain Dealer and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He was also a contributor to Chicken Soup for the NASCAR Soul, published in 2010, and the Christmas edition in 2016. He wrote as the NASCAR, Formula 1, Auto Reviews and National Veterans Affairs Examiner for Examiner.com and has appeared on Fox News. He holds a BS degree in communications, a Masters degree in psychology and is currently a PhD candidate majoring in psychology. He is currently the weekend Motorsports Editor for Autoweek.
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