Dale Earnhardt Jr. is ready to get behind the wheel of a classic car once again. The NASCAR Hall of Famer has signed a multi-year extension with a longtime partner, Sun Drop.
According to a press release, Sun Drop will serve as the primary partner of Earnhardt Jr.’s No. 3 Late Model for one race in 2023 and one race in 2024 as part of this extension. The first event on this schedule will be the CARS Tour race at North Wilkesboro Speedway on May 17, which serves as a precursor to NASCAR’s All-Star weekend.
The partnership with Earnhardt is not the only facet of the announcement. Sun Drop will also serve as an associate partner of JR Motorsports driver Carson Kvapil as he pursues his second consecutive CARS Tour championship.
“We’re excited to team back up with Sun Drop,” Earnhardt Jr. said in a press release. “Sun Drop has been a part of my life since I was a kid. It’s special to be able to work with a company that is authentic to who I am. I appreciate all Sun Drop has done for me over the years and for them hearing me out last year when I wanted to bring that car back to North Wilkesboro.”
Earnhardt Brought Back the No. 3 Sun Drop Chevrolet in 2022
The 2022 season was full of historic moments in racing. There were a record-tying number of race winners in the NASCAR Cup Series season, there were historic wins by Cup Series regulars, and there was the return of Sun Drop.
Earnhardt Jr. brought back the classic sponsor as North Wilkesboro Speedway began to host races once again. He joined the CARS Tour lineup at the historic North Carolina track, and he competed while using a scheme that threw it back to the early 1990s.
This reunion with Sun Drop was significant for the Earnhardt family. This relationship dates back to the 1980s, and it includes a commercial that Dale Earnhardt Sr. filmed after winning his fifth Cup Series championship.
With the return of the Sun Drop scheme, there is now an entirely new generation of racing fans that has the opportunity to watch a member of the Earnhardt family partner with the citrus soda.
Earnhardt Jr. Joins Another Veteran Driver in the Lineup
The return of the No. 3 Sun Drop Late Model is only the latest piece of big news surrounding the CARS Tour. The series will also see another racing veteran make his return to Late Model action for the trip to North Wilkesboro Speedway.
According to a March 22 announcement, Kevin Harvick will also be in the lineup. He has revived his KHI race team for several events, starting with the CARS Tour event at the historic track. Harvick will drive the No. 62 Hunt Brothers Pizza Ford.
Harvick and Earnhardt Jr. will both join a stacked entry list that already features the standout CARS Tour regulars. They will bring extra attention to an already historic event while attempting to secure some solid finishes in their respective entries and helping sell more tickets.