Although Dale Earnhardt Jr. has no plans to return to the NASCAR Cup Series, he will be given another chance to test the Next Gen car with Hendrick Motorsports at Daytona.
Hendrick Motorsports announced on Monday that Earnhardt will be testing Kyle Larson’s No. 5 Chevrolet at Daytona International Speedway on Tuesday and Wednesday. This comes as Larson who is the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series champion is set to race at Chili Bowl Nationals later this week.
This will not be the first time that Dale Earnhardt Jr. will get to test the Next Gen car. He had the opportunity to run a few laps in a Next Gen car in Winston-Salem, N.C. last October with Tony Stewart and fellow driver-turned-TV broadcast Clint as part of a Goodyear tire test.
“Excited to get more time behind the wheel of this new car. It’s absolutely necessary for me to do my best in the broadcast booth. Thanks Team Hendrick and NASCAR for the opportunity,” Earnhardt said in a message posted to his Twitter account.
Earnhardt is currently employed by NBC as a NASCAR TV analyst.
This Goodyear tire test served as part of NASCAR’s preparation for running the preseason exhibition race in February on a 14.5-mile asphalt track built inside the Los Angeles Coliseum.
The former full-time Cup Series driver has run the Xfinity Series at least once every season since he retired. His next Xfinity Series race is at Martinsville on April 8.
