Dale Jr. Joins NBC Sports for 2018 NASCAR Broadcasts

Posted on July 25, 2017
Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Brickyard 400
(Photo courtesy of NASCARmedia.com/by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)

Dale Earnhardt Jr. announced his retirement from full-time racing earlier this year and now we know he will remain a major part of NASCAR as part of the NBC Sports broadcasting crew in the 2018 season.

Yesterday (7/24) NBC made the announcement that they had come to a multi-year on-air deal with the NASCAR superstar beginning next year when they posted the message below on their Twitter account.

The 42-year-old NASCAR driver has won the fan-voted NASCAR Most Popular Driver Award for an unmatched 14 years in a row since he won his first one in 2003 all the way through last season’s award. I would be willing to bet that with his retirement following this season he will likely win it for a 15th consecutive year again this year.

Dale Jr. is no stranger to the broadcast booth. He was part of the broadcast team for this year’s preseason opener during Daytona Speedweeks known as “The Clash.” He has also been a part of the broadcast team for some of the NASCAR Xfinity Series races over the past couple of years.

Executive Producer and President of Production for NBC Sports Sam Flood was quoted by nbcsports.com as saying, “Dale Jr. brings credibility, personality, and popularity to our already winning NASCAR team. Giving him a chance to spread further within other NBC Sports Group properties and throughout the company is an added bonus.”

Dale Jr. says of the opportunity, ““It is a tremendous honor not only to join NBC Sports next year but to begin a new career alongside people who love NASCAR as much as I do. To be reunited with Steve Letarte, to be able to call legends like Jeff Burton, Dale Jarrett and Kyle Petty teammates rather than just friends, to be able to continue going to the track and connecting with race fans, it’s a privilege I don’t take lightly. I will devote my heart and soul to this broadcast team and pledge my very best to the millions who watch it.”

NBC Sports broadcasts the races for the second half of the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season.

The partnership with NBC will also extend into some of Dale Jr.’s other business including Dirty Mo Media and Hammerhead Entertainment.

Fox Sports brought Jeff Gordon to the broadcast booth after his retirement from racing and now NBC Sports has Dale Earnhardt Jr. starting in 2018. At least that keeps two of the biggest names in the sport involved with NASCAR in a major way even though they aren’t behind the wheel every week.

By: Buck Stevens

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