Earnhardt Jr. Joins NBC Broadcast Team for Talladega, Martinsville

STAMFORD, CT – NBC Sports has announced that Dale Earnhardt Jr., driver of Hendrick Motorsports’ No. 88 Chevrolet, will join the NBC Sports broadcast booth for portions of two upcoming Sprint Cup broadcasts. Earnhardt, who has not raced since July as he recovers from a concussion, will lend his expertise as an analyst during NBCSN’s coverage this Sunday from Talladega Superspeedway, as well as the following Sunday from Martinsville Speedway.

Inside the NBCSN broadcast booth, Earnhardt will reunite with his former crew chief Steve Letarte, and work alongside race announcer Rick Allen and fellow analyst Jeff Burton. Sunday marks Earnhardt’s first ever NASCAR Sprint Cup broadcasting assignment.

“I’m excited to see these races from a different vantage point and hopefully offer some insight to the viewers,” said Earnhardt. “I thoroughly enjoyed my opportunity to broadcast the XFINITY race at Michigan earlier this year, so I expect getting to spend time in the booth with the NBC team to be just as fun.”

NBCSN presents the second elimination race of the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup from Talladega Sunday at 1:30 p.m. ET. Next weekend, NBCSN presents the first race in the playoff Round of 8 from Martinsville Sunday, Oct. 30, at 12:30 p.m. ET.

“With five races left in the Sprint Cup playoffs, we are thrilled to welcome Dale Earnhardt Jr. into our broadcast booth as we present two of the most unpredictable and exciting races in the Chase,” said Jeff Behnke, VP of NASCAR Production for the NBC Sports Group. “Dale is incredibly respected and the viewers and fans will be treated to his perspective on two very different race tracks.”

Earnhardt is a third-generation driver in a family forever connected to the sport of stock-car racing. Race fans have selected him a record 13 consecutive times as NASCAR’s Most Popular Driver. Through 2016, the native of Kannapolis, North Carolina, has amassed 26 career victories, including the 2004 and 2014 Daytona 500s. His 26 victories tie him for 29th on NASCAR’s all-time race winners list.

source – NBC Sports Press Box