By Reid Spencer, NASCAR Wire Service 

Dale Earnhardt Jr. isn’t ready to hang up the driving shoes just yet

BRISTOL, Tenn.—Speculation about Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s swan song at Bristol Motor Speedway seems to have been exaggerated.

Dale Earnhardt Jr., driver of the #88 Hellmann’s Chevrolet, drives during the NASCAR Xfinity Series Food City 300 at Bristol Motor Speedway on September 20, 2024 in Bristol, Tennessee. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)

Earnhardt’s appearance in Friday night’s Food City 300 had been rumored to be his last national series race, but Earnhardt said before the NASCAR Xfinity Series event that he wouldn’t rule out racing in the future—even if he stays on the sidelines until 2026.

The NASCAR Hall of Famer, who turns 50 on Oct. 10, said Friday he has no plans to race on a national level next year, but that doesn’t mean he’ll stay off the track for good.

“I’m not planning on racing next year,” Earnhardt said. “I’ll be foolish to say I’m never going to run again, because I don’t know well enough to stay away from it, and I’ll probably miss it next year and be absolutely willing to sign up for any thing that might be beneficial to JR Motorsports.”

Earnhardt pointed out that his decisions to drive have been influenced heavily by his responsibilities as an Xfinity team owner. In 2025, however, he doesn’t have any sponsor demands to race.

“I don’t have a requirement to run next year, so I may just not do it,” Earnhardt said. “I will miss it terribly, regret that I didn’t race and probably in 2026 find me somewhere I can go compete in the Xfinity Series again.”

Whether he races or not, Earnhardt’s expectations and perspectives have changed.

“If I just run all the laps, I’m happy,” Earnhardt said. “I don’t really look at results as much anymore. I’m happy about a great result, for sure. But when you only get to go to the ice cream store once a year, you want to eat the whole thing.

“So I want to run all the laps and see the checkered flag, and I’ll be happy about that.”

Justin Haley, Corey LaJoie switch rides in rare mid-season “trade”

Shades of John Andretti-for-Jeremy Mayfield. That 1996 in-season driver trade now has a rival.

Spire Motorsports and Rick Ware Racing announced on Friday that Justin Haley would leave Rick Ware after Saturday’s Bass Pro Shops Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway to finish the season with Spire.

In the same time frame, Corey LaJoie will move from the No. 7 Spire Chevrolet to the No. 51 RWR Ford Haley has been driving this season.

In Haley’s case, the move represents a return to Spire as part of a longer-term relationship. Spire owner Jeff Dickerson confirmed Haley will drive for the organization in 2025.

“Justin came to us over the Olympic break with a longer-term opportunity that would serve his career well,” said Robby Benton, RWR president. “We were sympathetic to his desires, as Justin committed to RWR early last year and has since played a key role in the growth of our organization.

“We didn’t want to compromise his growth or our own. In our talks with Justin following the break, we agreed to release him from his contract with RWR.”

Haley drove for Spire from 2019-2021 before moving to Kaulig Racing in 2022. In his third start with Spire in 2019, Haley gave the organization its only Cup victory in a rain-shortened race at Daytona.

LaJoie’s transition to RWR is more of an audition, with no guarantee beyond the final seven races of the current season. But it does give LaJoie an opportunity to stay in the Cup Series.

“For me and my family, this is the best thing for my career,” LaJoie said. “Now, it’s a fresh start with fresh faces and a new process to jump into. You feel as though all the work you do is going to progress to another level.”

The driver swap is reminiscent of the trade between team owners Michael Kranefuss and Cale Yarborough after 23 races of the 1996 season. Andretti went to Yarborough, while Mayfield completed the 1996 season in Kranefuss’ No. 37 Ford.

The Spire/Rick Ware deal is more unusual in that it involves two different manufacturers, Chevrolet and Ford.

Despite charter uncertainty, Bubba Wallace gets extension from 23XI

With 23XI Racing remaining one of two teams yet to sign NASCAR’s new charter agreement, Bubba Wallace expressed concerns about his future as a NASCAR Cup Series driver.

Those issues were laid to rest this week when Wallace signed a multiyear contract extension with the organization, announced by 23XI in a social media post on Wednesday.

Though Wallace failed to make the Playoffs this season, while teammate Tyler Reddick won the regular-season championship, Hamlin gave Wallace a vote of confidence before NASCAR Cup Series practice on Friday.

“The 23 team needs to make the Playoffs every year,” Hamlin said of Wallace’s Cup effort. “I think that is our expectation, and then make a deep run and finish in the top 10 in points. That is kind of our expectation of kind of where we are at. Just getting in, it is hard for me to say that is the only expectation, but it is an expectation given the standards we are giving ourselves.

“He knows that he needs to get better. I think he has gotten better, so as long as he continues that … We know that, given the stats he has had, the laps that he has led—everything has improved over what he had last year. Just have to take the next step.”

Hamlin has more pressing concerns this weekend. He’s six points below the current cut line for the Playoffs’ Round of 12, facing elimination in Saturday’s Bass Pro Shops Night Race (7:30 p.m. ET on USA, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

“I’m coming here to win,” said Hamlin, who has earned victories in the last two Bristol races. “That strategy won’t change unless the situation changes during the race.”

Note: Two other signings made news this week. AM Racing announced Friday that Harrison Burton will drive for the organization in the NASCAR Xfinity Series next season after his contract with Wood Brothers Racing’s NASCAR Cup team runs its course this year … NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Playoff driver Nick Sanchez will succeed Parker Kligerman in the No. 48 Big Machine Racing Chevrolet in the Xfinity Series next year.