Circle Sport / The Motorsports Group Make Daytona 500 History with Jeffrey Earnhardt
By Kent Whitaker
The Daytona 500 is the biggest race of the year for NASCAR! This year will be no different as fans of racing will head to the beach for the “Super Bowl” of motorsports! This season on of the side notes that I love reading about came across my twitter feed. The 2017 Daytona 500 will feature two Earnhardt’s again thanks to Circle Sport / The Motorsports Group.
Two Drivers Named Earnhardt
It’s a bit of history that fans of the Earnhardt family will enjoy hearing. The 2017 Daytona 500 will have two drivers with the last name of Earnhardt on the starting grid for the first time since 2001. Jeffrey Earnhardt will join his uncle, Dale Earnhardt Jr, when the green flag drops Sunday February, 26.
It’s the first time two Earnhardt’s will have driven in the race since Dale Earnhardt senior passed away in 2001. Jeffrey is the son of former driver, and brother to Dale Jr, Kerry Earnhardt. Back in 2005 Kerry attempted to make the Daytona race under the RCR banner but he failed to qualify his Bass Pro Shop Chevy. Kerry did race alongside his brother at Daytona in a handful of the July races until he retired.
Circle Sport / TMG Announces Jeffrey Earnhardt
Jeffrey Earnhardt ran almost the entire 2016 season in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series but had not yet announced his driver plans for 2017. On Monday that changed. That’s when Circle Sport / The Motorsports Group announced on their twitter feed that Earnhardt would be making his first career start in the upcoming Daytona 500.
“This is really a dream come true” said Earnhardt. “We’ve been working every day for the past six (6) years to get to the Daytona 500 and thanks to team owners Joe Falk and Curtis Key, that dream is becoming a reality in 2017.”
Circle Sport / The Motorsports Group will be fielding a car for Earnhardt, a North Carolina native, with Starter as the primary sponsor. The team announced in a press release that Earnhardt would continue with the team as their primary driver for the 2017 season.
“We are looking forward to having Jeffrey as our primary driver for 2017” commented Falk. “We believe he brings a lot of potential to our team.”
Earnhardt made 22 starts in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series during the 2016 season splitting his time between Go Fas Racing and BK Racing. Earnhardt recorded four finishes inside the top 30 in 2016.
Merger Makes Daytona 500 Start a Sure Thing
In January 2017, it was announced that Circle Sport Racing and the Motorsports Group would merge into a single NASCAR Charter team. The combined effort, and the Charter, ensures that Earnhardt will be in the starting lineup!
Joe Falk and Curtis Key have had more than their share of cup drivers behind the wheel of their cars. It’s something they are proud of and having Jeffery among their driver ranks is no different.
“I have had success working with young drivers in the past and we think this is a good fit for growth for Jeffrey and the team, commented Falk. “I am very proud that Austin Dillon, Ty Dillon, and now Jeffrey Earnhardt will all have had their first Daytona 500 start with Circle Sport” added Falk.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
“Kent Whitaker, often called ‘the Deck Chef’ is a sportswriter, culinary writer, and cookbook author with fourteen titles. He covers NASCAR, racing in general, Football, barbecue, grilling, and tailgating. You can visit him on www.thedeckchef.com .”