Jeffrey Earnhardt Gains Daytona 500 Ride with Starcom Racing

By David Morgan, NASCAR Editor

After seeing his ride for 2018 disappear with the breakup of Circle Sport-TMG during the offseason, Jeffrey Earnhardt got some good news on Tuesday as it was announced that he would be partnering with StarCom Racing to drive in the Daytona 500 for the team.

The team, managed by 1990 Daytona 500 winner, Derrike Cope, announced that the fourth-generation Earnhardt would drive their No. 00 entry, with sponsorship from VRX Simulators for the effort. They will have a guaranteed spot in the 60^th running of the Great American Race after recently obtaining a charter for the season. Earnhardt will have Tony Furr serving as his crew chief for the race.

“It was imperative for our young team to have a sponsored driver for our start-up year, and we did have several options,” said Cope. “We felt that Jeffrey was the best fit for our team and VRX has already shown the type of enthusiasm and commitment that SCR has both for Jeffrey and for the sport. It will be a very exciting year for us.”

Earnhardt’s presence in the car will mean that the Earnhardt name stays alive in a driving capacity in the Cup Series after his uncle, Dale Earnhardt, Jr., retired from full-time driving at the end of 2017.

“I am so appreciative of everyone at StarCom Racing and VRX for having confidence in me and making this a reality,” said Earnhardt. “There’s been an Earnhardt driving in the 500 for 39 years so to be able to keep that streak going for a 40th year means a lot to me and I’m sure a lot of Earnhardt fans are going to be happy to hear this news.”

To date, Earnhardt has run 58 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series races, posting a best finish of 26^th on four different occasions, including the 2017 Daytona 500.