Dale Earnhardt Jr. to run 2022 Martinsville Xfinity Series race

Next season, Dale Earnhardt Jr. will compete in another NASCAR Xfinity Series race, this time at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway.

Earnhardt will drive the No. 88 Unilever-sponsored Chevrolet in the April 8, 2022, Xfinity race at Martinsville, as part of a sponsorship renewal with Unilever at JR Motorsports announced on Wednesday.

Earnhardt, 47, who works for NBC Sports as a NASCAR TV analyst, has competed in at least one Xfinity Series race every year since retiring from full-time racing after the 2017 season.

Earnhardt will remain a Unilever brand ambassador and spokesperson, with the company’s off-track efforts focusing on awareness campaigns and charitable causes. The contract renewal includes major sponsorship on the No. 7 team with Justin Allgaier for six races in 2022, in addition to Earnhardt Jr.’s race.

“I love short tracks. When it comes down to it, short track racing is what I love to do,” Earnhardt said. “Races at Martinsville are always a blast, so I’m really excited about this opportunity.

“Unilever has been a great partner, and I’m thankful to them for allowing me to go race at Martinsville. I’m going to get in there in the thick of it and have some fun.”

Earnhardt had his first experience of a NASCAR Next Gen car on Tuesday at Bowman-Gray Stadium in Winston-Salem, N.C., as part of a Goodyear tire test.

Earnhardt’s paint scheme for the Xfinity race will be decided by fans. Fans can choose one of three No. 88 Hellmann’s Fridge Hunters-inspired paint schemes by visiting hellmanns.jrmracing.com. The polls are open till November 17th.

The featured brands for Allgaier’s and the No. 7 team’s races will be announced at a later date.

Several masks inspired by Formula One racing drivers are currently available at the following websites for a reasonable price: