Even before he finished out his final year as NASCAR’s most popular driver, Dale Earnhardt Jr had lined up a new job…that of a broadcaster for NBC.
While it was expected that Junior would join the NBC crew in the broadcast booth for NASCAR races, it appears that Junior will start his new gig a little sooner.
Junior fans will get the chance to see their favourite driver as a part of the Super Bowl LII lineup and again as a part of the 2018 Winter Olympics crew.
Speaking on his new gig Junior said, “I’m excited to get to work with my new NBC family. Beginning with two huge events like the Super Bowl and Olympics, right out of the gate, should be quite the introduction. I’m looking forward to raising the profile of NASCAR, and all that we’re going to be doing during the 2018 season.”
NBC Sports President of Production and Executive Producer Sam Flood spoke on Junior’s new position saying, “Dale is a star on the race track and off, and we are excited to have him join the NBC team. It will be fun to have him be a part of our coverage of the Super Bowl, and we are looking forward to watching him explore a new world with the Winter Olympics.”
As a part of the Super Bowl broadcast crew, Junior will be reporting on some of the outdoor events surrounding the football championship game.
As a race car driver, Dale Jr is uniquely qualified to report on Olympic events involving speed. With that in mind, Junior will be reporting on speed skating and bobsled events with a slant toward the speed involved in the sport and on the track; including a run on the ice in a bobsled.
After a serious concussion in the 2015 racing season that put Junior out of the car for the second half of the season, Dale Earnhardt Jr and wife Amy made the decision to retire from driving after the 2016 season. Junior is a two time Daytona 500 winner and has been the sport’s most popular driver 15 seasons in a row – including his final season.
feature photo credit: By Sarah Stierch – Own work, CC BY 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=41241033