Hendrick Motorsports sent out an official release on Tuesday morning announcing the retirement of Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. at the end of the 2017 season.
The Kannapolis, NC native sat out a majority of the 2016 season after suffering from concussion symptoms nearly halfway through the season. Earnhardt Jr. made his return to the sport in this year’s Daytona 500 with a lot of hope and promise, but it has been anything but. The No.88 Nationwide Chevrolet has finished inside the top-10 only once, and has led a small number of only eight laps all together.