Jeffrey Earnhardt Bio
Jeffrey Lynn Earnhardt (born June 22, 1989) is an American professional stock car racing driver. He last competed part-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, driving the No. 24 Toyota GR Supra for Sam Hunt Racing, and has also driven full-time for Alpha Prime Racing. A member of one of the most famous families in motorsports, he is the son of Kerry Earnhardt, the grandson of NASCAR Hall of Fame driver Dale Earnhardt, and the nephew of Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Competing across NASCAR’s national touring divisions, Earnhardt has built a reputation as a determined underdog willing to race for smaller teams while chasing the opportunity to run at the front of the field. He made headlines as the first fourth-generation driver to compete in the Daytona 500 and is one of the few drivers in NASCAR history to be a fourth-generation racer in the Cup Series.
Early Life and Background
Jeffrey Lynn Earnhardt was born on June 22, 1989, in Mooresville, North Carolina, a town widely known as a hub of NASCAR team shops and racing culture. Growing up in Mooresville placed him at the heart of stock car racing from a young age, with engine shops, fabrication shops, and team headquarters forming much of the local landscape.
He is the middle child of Kerry Earnhardt, and he has four siblings, including a paternal half-sister named Kayla and two maternal half-brothers, James and David. His older brother, Bobby Dale Earnhardt, also pursued racing and competed in the ARCA Racing Series before returning for the 2025 season. With Dale Earnhardt as his grandfather and Dale Earnhardt Jr. as his uncle, Jeffrey was raised in a family where racing was a constant part of conversation, weekends, and career direction.
His great-grandfather, Ralph Earnhardt, was also a respected racer, making Jeffrey a fourth-generation driver. Despite the famous name, Earnhardt has often spoken about wanting to earn his own place in the sport on merit rather than family legacy.
Path to NASCAR
Earnhardt’s first competitive race came in the hornet division at Wythe Raceway in Rural Retreat, Virginia. He scored three feature wins, finished in the top five in division points, and earned Rookie of the Year honors. The following season, he moved up to the sportsman division at Motor Mile Speedway in Radford, Virginia, ending the year in the top ten of the division standings and gaining exposure to higher-level stock car competition.
In 2006, General Motors created a driver developmental search program, and Earnhardt made the final cut, earning the chance to test a late model and a Busch car at two tracks. The exposure led to a 2007 ride in the NASCAR Busch East Series with Andy Santerre Motorsports, where he drove the No. 1 Chevrolet, finished fifth in the final standings, and was named the series’ Most Popular Driver. He returned to the series in 2008, but a merger that pulled the rug out from under his development program left him looking for a new direction.
By 2010, Earnhardt had linked up with Rick Ware Racing, running several events that qualified him to compete on all NASCAR tracks in 2011. He signed on to chase NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Rookie of the Year honors, and although he was briefly released after exploring other options, Earnhardt and Ware reconciled. The team also entered the 24 Hours of Daytona together, finishing twelfth overall and giving Earnhardt valuable sports car experience.
Jeffrey Earnhardt Career
Early Career (2007-2011)
After his Busch East Series campaign, Earnhardt spent several seasons running a mix of stock car and sports car events while searching for a stable national-series ride. In 2012, he joined the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series, racing a GT-class entry for Rick Ware Racing and continuing to sharpen his road racing skills.
That same year, he announced plans to chase NASCAR Nationwide Series Rookie of the Year in 2013, signing with Go Green Racing to drive the No. 79. Sponsorship shortages limited his schedule, but a one-race agreement with JR Motorsports in 2013 at Richmond International Raceway gave him a taste of racing for one of the sport’s top developmental teams. He then moved to JD Motorsports for a full 2014 Nationwide Series slate in the No. 4 Chevrolet, only to be slowed by a fractured collarbone from a motorcycle accident that kept him out of the summer Daytona race.
Cup Series Breakthrough (2015-2018)
Earnhardt made his NASCAR Sprint Cup Series debut at the 2015 Federated Auto Parts 400 at Richmond International Raceway, driving for Go Fas Racing. By starting that race, he became the second fourth-generation driver to compete in NASCAR’s top series, joining Adam Petty in that small fraternity.
In 2016, Go Fas Racing expanded his schedule, putting him in the car for most of the season with sponsorship from Can-Am motorcycles as he pursued Cup Series Rookie of the Year. He also ran several races with BK Racing, including the Hellmann’s 500 at Talladega Superspeedway and the AAA Texas 500. After Go Fas parted ways with him following the 2016 season, Earnhardt joined Circle Sport-The Motorsports Group in 2017. At the Daytona 500, he made NASCAR history as the first fourth-generation driver to ever compete in that race, starting 33rd and finishing 26th. He followed that with a part-time 2018 schedule split between StarCom Racing, Premium Motorsports, and Gaunt Brothers Racing in the No. 96 Toyota, highlighted by a career-best 11th-place Cup finish at the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona.
Joe Gibbs Racing Era (2019)
In November 2018, Earnhardt was announced as a part of Joe Gibbs Racing’s 2019 NASCAR Xfinity Series program, driving the No. 18 Toyota Supra in nine races alongside teammates Riley Herbst, Kyle Busch, and Denny Hamlin. The move gave him his first opportunity in a top-tier NASCAR operation. His best moment of the season came at the summer Charlotte race, where he scored a career-best third-place finish despite contact with the turn three wall.
A sponsor-backed XCI Racing entry also fielded cars for him at Talladega Cup events and select Xfinity races. However, the partnership ended in August 2019, and Earnhardt parted ways with both XCI and Joe Gibbs Racing shortly thereafter.
Return to Xfinity and Sam Hunt Racing (2020-2022)
After leaving Joe Gibbs Racing, Earnhardt returned to JD Motorsports in 2020 on a partial schedule, running 29 races across the year. He was elevated to a full-time ride in 2021, driving the No. 0 for the team. When the 2021 season ended, he announced he would leave JD Motorsports to pursue opportunities with a top-tier team.
In January 2022, he signed on with Sam Hunt Racing to run a part-time Xfinity Series schedule, sharing time in the No. 24 and the No. 26 cars. ForeverLawn, his primary sponsor, moved with him. He also drove the No. 35 for Emerling-Gase Motorsports at Phoenix and the No. 3 for Richard Childress Racing at Talladega, the first time he had ever driven the famous No. 3 made iconic by his grandfather Dale Earnhardt. At Talladega, he earned his first career pole award and finished a career-best second behind Noah Gragson.
Alpha Prime Racing Era (2023-Present)
In 2023, Earnhardt was announced as a full-time driver for Alpha Prime Racing, piloting the No. 44 Chevrolet in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. After the July race at Atlanta, the schedule shifted to a select-race arrangement, splitting time between the No. 44 and No. 45 entries. He ended the 2023 season 27th in the final Xfinity Series standings, with a best finish of 11th at the September Daytona race.
Driving Style and Strengths
Earnhardt is known for his patience and respect for equipment, traits that have served him well at resource-limited teams. He is comfortable on restrictor-plate tracks, where he has produced his best Cup Series finishes, and he has shown the road course discipline developed during his Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series days. He is also a capable qualifier, having captured his first career pole at Talladega in 2022.
Notable Races and Milestones
His most memorable moments include the 2017 Daytona 500, where he became the first fourth-generation driver to start the race, and the 2022 spring Talladega Xfinity race, where he won his first career pole and finished a career-best second. He also earned a third-place finish at Charlotte in 2019 with Joe Gibbs Racing and a career-best 11th-place Cup result at the 2018 Coke Zero Sugar 400.
Jeffrey Earnhardt Career Wins
Across his time in the NASCAR Cup Series, Xfinity Series, Truck Series, ARCA Menards Series East, and Rolex Sports Car Series, Earnhardt has notched a number of strong results but is still seeking his first national-series victory. His top national-series finish remains the runner-up result earned at Talladega in 2022 driving for Richard Childress Racing.
Busch East Series Highlights
In 2007, Earnhardt raced the No. 1 Chevrolet for Andy Santerre Motorsports in the NASCAR Busch East Series, finishing fifth in the final standings. His popularity with fans was clear, as he was named the series’ Most Popular Driver that year, an early sign of the connection he has built with supporters.
Other Wins and Performances
Before moving to NASCAR’s national series, Earnhardt won three feature races in the hornet division at Wythe Raceway and was named Rookie of the Year. He also posted a 12th-place finish in the 2011 24 Hours of Daytona with Rick Ware Racing, gaining valuable endurance racing experience.
Jeffrey Earnhardt Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Jeffrey Earnhardt is part of one of the most storied racing families in American motorsports. He is the grandson of NASCAR Hall of Fame driver Dale Earnhardt, the nephew of Dale Earnhardt Jr., and the son of Kerry Earnhardt. His great-grandfather Ralph Earnhardt was also a respected racer, making Jeffrey a fourth-generation driver.
He is the middle child of Kerry Earnhardt, with a paternal half-sister named Kayla and two maternal half-brothers, James and David. His older brother, Bobby Dale Earnhardt, also pursued a racing career in the ARCA Racing Series and returned for the 2025 season.
Personal Life
Born and raised in Mooresville, North Carolina, Earnhardt has built his life around the rhythms of stock car racing. He has spoken openly about the pressures and privileges of carrying the Earnhardt name and about the importance of carving out his own identity on the track.
2025 Season Performance
As of the 2025 NASCAR Xfinity Series season, Earnhardt’s full program had not been finalized at the time of his most recent announcements. Following his run with Alpha Prime Racing in 2023, he was expected to evaluate opportunities to return to a competitive Xfinity Series entry, with the goal of securing consistent seat time and a shot at his first national-series victory.
With Alpha Prime Racing continuing to field Toyota entries and the support of longtime sponsor ForeverLawn, Earnhardt’s 2025 plans were tied to whether the team could finalize a partial or full-time ride for him. He has stated his desire to compete in cars capable of running up front, rather than simply making starts, and his offseason focus was on locking in a competitive opportunity.
Outlook for the rest of 2025 centers on Earnhardt’s ability to land a seat with a team capable of contending for wins, his trademark restrictor-plate strength, and his veteran experience. Whether running a partial schedule or fighting for a full-time ride, he remains determined to add a victory to the Earnhardt family’s already legendary NASCAR resume.