Hendrick Motorsports driver and two-time Daytona 500 winner Dale Earnhardt Jr. has announced he will retire from NASCAR at the end of 2017.
The 42-year-old, son of seven-time champion Dale Earnhardt Sr, has competed in over 600 NASCAR Cup races and claimed 26 wins so far in his career.
He missed a large chunk of races in 2016 while recovering from a concussion he sustained during an accident at Michigan.
Earnhardt returned to racing this year but has suffered a tough start, with a best finish of 14th in Phoenix.
He is currently in the final year of his contract with Hendricks and said ahead of his return he would take a few months to decide what he wants to do beyond 2017.
Now, Earnhardt has announced he will retire from NASCAR at the end of the year, which is his 18th full-time season in the Cup series.
He made his first Cup start at the Charlotte Motor Speedway in 1999, before making his full-season debut in 2000. His best championship position has been third in 2003.
Hendrick Motorsports said Earnhardt, who currently drives the No.88 car, shared the news with members of the team on Tuesday.
The team added plans for its 2018 line-up will be confirmed “at a later date”.
