"It's long been a dream of mine": When Jeffrey Earnhardt reflected on driving the NASCAR car his grandfather made famous

The Earnhardt name is arguably the most famous last name in the history of NASCAR. Between the late Dale Earnhardt's storied career with seven championships and 76 wins to the popularity of his son Dale Earnhardt Jr., the Earnhardt family's racing roots run deep.

Jeffrey Earnhardt, the nephew of Earnhardt Jr. and grandson of Earnhardt Sr., once paid homage to his late grandfather by wheeling a #3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet, the number and team synonymous with the racing legend. Jeffrey drove the iconic RCR car in an Xfinity Series race at the Talladega Superspeedway in April 2022, a track that his uncle and father won, a combined 16 times in the Cup Series.

In an article via rcrracing.com, Jeffrey Earnhardt expressed his gratitude for the Richard Childress-owned team and his sponsors for helping what he said has been a longtime dream of his to pilot a #3 car in NASCAR. He stated:

“What a dream come true. The chance to be behind the wheel of the No. 3 car for RCR, that my pawpaw made famous, has long been a dream of mine and now it’s finally happening. I can’t thank ForeverLawn enough for making my dreams come to reality and for being such a big part of my career. I also want to thank Mr. Childress for making this possible. The No. 3 car is cherished by a lot of people, and I know how much it means to him. To give me this opportunity is something I’ll never forget.”

Childress, who was the owner for six of Dale Earnhardt's seven Cup Series titles, was pleased to see a familiar name behind the wheel of the famous number, adding:

“It’s great to have an Earnhardt back in one of our cars We think Jeffrey is a talented young driver and I’m confident he will run well at Talladega.”

Jeffrey Earnhardt qualified on the pole for the April 2022 event. He led 10 of the race's 124 laps and finished runner-up to winner Noah Gragson. It was Earnhardt's second career Xfinity Series top five and best career finish.

The #3 still has a presence in the Cup Series with Austin Dillon, grandson of Richard Childress, behind the wheel. Dillon took over the #3 car in 2014 and has found moderate success in the Cup Series with five victories, most notably the 2018 Daytona 500.

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Where is Jeffrey Earnhardt today?

Jeffrey Earnhardt last competed part-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series in 2024, piloting the #26 Sam Hunt Racing Toyota. Earnhardt competed in six events in 2024, scoring a best finish of eighth at Atlanta.

Earnhardt's longest Cup Series stint was in 2017 when he drove the #33 Circle Sport Racing Chevrolet for 34 races. However, Earnhardt struggled to find results and failed to secure a top-25 finish.