The South Carolina 400 is the biggest short track race in South Carolina, and it’s taking place this Saturday evening at the Florence Motor Speedway. Pavement Late Model racing’s best like Carson Kvapil, Brenden “Butterbean” Queen, Landon Huffman, and more will be joined by NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt Jr. in their quest for victory.

Why Is Dale Earnhardt Jr. Racing In The South Carolina 400?

NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt Jr. is competing in the South Carolina 400 for the second year in a row. Earnhardt ran in the top 10 much of the race in 2022 and was in contention for the win before two penalties dropped him down the running order. Earnhardt eventually finished in ninth after the penalties were assessed. 

Florence Motor Speedway, along with the now-defunct Myrtle Beach Speedway and the historic Hickory Motor Speedway, are race tracks where Earnhardt started racing Late Models in the 1990’s. Earnhardt is now in a position where he can return to his roots and race for fun while competing for the race win.

Saturday’s South Carolina 400 will mark the fourth time in the last year that Earnhardt will have raced at Florence Motor Speedway. After last year’s SC 400, Earnhardt returned to Florence for the spring’s Icebreaker, and he also raced in August’s inaugural Locked In 150.

Who Does Dale Earnhardt Jr. Race For?

Dale Earnhardt Jr. owns JR Motorsports, which fields Late Models in the CARS Tour and NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series, and stock cars in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. In Late Model competition, Carson Kvapil is their main driver. Kvapil has won the CARS Tour championship the last two years in a row.

When Earnhardt races a Late Model, he does so for his own team, JR Motorsports. Earnhardt has made five Late Model starts in the last couple of years, with three of those coming at Florence Motor Speedway, and the other two coming at the historic North Wilkesboro Speedway.

Does Dale Earnhardt Jr. Own The CARS Tour?

Yes, Earnhardt is a co-owner of the CARS Tour, which is the leading Late Model Stock Car and Pro Late Model touring series in the mid-Atlantic region. Earnhardt, along with Kevin Harvick, Jeff Burton, and Justin Marks, purchased the CARS Tour from series founder, Jack McNelly, at the end of 2022.

The CARS Tour races primarily in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia. Carson Kvapil has won the CARS Tour Late Model Stock Car championship each of the last two years. Kvapil’s younger brother, Caden Kvapil, won the CARS Tour Pro Late Model championship in 2023.

Can I Watch Dale Earnhardt Jr. Race In The South Carolina 400?

The South Carolina 400 will be streamed live on FloRacing, the streaming partner for all things NASCAR Roots, including select NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series events, the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, the ARCA Menards Series East and West, and select ARCA Menards Series events. FloRacing is also the streaming partner for the CARS Tour.

The South Carolina 400 will be available on FloRacing to all FloRacing subscribers. To become a FloRacing subscriber, click here.