Dale Earnhardt Jr. Sends a Message to the NASCAR Rookie About Taking Over His Renowned No. 88 Car
When Dale Earnhardt Jr. retired from the NASCAR Cup Series in 2017, he left behind a storied legacy marked by two iconic car numbers: 8 and 88.
Earnhardt Jr.’s career began with the No. 8 at his father’s team, Dale Earnhardt Incorporated, before he moved to Hendrick Motorsports. There, he spent the last decade of his career driving the No. 88.
Although Hendrick Motorsports last fielded the No. 88 with driver Alex Bowman, who now drives the No. 48, the number is set for a comeback in 2025 with a new team and driver.
Trackhouse Racing, co-owned by the famous rapper Pitbull, has acquired the rights to the No. 88. The team announced on Sunday that rising star Shane van Gisbergen will take over the number in 2025.
Earnhardt Jr. expressed his enthusiasm about the development, tweeting, “I was lucky to run a few numbers with so much rich history. Excited to see @shanevg97 and @TeamTrackhouse add a new chapter to it. 88 will have a good home there.”
Van Gisbergen, a 35-year-old driver from New Zealand, has had an unconventional path to NASCAR fame. He raced in the Australian Supercars Championship, winning the series title in both 2021 and 2022. He made his NASCAR Cup Series debut for Trackhouse Racing at the Chicago Street Circuit in 2023, securing a surprising victory in his first race.
One month later, Trackhouse announced they would sign him full-time. Currently, Van Gisbergen competes for Kaulig Racing, a Trackhouse affiliate, in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, where he has already won three races this season (all on road courses) and secured a spot in the playoffs. He has also achieved a career-best fourth-place finish on ovals at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Now moving up to the Cup Series, Van Gisbergen, often known as SVG, will join Trackhouse teammates Ross Chastain and Daniel Suarez, forming a potentially popular trio in the sport. It seems he has the full backing of one of NASCAR’s most celebrated drivers.
