Dale Earnhardt Jr. will compete in the Xfinity Series race at Martinsville race in 2022, JR Motorsports announced Wednesday. The race is scheduled for April 8.
The race is part of Unilever renewing its deal with JR Motorsports for next season. It will be the 14th year of partnership with the organization. Earnhardt will drive the No. 88 Hellmann’s Fridge Hunters Chevrolet at Martinsville.
The deal also includes primary sponsorship of Justin Allgaier‘s No. 7 Chevrolet for six Xfinity races in 2022.
“I love short tracks. When it comes down to it, short track racing is what I love to do,” said Earnhardt, who broke the announcement during this week’s The Dale Jr. Downloadpodcast. “Races at Martinsville are always a blast, so I’m really excited about this opportunity. Unilever has been a great partner, and I’m thankful to them for allowing me to go race at Martinsville. I’m going to get in there in the thick of it and have some fun.”
As one of Hellmann’s newest initiatives, Fridge Hunters is a campaign encouraging consumers to look inside their fridge to make a meal with food they would otherwise throw away. It is estimated that 40 percent of all food waste in the U.S. happens at home. Fridge Hunters is an extension of the Make Taste Not Waste awareness campaign and part of a larger commitment by Unilever to help achieve the U.N.’s Sustainable Development Goal of reducing food waste by 50 percent by 2030.
“JRM is a trusted and collaborative partner, and we are excited that Dale Jr. will be returning next year in the Hellmann’s colors and driving continued awareness around how fridge hunting can help reduce food waste,” said Ben Crook, senior marketing director for Hellmann’s North America, in a statement. “Hellmann’s recognizes a simple change can have a big impact and is proud to do its part in helping to reduce food waste. We hope the NASCAR community will join us in looking inside the fridge to make one meal each week from ingredients that normally get thrown away.”
Beginning today fans are able to vote on Earnhardt’s paint scheme for the anticipated event. By visiting hellmanns.jrmracing.com fans can select one of three No. 88 Hellmann’s Fridge Hunters-inspired paint schemes. The voting runs through Nov. 17, 2021 with the winning livery featured on track next season at Martinsville with Earnhardt Jr. behind the wheel.
