Dale Earnhardt Jr has announced he will retire from the NASCAR Cup Series at the end of the 2017 season.
The 42-year-old, who has twice won the Daytona 500 as well as 24 other Cup victories, confirmed his decision to bring the curtain down on his 18-year career at a press conference on Tuesday.
"I accomplished way more than I ever dreamed, way more than I ever thought I'd accomplish," Earnhardt said in quotes reported by www.nascar.com.
"So I'm good, you know. I'm good on that front. I'm so blessed and fortunate on what I was able to achieve but I'm very sad because it's definitely disappointing for a lot of people to wake up to that news this morning."
Earnhardt is currently 24th in the 2017 NASCAR Cup Series standings, having finished outside the top 30 in half of his eight starts so far this season.
The son of NASCAR Hall of Fame inductee Dale Earnhardt Sr added of his future plans: "I don't see myself really detaching from NASCAR.
"My intention is still to be involved in the sport on some level. Even after this season is over, you have not seen the last of me on the race track. But more than that, I want to be a part of the future of the sport for years to come."
Source: PA
