By Staff report | NASCAR.com
Jeffrey Earnhardt signed a multi-year deal starting with the 2016 season to drive in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series with Go FAS Racing.
Earnhardt, 26, will pilot the No. 32 Ford Fusion and Can-Am will be on board to serve as a primary sponsor for 11 events and an associate-level partner for all other events in 2016.
“I’m really excited to join GFR,” Earnhardt said in a release provided by the team. “I’m thrilled to have Can-Am on board as our partner for 2016. I’m an avid outdoorsman and their products are the gold standard for outdoor sports, so it’s a perfect fit. With Can-Am supporting our team, we’re certain to increase our competitiveness throughout the 2016 season.”
Earnhardt will compete for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Sunoco Rookie of the Year award.
Veteran driver Bobby Labonte will also drive several events in the No. 32 Ford.
“We are all really excited about this new partnership with Can-Am and Jeffrey Earnhardt for 2016”, team owner Archie St. Hilaire said in a release. “This deal will improve our program and make us much more competitive in the upcoming season while giving Jeffrey all the tools he needs to succeed at this level. 2016 can’t come soon enough for myself and everyone at GFR.”
The Mooresville, North Carolina native made his Sprint Cup debut at Richmond earlier this month, finishing 40th in the Federated Auto Parts 400. He was on the entry list for the Sylvania 300 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway (Sept. 27, 2 p.m. ET, NBCSN, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
For his career, Earnhardt has made 66 starts in the NASCAR XFINITY Series and 10 starts in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.
Earnhardt is the grandson of the late Dale Earnhardt, nephew of Dale Earnhardt Jr. and the son of Kerry Earnhardt. Kerry made seven starts in the Sprint Cup Series, 72 starts in the XFINITY Series and 27 starts in the Camping World Truck Series. The Richmond race that Jeffrey ran marked the first time two Earnhardts were competing in the Sprint Cup Series in over a decade.
The team also announced in a release that Go Green Racing will be competing under the Go FAS banner starting with Daytona Speedweeks in 2016.