Jeffrey Earnhardt and team Circle Sport/TMG are breathing a little easier today after premium streaming service Hulu announced a 19-race sponsorship agreement for the No. 33 Chevrolet.
Earnhardt and team owner, Joe Falk, spoke to the media Friday at Dover International Speedway to discuss the impact it will have on the under-funded organization.
“I’ve got a lot of development to go, in myself, and we got a long way to build our race program, Earnhardt said. “We are aware of that and I know it’s not going to happen overnight.”
“Hell, my grandpa didn’t become a champion overnight, he busted his butt to get there and become who he became. That is kind of what I feel like I’m doing and I like it that way.
“Being a small team it’s huge for us. Every dollar goes a long way and there have been races where we haven’t had sponsorship and that is tough on anyone, but it’s even tougher on a small team like us. To be able to have good companies like Hulu come on board is huge and not just being able to have more funding going to the track, but to get us more exposure and branding is a huge plus too.”
Falk explained that the benefits go far beyond the initial funding and will help “get us to the next level.”
“We are hoping for a lot of different things here other than just the Hulu name on the car,” he said. “We are working on a partnership with them on some media and other things.”
“We are looking forward to it and of course, having Hulu on (the car) makes us legitimate in a lot of people’s eyes,” Falk continued, “and I think we will see a lot more support from Chevrolet and everybody else involved.”
This is Earnhardt’s second full-time season in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. In 2016 he competed in 22 races, primarily with Go FAS Racing, with a best finish of 26th at Charlotte. In 12 starts this year, his best finish is another 26th place at Daytona. In four races this season, mechanical/engine failures prevented Earnhardt from finishing. He was also sidelined in three races due to accidents.
The 27-year-old grandson of Dale Earnhardt admits he has a lot to learn and is willing to do whatever it takes to grow in the sport. He also takes pride in the fact that everything he has accomplished has little to do with his last name and everything to do with hard work and determination.
The Earnhardt name is synonymous with NASCAR. With Dale Earnhardt Jr. retiring at the end of this season, fans can rest assured that the legacy will live on as Jeffrey Earnhardt continues the family tradition.
“One of the main goals that I want to achieve in my career is to continue the legacy that my grandfather built,” he said. “You know that means a lot to me. I know how much that man meant to the sport and the fans and stuff. If I can continue that legacy at some level, I mean I would like to say that I’m going to go deliver it at its best, but those were big shoes that he made and I don’t think I could ever get close to even considering filling those, but if I could just do a big portion of keeping that Earnhardt legacy alive, I would be pretty happy.”
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