NASCAR legend Dale Earnhardt Jr. has provided an immediate update after the possibility of making a comeback at the 2027 Daytona 500 was teased.

A podcast clip featuring the 51-year-old went viral in the aftermath of Sunday's Great American Race, with NASCAR fans getting very excited that they could soon see Earnhardt Jr. back in a Cup Series car.

He last raced in the Cup in 2017, retiring at the end of that season. His last NASCAR appearance came in the O'Reilly Series (then Xfinity Series) in 2024 at Bristol.

However, he appeared to tease a possible return to NASCAR's top division in a Dale Jr Download clip, stating: “Amy [his wife] told me I should run the Daytona 500 next year.

"I was like, 'What?'," he continued. "We were just lying in bed Sunday night after the race, she was like, ‘You should drive it next year.’

"I'm like, 'Hello? Pardon me? What did you just say? Are you okay?" Earnhardt Jr.'s podcast co-host TJ Majors chimed back with: "There's a lot of momentum in the sport."

"I don't know," Earnhardt Jr. replied.

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Dale Earnhardt Jr. addresses Daytona 500 plans

For the last two seasons, JR Motorsports - Earnhardt Jr's racing team - has run an open entry into the Daytona 500, so it isn't like he would have had to find a drive either.

It all seemed to make sense, NASCAR fans naturally got very excited, and the clip was viewed over half a million times on X alone.

However, later in the day, Earnhardt Jr. appeared to shut down any chances of it actually happening, instead revealing the only reason he had brought it up on the podcast.

"I only wanted folks to know Amy wasn't to blame for my retirement back in the day," Earnhardt Jr explained on X.

"I felt she got some unnecessary blame back then. I won't be racing Cup, but she's not the reason."

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