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Dale Earnhardt Jr. to appear at Lernerville Speedway tonight | TribLIVE.com
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Dale Earnhardt Jr. to appear at Lernerville Speedway tonight

Bill Hartlep
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AP
Dale Earnhardt Jr., team owner and TV analyst, answers questions during a news conference before the NASCAR Daytona 500 auto race at Daytona International Speedway, Sunday, Feb. 16, 2020, in Daytona Beach, Fla.

Fans will again swarm a racetrack to see Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Though he won’t be returning to racing, the 26-time NASCAR Cup Series winner will likely draw quite a crowd Tuesday night at Lernerville Speedway.

He will attend the $50,000-to-win Commonwealth Clash as part of the High Limit Sprint Car Series.

Earnhardt Jr. plans to host a live at-track edition of his podcast, the Dale Jr. Download, at 5 p.m.

He will talk with series co-promoters Brad Sweet and Kyle Larson.

The Dale Jr. Download is in its 11th season with more than 400 shows in its archive.

“I’ve really never experienced a Winged Sprint Car race,” Earnhardt said on the Dale Jr. Download on Aug. 24. “I’ve not been to too many dirt races in my time, so we’re going to go have some fun, eat some track food, meet some fans, maybe sign some autographs or anything else Kyle (Larson) wants me to do. But we’re just going to celebrate his series and learn what we can.”

Earnhardt had recently helped Larson with promoting an asphalt race, and announced last month he would return the favor for the Commonwealth Clash.

“I just think it’s awesome,” Larson said in a news release. “It was his idea too. He came to me at North Wilkesboro and asked if I’d run a CARS Tour race for him and he would come to support one of our events, so I thought it was amazing that it was already on his mind and I’m excited to have him there. I really hope he enjoys his time and I hope he thinks the racing is cool as we all do, and I hope the fans give him a little bit of space so he can enjoy it.”

Larson (756 points) holds a 23-point advantage in the High Limit Sprint Car Series point standings, ahead of Rico Abreu (723), Cory Eliason (627), Justin Peck (591) and Chase Randall (585).

The $50,000-to-win Commonwealth Clash will be the richest Sprint Car race in Lernerville Speedway history.

Tickets are available at Lernerville.com with reserved seating priced at $50. General admission and infield seating is available for $40. Tickets can also be purchased at the gates.

Pit gates open at 2 p.m. with grandstands opening at 4. Hot laps followed by qualifying will commence at 6:15 p.m. with opening ceremonies scheduled for 7:15.

Bill Hartlep is the TribLive sports editor. A Pittsburgh native and Point Park graduate, he joined the Trib in 2004, covering high school sports. He held various editing roles before assuming his current position in 2019. He can be reached at bhartlep@triblive.com.

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