Earnhardt Set for Full-Time ARCA Competition in 2026

What’s Happening?

Bobby Dale Earnhardt, son of Kerry Earnhardt and grandson of Dale Earnhardt Sr., has announced he will race full-time in the ARCA Menards Series in 2026 with Rise Motorsports.

• According to the announcement, Earnhardt will pilot a car for the team full-time next season, although it does not clarify what the car’s number will be. In the past, Rise has utilized the No. 31, and could do so again in 2026.
• The 38-year-old is the eldest son of Kerry Earnhardt and brother of NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series regular Jeffrey Earnhardt. The 2026 season will mark Earnhardt’s first season of full-time competition in the ARCA Menards Series or any NASCAR touring series.
• Rise Motorsports is a family-owned team that started all but two of the 20 races on the 2025 ARCA Menards Series calendar. Notably, the press release posted by Earnhardt on social media lists him as “Owner/Driver,” suggesting the fourth-generation driver may have also invested in the team.
• Prior to 2025, Earnhardt had just three starts in ARCA and seven Xfinity Series starts from 2017 to 2019. However, partway through the 2025 season, he announced his return, making two starts with Rise at Bristol and Kansas, where Earnhardt finished with a best result of 26th, despite solid qualifying efforts.

What do you think about this? Let us know your opinion on Discord or X. Don’t forget that you can also follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.