Bobby Dale Earnhardt, eldest son of Kerry Earnhardt, nephew of NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt Jr., and and grandson of seven-time Cup champion Dale Earnhardt Sr., was supposed to contest the full 2026 ARCA Menards Series schedule for Rise Motorsports.
Driving the No. 89 Chevrolet, he opened the year with a top ten finish at Daytona, earning a career-best result of ninth. Unfortunately, that was his only top ten. In the first 12 races of the year, he has an average finish of 20.5 and four DNFs. He currently sits seventh in the championship standings (of nine drivers who have run every race).
He won't be on-track for the next race at Indianapolis Raceway Park, citing a lack of funding.
"Unfortunately, we won’t be in the No. 89 on track at Indianapolis Raceway Park next week," Earnhardt said in a social media post. "We weren’t able to finalize the funding needed in time for the event and that’s part of the reality of this sport sometimes. Wishing Rise Racing the best of luck at IRP.
"We’re continuing to work hard to secure the funding needed to get back on track as soon as possible. There are still opportunities we’re pursuing and we’ll share an update when we have something confirmed. Thank you to everyone who continues to support this journey. We appreciate you."
Earnhardt has 17 ARCA starts so far in his career, with the bulk of those taking place during the 2026 season. He also made seven starts in the NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series between 2017 and 2019, placing as high as 27th.
Brayton Laster will take Earnhardt's place behind the wheel of the No. 89 at IRP with sponsorship from Peerless Pump Company.
Bobby's brother, Jeffrey, is actively seeking opportunities in NASCAR as well, with his team recently posting: "Jeffrey wants to be on track racing for wins and we know what that takes so that is this years mission. He’s absolutely going to be back on track and when he is, we want to see him have a shot at P1."
