09/19/2026
Dale Earnhardt Jr. explains mysterious repost that fueled NASCAR rumor mill
Dale Earnhardt Jr. has cleared up a mysterious social media repost that briefly ignited the NASCAR rumor mill this week. The Hall of Famer shared a 2023 Trackhouse Racing announcement about signing Zane Smith, leading many to speculate the team was re-signing the Front Row Motorsports driver amid the departure of Connor Zilisch to Hendrick Motorsports for 2028.
On the Bless Your ‘Hardt podcast with his wife Amy, Earnhardt explained the mix-up. “Three years ago, Trackhouse signed Zane Smith to some sort of future contract. Someone retweeted it. I looked at it, read it, and thought, ‘oh well that’s a good response to Zilisch.’ And it never really occurred to me that this was three years ago.”
He admitted checking the account authenticity but overlooking the date. A staff member later pointed out the error. Fans also noted the irony of an old comment from Carson Hocevar congratulating Smith on the original post, given their current tensions.
Earnhardt’s accidental share provided a light moment in an otherwise intense silly season as teams continue planning for future lineups.