Hendrick Motorsports announced in a tweet on Tuesday morning that driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. will retire from the NASCAR Cup Series at the end of the 2017 season.
Earnhardt was voted the most popular driver 14 times by NASCAR fans since his racing career began in 1999. He has 603 career starts and 26 wins on the circuit. He won the Daytona 500 in 2004 and 2014.
Earnhardt was a third generation NASCAR driver, his father Dale won seven NASCAR championships tying Richard Petty for most all-time. His grandfather, Ralph, raced from 1955-66.
For most of his career, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. has been NASCAR's biggest star.