Bristol Motor Speedway officials announced today that applications for the 2024 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Scholarship are now being accepted and it is open to students at area high schools, colleges and universities who are pursuing higher education degrees in automotive technology, hospitality and tourism, or communications and broadcasting.
Created by Bristol Motor Speedway in 2017 as a retirement gift to Earnhardt Jr., the annual scholarship awards the winning student a one-time payment of $2,088 to assist with all college costs including tuition, housing, books and supplies.
Applications are being accepted until 11:59 p.m. on Friday, June 14, 2024. The winner will be celebrated on Friday, Sept. 20 during the pre-race ceremonies for the Food City 300 NASCAR Xfinity Series race, which will feature Dale Earnhardt Jr. as a competitor.
To apply for the $2,088 scholarship, please fill out the online application here: https://www.bristolmotorspeedway.com/scholarship/
Applications may also be submitted via email to: [email protected]
Past winners of the BMS Dale Earnhardt Jr. Scholarship are Jaicee Weaver (2018) and Jace Ketron (2019), both of Tennessee High School in Bristol, Tenn., Knoxville, Tenn. student Caleb James Cate (2021), who attended UNOH, John Clavier (2022) of Elizabethton, Tenn. and UNOH student Chloe Holman (2023) of Essex, Mo., Jamie Sullivan (2023) of Charlotte, N.C. and Kaleb Kent of Watauga, Tenn.
In order to be eligible, students must be a senior at one of the 21 designated high schools or attending one of the eight designated colleges and universities in the Appalachian Highlands region surrounding Bristol Motor Speedway or a student at the speedway’s official partnering institution, the University of Northwestern Ohio (UNOH) in Lima, Ohio.
The 21 designated high schools are Abingdon High School; Chuckey-Doak High School; Cloudland High School; Daniel Boone High School; David Crockett High School; Dobyns-Bennett High School; Elizabethton High School; Greeneville High School; Hampton High School; Happy Valley High School; Holston High School; John S. Battle High School; North Greene High School; Patrick Henry High School; Tennessee High School; Science Hill High School; South Greene High School; Sullivan East High School; Virginia High School; West Greene High School or West Ridge High School.
The nine designated higher educational institutions are East Tennessee State University; Emory & Henry College; King University; Milligan University; Northeast State Technical Community College; Tennessee College of Applied Technology, Elizabethton; Tusculum University; the University of Virginia’s College at Wise or the University of Northwestern Ohio.
One of the most iconic racecar drivers of all time and a member of the NASCAR Hall of Fame, Earnhardt Jr. owns multi-media company Dirty Mo Media and hosts The Dale Jr. Download, a weekly interview program focused on motorsports. For six seasons Earnhardt served as a racing analyst for NBC and in 2025 he will return to the booth for NASCAR Cup Series racing for Amazon and Warner Brothers Discovery Sports.
Voted by fans as NASCAR’s Most Popular Driver for an unprecedented 15 consecutive years (2003-17), Earnhardt, a 26-time winner in the NASCAR Cup Series including two Daytona 500s, is a third-generation driver who followed his legendary father Dale Earnhardt Sr., and his grandfather, Ralph Earnhardt, into the sport. As a team owner, Earnhardt founded and oversees JR Motorsports, which fields four full-time entries in the NASCAR Xfinity Series.
Earnhardt Jr.’s only Bristol victory in the Cup Series came in the 2004 Night Race in dramatic fashion by sweeping the weekend and then he famously declared, “It’s Bristol, Baby!” in Victory Lane following the win. Last year, Earnhardt Jr. thrilled fans by contending for the victory in the Food City 300 till late in the race. A short in a wire ended his night after he led 47 laps and ran up front most of the night. He recently announced that he is returning to compete in the Food City 300 this September.
The Bass Pro Shops Night Race weekend features three nights of electrifying NASCAR Playoff action under the lights including Saturday night’s Cup Playoff race, the Bass Pro Shops Night Race (7:30 p.m., USA Network, PRN Radio). The weekend also includes the return of Dale Earnhardt Jr. to Bristol’s high banks in the Food City 300 NASCAR Xfinity Series race on Friday night, Sept. 20 (7:30 p.m., CW Network and PRN Radio). The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series will get the fun started on Thursday night, Sept. 19, with the running of the UNOH 200 presented by Ohio Logistics (8 p.m., FS1 and MRN Radio). The ARCA Menards Series will open Thursday’s racing to make it a doubleheader night with the Bush’s Beans 200 (6 p.m., FS1 and MRN Radio).
To purchase tickets or obtain more information about the race weekend, please visit www.bristolmotorspeedway.com or call (866) 415-4158.
