Junior Motorsports announced on Wednesday that Realtree Outfitters has signed on to sponsor the team's No. 88 entry in the Nationwide Series for five races, and one of the team's owner's, Dale Earnhardt Jr., will be behind the wheel of the car for one of those races -- the Aug. 20 Nationwide Series event at Bristol Motor Speedway.
"I think this partnership with Delta Apparel and Realtree Outfitters is something we're announcing now, but it started a long time ago just on mutual friendship," Earnhardt Jr. said. "Realtree has been in the sport a long time, because there is a common interest in racing and hunting. NASCAR fans wear Realtree camo."
Another Sprint Cup Series regular, Elliott Sadler, will drive the car in two of the other four races in which Realtree will be featured on the car -- June 26 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway and Sept. 25 at Dover International Raceway. In all, Sadler will drive the No. 88 car in 10 Nationwide events, beginning with the New Hampshire race.
"Everyond knows that I hunt every single day during the off-season," Sadler said. "So this was like a dream come true for me to have a chance to represent Realtree Outfitters at my inaugural race with JR Motorspoorts."
Realtree will also be on the car for the Iowa Speedway race on July 31 and Gateway International Raceway on Oct. 23. Drivers for the No. 88 at Iowa and Gateway still have not been announced.
Sadler's races in the car that will not be sponsored by Realtree include O'Reilly Raceway Park on July 24, Michigan International Speedway on Aug. 14, Richmond International Raceway on Sept. 10, Kansas Speedway on Oct. 2, Auto Club Speedway on Oct. 9, Texas Motor Speedway on Nov. 6, and Phoenix International Raceway on Nov. 13, and the season-finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Nov. 20. Grand Touring Vodka will sponsor Sadler's efforts in those eight races.
"I am grateful to Dale Jr. and Kelley for this opportunity," Sadler said. "Dale Jr. and I have been friends since our days of racing late models, so it's a great opportunity for us to partner together in the Nationwide Series."
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