.vresize.36.36.medium.0.png){kind=small}
.vresize.36.36.medium.0.png){kind=small}
NASCAR: Nationwide Announces 2017 Race Schedule With No. 88 Team
Once again in 2017 Nationwide will be the biggest primary sponsor of Dale Earnhardt Jr. and the No. 88 machine in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. This week Nationwide confirmed how many race for which they will be on the No. 88 machine as well some of the key races that they will be the primary sponsor for.
During the 2017 NASCAR Cup Series season Nationwide will be the primary sponsor for Dale Earnhardt Jr. and the No. 88 team for 20 Cup Series regular season races as well as the Clash at Daytona. Earnhardt Jr. will not be behind the wheel for the Clash at Daytona, that honor will go to Alex Bowman in what is his only confirmed ride right now for the 2017 season.
The 20 races that Nationwide will sit as Earnhardt’s primary sponsor is down from the 21 races in which they were the primary sponsor in 2016.
The first time in 2017 that Earnhardt Jr. will be at the wheel with Nationwide on the hood will be in less than a month at the Daytona 500. Other marquee events in 2017 for Nationwide and Earnhardt include the Coca-Cola 600 (May 28th), the Coke Zero 400 at Daytona (July 1st), the Brickyard 400 (July 23rd), the Southern 500 (Sept. 3rd) and in six playoff races (New Hampshire, Dover, Kansas, Martinsville, Texas and Phoenix).
The full Nationwide schedule with Earnhardt can be seen below via a tweet from the team.
ICYMI: Check out the @nationwide race schedule for 2017. #NW88JR pic.twitter.com/DdiEF4SlLi
— Nationwide 88 (@nationwide88) January 28, 2017
Aside from Nationwide, it has already been announced that Axalta will be continuing their relationship with Earnhardt Jr. and the No. 88 team this season. Earlier this week Axalta and Earnhardt Jr. unveiled a new Axalta paint scheme that will debut this season. The new paint scheme features a heavy flavor of yellow unlike 2016’s paint scheme which was more red than anything else.
Other sponsors to look for this season on the No. 88 machine are Diet Dew as they have been with Earnhardt for a few seasons in a row now. Heading into the season teams will be using the next few weeks to finalize some of their sponsorship deals.
More from Beyond the Flag
This article originally appeared on 
Tyler Reddick 1-on-1: On his son celebrating with MJ, driving Jordan Brand scheme
It's just practice, but Kevin Harvick isn't done driving just yet
NASCAR Power Rankings: Kyle Larson unseats William Byron at the top
NASCAR drivers discuss safety following Erik Jones’ crash, broken back at Talledega
Alex Bowman to drive Jimmie Johnson-inspired Lowe's scheme at Darlington
-
Tyler Reddick 1-on-1: On his son celebrating with MJ, driving Jordan Brand scheme
It's just practice, but Kevin Harvick isn't done driving just yet
NASCAR Power Rankings: Kyle Larson unseats William Byron at the top
-
NASCAR drivers discuss safety following Erik Jones’ crash, broken back at Talledega
Alex Bowman to drive Jimmie Johnson-inspired Lowe's scheme at Darlington
