The first top-five finish of Jeffrey Earnhardt’s NASCAR career couldn’t have come at a more opportune time.
In Saturday’s Alsco 300 NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Charlotte Motor Speedway, the hood of Earnhardt’s No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota featured a tribute to officer Jordan Sheldon of Mooresville, N.C., who was killed May 4 during a traffic stop.
Earnhardt hit the outside wall and spun during the final stage of the race but rallied to finish third—his best result in any of NASCAR’s top three national series.
“It meant a lot to me having Officer Sheldon on the car today,” said Earnhardt, who received medical treatment after the race because of extreme heat inside the car. “Hopefully, he’s smiling down on us after that run and us bringing the iK9 Supra home third. I wouldn’t have thought we had a third-place car after practice on Thursday.
“I can’t thank the guys at iK9 and Joe Gibbs Racing enough for letting us run this paint scheme and just everyone for their support and the respect they’ve shown. It’s amazing how the community came together for him and his family. It’s really touching, and it’s been great to see the respect shown for a man that loved his job and loved keeping our town of Mooresville safe.”
Source: Reid Spencer | NASCAR Wire Service
