Dale Jr. - Shifting Gears Returns to ESPN with Final Two Episodes

Dale Jr. - Shifting Gears, the sports documentary chronicling NASCAR superstar Dale Earnhardt Jr. and his unprecedented move from the team founded by his father to Hendrick Motorsports, will return to ESPN for the final two episodes on Tuesday, July 22 and Friday, July 25, at 7 p.m. ET.

The new episodes, each one hour in length, are the fourth and fifth installments of a five-part series and air during the week leading up to ESPN’s live coverage of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Allstate 400 at the Brickyard on Sunday, July 27, at 1 p.m. from Indianapolis Motor Speedway. 

The July 22 debut of the new episode will feature, among other things, reaction to the emotional conclusion of the Crown Royal 400 in May at Richmond International Raceway. It will segue into the July 25 finale, which highlights the driver’s popular Father’s Day victory at Michigan International Speedway.

“A lot has happened in the last three months, so we are picking up where we left off with these final two episodes,” said Earnhardt Jr., who is in second place in the NASCAR Sprint Cup championship point standings with six races to go before the Chase for the Championship. “It’s hard to put into words the enormity of this season, so hopefully the viewers can see for themselves all the work that has gone into it. It’s been amazing to live it.”

Dale Jr. – Shifting Gears is produced by Hammerhead Entertainment, a division of Earnhardt Jr.’s company, JR Motorsports, in cooperation with Hendrick Motorsports and is presented by the National Guard. The program is part of an exclusive, multimedia agreement between ESPN and Hammerhead Entertainment.

Shifting Gears debuted in February with three episodes that featured a unique, behind-the-scenes perspective of Earnhardt Jr.’s momentous decision to leave family-owned Dale Earnhardt Inc., to drive for Hendrick Motorsports. To show the personal, corporate and competitive ramifications involved in his decision, Earnhardt Jr. allowed access to team meetings, commercial shoots, and the odds-and-ends responsibilities that come with starting with a new team. Shifting Gears also captured never-before-seen footage of Earnhardt Jr.’s season-opening win in the Budweiser Shootout at Daytona.

In the final two episodes, Shifting Gears looks deep into Earnhardt Jr.’s relationship with his cousin and crew chief Tony Eury Jr., while documenting the balance between an extremely rigorous work schedule and life away from the chaotic NASCAR circuit. The new episodes feature moments both surreal and hilarious, including the bulldozing of Earnhardt Jr.’s house, kart-racing with friends, and the camaraderie shared with teammates at a National Guard training base.

The original airings will be simulcast on ESPN MobileTV. The first of the two new episodes re-airs Thursday, July 24, at 7 p.m. on ESPN2, and again Sunday, July 27, at 2 a.m. on ESPN2. The final episode re-airs Sunday, July 27, at 3 a.m. on ESPN2.

A trailer of the new episodes of Dale Jr. – Shifting Gears can be seen HERE.

Visit www.espnmediazone.com for ESPN's latest releases, schedules and other news, plus photos, video and audio clips and more.

About NASCAR on ESPN:

ESPN and ESPN on ABC has comprehensive, multi-platform coverage featuring telecasts of the final 17 NASCAR Sprint Cup races, including the 10-race “Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup” on ABC. Additionally, ESPN2 is the home of the NASCAR Nationwide Series all season. All programming is produced totally in High Definition. ESPN’s comprehensive, multimedia NASCAR coverage extends to ESPN.com, ESPN Deportes, ESPN Deportes Radio, SportsCenter, ESPN The Magazine, ESPN Classic, ESPNEWS, ESPNRadio, ESPN360.com and ESPN International, among other ESPN platforms. ESPN aired 262 NASCAR Cup Races over a 20-year period starting in 1981 and returned to NASCAR coverage in 2007. The network's award-winning, live flag-to-flag coverage on ESPN has been honored with 18 Sports Emmy Awards, as well as many industry honors. It is widely credited for helping to popularize the sport nationwide. NASCAR races have appeared on ABC for decades, beginning with broadcasts on the award-winning Wide World of Sports program in the 1960s.

ABOUT HAMMERHEAD ENTERTAINMENT:

Hammerhead Entertainment is a production company started by Dale Earnhardt Jr. as another way to connect with his immensely large fan base.  Producer of the series Shifting Gears on ESPN, Hammerhead Entertainment also produces a weekly radio show, Dale Jr. Unrestricted, on XM Radio, as well as the throwback television program Back In The Day on SPEED Channel.

ABOUT JR MOTORSPORTS:
Established in 1999, JR Motorsports is the management company and racing operation for professional stock car driver Dale Earnhardt Jr.  JRM competes in multiple racing divisions, including the NASCAR Nationwide Series, in which it fields two full-time teams.  Earnhardt Jr.'s organization is based out of a 60,000-square foot facility in Mooresville, N.C., and includes the JR Nation retail store and Dale Jr. Fan Experience.  For more information on JR Motorsports, visit www.dalejr.com.

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