Dale Earnhardt Jr. won't be eased into his latest endeavor.
NBC Sports on Tuesday announced that the retired NASCAR driver will make his broadcasting debut as a contributor for the network’s coverage of Super Bowl 52 and the Winter Olympics next month.
"I’m excited to get to work with my new NBC family," Earnhardt said in a statement. "Beginning with two huge events like the Super Bowl and Olympics, right out of the gate, should be quite the introduction. I’m looking forward to raising the profile of NASCAR, and all that we’re going to be doing during the 2018 season."
Earnhardt, who retired in November, will participate in outdoor events around Minneapolis in the days leading up to the big game and appear on the pregame show ahead of the Super Bowl before traveling to South Korea to kickstart the Olympics. He's expected to visit the speed skating venue as well as the American bobsled team.
"We can't wait to get Dale's take on what is one of the most compelling aspects of the Winter Games — sports that offer a mix of speed with the prospect of danger, an equation that he knows very well," said Jim Bell, president of NBC Olympics Production and Programming. "Instead of the turns at Daytona, it's the downhill, the luge and the short track oval. And I think he will have something unique to offer about the need for speed on snow and ice."
Super Bowl 52 is slated for Feb. 4, and the Winter Olympics are scheduled to begin Feb. 8.
