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With reigning Cup Series champion Kyle Larson competing this week at the Chili Bowl Nationals, Hendrick Motorsports announced Monday that Earnhardt will test Larson’s No. 5 Chevrolet Tuesday and Wednesday at the organizational test at Daytona International Speedway.

“Excited to get more time behind the wheel of this new car. It’s absolutely necessary for me to do my best in the broadcast booth. Thanks Team Hendrick and NASCAR for the opportunity,” Earnhardt, 47, said in a message posted to his Twitter account.

Earnhardt currently works as a NASCAR TV analyst for NBC.

Earnhardt most recently got to run several laps in a Next Gen car this past October at Bowman Gray Stadium in Winston-Salem during a Goodyear tyre test.

“It’s different than anything I’ve ever drove in NASCAR,” Earnhardt said after his first test of the new car.

“The braking ability and the braking performance of the car is probably the one thing that stood out to me the most. That was the one thing that took the most to get used to.

“I’m using the brake pedals the same way I’ve used the brake pedals all my life but this car stops so much better.

Nascar Next Gen

Photo by: Grace Krenrich

“I’m over-slowing the car way too much. It has a bigger tire on it, more grip. It has better drive off the corner with that tire.

“It just does everything better. It doesn’t feel too unfamiliar. It doesn’t feel too strange. It does everything like a stock car, just better.”

Both Tony Stewart and fellow driver-turned-TV broadcast Clint Bowyer also participated in that event.

The tire test was used in preparation for NASCAR’s plans to run the preseason exhibition Clash race in February on a made-from-scratch ¼-mile asphalt track built inside the Los Angeles Coliseum.

Since retiring from full-time Cup Series competition, Earnhardt has run at least one Xfinity Series race a season. His next planned race is 8 April at Martinsville Speedway.