MOORESVILLE, N.C. (Jan. 24, 2019) – The North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame announced its 2019 inductees on Tuesday, and among the 12 new members is Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Earnhardt Jr. joins his father, Dale Sr., as a member of the Hall, along with NASCAR champions Lee and Richard Petty, Junior Johnson, Richard Childress, Buck Baker and Herb Thomas. Current NASCAR team owner Brad Daugherty, who was elected for his basketball prowess at the University of North Carolina is also a member.

The 43-year-old Kannapolis native retired from full-time competition at the end of the 2017 season with more than 600 career NASCAR Cup Series starts, a pair of NASCAR Xfinity Series championships as a driver and three more with his Mooresville-based JR Motorsports team. Earnhardt Jr. won two Daytona 500s, in 2004 and 2014, and earned 26 career victories at the sport’s top level. One of the most popular drivers in NASCAR history, Earnhardt Jr. was named Most Popular Driver 15 times during his career.

Earnhardt Jr. is now a sports analyst for NBC, combining NASCAR coverage with events such as the Super Bowl and the Winter Olympics.

The induction ceremony will be held on May 3 at the Raleigh Convention Center in the state’s capital city.

For more on the event and the other Class of 2019 inductees, click here.