Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s aircraft lands in Napa ahead of NASCAR's Sonoma weekend

Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s Cessna Citation XLS+ (N38AD) was tracked flying from Navajo Lake Airport in Colorado to Napa County Airport on June 24, 2026, a 2-hour 8-minute hop that touched down just before 3 p.m. local time. The aircraft, registered to the NASCAR Hall of Famer, departed the high-country airstrip near the New Mexico border and crossed into California's wine country for the evening.

If Dale Earnhardt Jr. was aboard, he would arrive the same week NASCAR returns to Sonoma Raceway for the Toyota/Save Mart 350, held June 26–28, per the track's official schedule [sonomaraceway.com](https://www.sonomaraceway.com/events/toyota-save-mart-350/). The race weekend, which includes the second annual In-Season Challenge and a $1 million bonus, is the only Northern California stop for the Cup Series and draws up to 50,000 fans [pressdemocrat.com](https://www.pressdemocrat.com/2026/06/24/sonoma-raceway-gears-up-for-a-big-nascar-weekend/). Earnhardt Jr., a former driver turned NBC Sports analyst, frequently appears at Cup Series events, though his broadcast role this weekend has not been confirmed.

The flight follows a pattern of quick turnarounds: just hours earlier, N38AD had flown from an unknown location to Navajo Lake, suggesting a brief stop before the final leg to Napa. Sonoma Raceway is roughly 30 miles from KAPC, making the airport a logical staging point for anyone headed to the track. Whether Dale Earnhardt Jr. is there to work the broadcast booth, enjoy the wine, or simply catch the action, the aircraft's arrival slots neatly into one of the biggest sporting weekends in Sonoma County.