Just when we were starting to get used to Dale Earnhardt Jr. in a three-piece suit instead of a fire suit, back he comes.

This weekend, Earnhardt will race in his first NASCAR event since retiring after last November’s Cup Series championship at Homestead, Florida. Now, make no mistake: This is far from a sign that the 43-year-old driver-turned-broadcaster is back in the racing game full time. Far from it.

Rather, it is a one-off exception to his new lifestyle. When Earnhardt retired, he still had a contract remaining with longtime sponsor Hellmann’s to run one Xfinity Series race in 2018 — and as Earnhardt explained on Twitter this week, he chose Richmond Raceway for a variety of reasons.

“The smooth surface. I like short tracks. My past success there. 1 day show,” Earnhardt tweeted on Tuesday.

And all that makes sense. Earnhardt has three career Cup wins at Richmond, including his second-ever victory, and has always performed well on the 0.75-mile loop. Add in the Friday night atmosphere under the lights, and the fact that Earnhardt gets to serve as an in-car correspondent for his NBC broadcast team, and it’s about as win-win-win a situation as he could hope for.

Now the question is this: What does this race mean for the rest of us?

The obvious thing is that, at least for one more night, longtime Earnhardt supporters will get to see their favorite driver back behind the wheel of his famous No. 88. He will even have his old spotter, T.J. Majors, back with him.

But the harsh reality is that there is a good chance this is the last time Earnhardt, one of the most legendary drivers in NASCAR history, ever gets behind the wheel of a race car.

That’s sad to think about. It’s sad for his fans, but also fans of the sport. Dale Jr. always drew a crowd with him, even during his farewell season when he was anything but competitive on the track. That ol’ legacy name, and all the memories and the popularity that comes with it, were a lifeblood for NASCAR for years and years.

There will never be another Dale Earnhardt Jr., even if Chase Elliott eventually surpasses him in Most Popular Driver awards, or wins, or even championships. There is no replicating the iconic moments — coming back and winning in 2001 at Daytona in the first race after his dad’s death earlier that year in the Daytona 500, winning the first NASCAR race after 9/11 — that Dale Jr. produced over the course of his magnificent career. And realizing that is hard, and it is something NASCAR will struggle with for years, no matter how exciting or engaging its seasons.

Dale Jr. was the ultimate star. You just don’t carbon copy those guys.

Instead, you appreciate them — and that is exactly what fans should do this weekend.

There is a real high chance that Junior does not win on Friday night. Heck, there is always a chance he spins out or blows an engine and doesn’t even finish the race.

But what if, by some chance, he was running in the top five with 20 laps to go? What if, by some miracle, he actually won?

That possibility — to see that magic one more time — is worth watching all by itself. Regardless of what happens on Friday night, Dale Jr.’s legacy is already set. He is bound for the NASCAR Hall of Fame, and there is even an off chance he becomes the first unanimous inductee.

But whatever does happen Friday night, make sure you’re watching. Watch that famous No. 88 loop around time after time, and listen to the man himself as he scratches that final racing itch.

You never know — it may be the last time you get to.

And no one wants to miss Dale Jr.’s last dash of magic.