It was the shock heard around Bachelor Nation when the reality dating franchise announced Arie Luyendyk Jr. as the man at the center of the next season of . While most fans had their money on favorites from the recently concluded Rachel Lindsay season of  like Peter Kraus or Eric Bigger, the franchise surprised us all by going all the way back to Season 8 of  and selecting contestant Arie Luyendyk Jr. as its new rose-giver. Though Luyendyk is a favorite to some longtime fans, most viewers may have forgotten about him. So before he becomes the next bachelor, here’s your refresher on all things Arie, to answer those nagging questions like what does he do and what is Arie Luyendyk’s net worth? Let’s just say that whoever ends up winning his season is going to have a  comfortable lifestyle.

Arie Luyendyk Jr. is a racecar driver who’s been competing professionally since he was 16 years old. His father, the senior Arie Luyendyk, is the famous Dutch racecar driver who won the Indy 500 twice, so he’s definitely got that need for speed in his blood. And his high-profile, high-octane career along with his family legacy have helped him do very well for himself financially. Though sources disagree on exactly how much Luyendyk is worth, it’s definitely in the millions. Go Banking Rates estimates $2 million, and The Richest goes up to estimates of $5 million.

Aside from his racing career, Arie Luyendyk Jr. also has a lot of experience in reality television. Of course,  fans already know him from Emily Maynard’s season of , where he was the runner-up to winner Jef Holm. Luyendyk also appeared on an episode of  and competed on .

There’s no word yet on when Arie Luyendyk Jr.’s season of will premiere, but expect it to start on ABC sometime this fall.

Read more: http://elitedaily.com/entertainment/newest-bachelor-racecar-driver/2064068/

And the next is… Arie Luyendyk Jr? Yeah, that happened. Not exactly what we all expected. But, wait — you might be sitting there asking, “Where have I seen this guy before? Is he in my spin class? Was he an extra on ‘SVU’? Did I swipe left on him on Tinder?” Not that we know of. In case you forgot, in addition to being a race car driver, he’s an alum of the Bachelor franchise. So, what season of was Arie on? Think back to 2012. “Gangnam Style” was on the radio… And? America’s upcoming Bachelor was competing for love on Emily Maynard’s season. Ah, it’s all coming together now.

Arie wasn’t just any old contestant, he was the runner-up, though he ultimately lost Emily’s final rose to winner Jef Holm. Many expected him to take on the role as the next Bachelor back then, but the job went to Sean Lowe. Juan Pablo Galavis handed out roses the following year, so when would it be Arie’s turn? According to Sean Lowe’s 2015 interview with , his pal Arie was next in line back then, but at the last minute, Chris Soules got picked. Well, five years after his intro to Bachelor Nation, Arie is getting his chance at being the leading man.

ABC’s choice came as a bit of a surprise to the show’s fans, considering Arie’s name hasn’t exactly been on the lips and minds of Bachelor Nation as of late. Rachel Lindsay’s runner-up Peter Kraus was a top contender until Twitter-happy show creator Mike Fleiss ruled him out just the other day. Nick Viall, who recently broke his engagement to Vanessa Grimaldi, seemed like another option until that was crossed off the list, too. Fleiss teased ’s big reveal last night with a series of tweets that kept everyone guessing.

It will be interesting to see this formerly familiar face in the spotlight again, so many years later. Arie admitted on that he was “skeptical” when he got the news about the huge gig, but “went in with an open mind and an open heart.” You may recall he was nicknamed “the kissing bandit” on Emily’s season. Time to stock up on breath mints and chapstick, Arie.

Read more: http://elitedaily.com/entertainment/bachelor-ari-luyendyk-bachelorete/2064091/