“There’s probably over 100 people at JR Motorsports that would have been more qualified, but Mardy [Lindley] asked me to do it.” That’s how Dale Earnhardt Jr. found himself back in the heat of competition this weekend, not as a driver, but as a crew chief. As he took on this duty for the No. 88 JR Motorsports car at Pocono, Dale Jr. helped deliver a statement win for Xfinity Series rookie Connor Zilisch.
What was supposed to be a one-off fill-in stint turned into a masterclass from the boss himself. Zilisch scored his first-ever oval win, and Dale Jr.? He might just be warming up to the idea of doing it again.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. may be interested in round 2 as a crew chief
The last time Dale Earnhardt Jr. raced in NASCAR was not as long ago as you might think. Just last year, the 2x Daytona 500 champion drove the #88 JR Motorsports Chevrolet to a solid 7th place finish at Bristol Motor Speedway in the Xfinity Series. Now, in a full circle moment, Junior made his crew chief debut for the same #88, guiding Connor Zilisch to victory lane. With this being his debut as a crew chief, naturally, one question was on everyone’s minds: Will Dale Jr. do this again?
When asked this in the post-race press conference, Dale Earnhardt Jr. said, “I mean, it’s really up to the crew chiefs’ teams individually, you know. I think I would not ever walk in the shop and go, ‘Hey, you know I’d be up for doing it.’ I’m not gonna do that, but if, you know, if we find ourselves unfortunately where Jim or somebody gets suspended or even Mardy again, if they want me to do it, I would happily, happily do it.” The call came from Mardy Lindley, who was suspended for the lug nut infraction after Nashville, and was confident that only Dale Jr. could lead the team ahead in Pocono.
Zilisch, who qualified P9 with the best lap of 54.36 seconds at a top speed of 164.74 mph, finally made his oval breakthrough by taking the checkered flag at the Explore the Mountains 250. And what a result it was. Dale Earnhardt Jr. helped call a clever strategy to split the final stage and take a late-race gamble, one that gave 18-year-old Connor Zilisch a shot at the win. The No. 88 driver capitalized on it, passing Jesse Love late and winning his third Xfinity Series race. A big moment for the rookie and a bigger one for the Hall of Famer in the box.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. leaves the door open to be an interim crew chief again. But only if the absent crew chief wants him to do it (as Mardy Lindley did today). pic.twitter.com/4EHvENDPfi
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) June 22, 2025
At the end of the day, it is all a team effort. And Dale Jr. makes it a point to credit his beloved JR Motorsports crew. “We have such great, you know, car chiefs and engineers—great, great people. And it’s all they really do, all work really well together in the shop, and I always feel confident that, you know, we could go out and get a good result if we needed to do this again, but I’m not gonna seek it out.”
After this spectacular effort, Connor Zilisch now sits 5th in the Xfinity standings. With two wins, 5 top-fives, 7 top-tens, and four poles in just 15 starts, he’s proving his more than a road course ace. He led 34 laps at Pocono and executed the late pass like a veteran. And to achieve this result, Dale Jr. didn’t shy away from asking for external help.
As much as he enjoyed this new role, he admitted that it was a bit stressful, too. Jr. said, “It was a lot of fun. A lot of pressure, definitely out of my wheelhouse for sure. And I had tons of support. Again, I had so much support with our team and Bummy [Mike Bumgarner], who kind of runs JR Motorsports in a competition role. Just so much good support to be able to succeed, and really, really good fortune on the strategy.”
The moment wasn’t lost on the NASCAR garages either. Kevin Harvick’s 2014 championship-winning crew chief, Rodney Childers, took to social media, congratulating the duo. He posted, “Congrats to @ConnorZilisch and everyone @JRMotorsports… The crew chief didn’t do too bad either… Great job, @DaleJr and @Mardylindley!” So no, Junior might not be signing up to crew chief every weekend. But if another call comes in, from Mardy or anyone else, you can bank on Dale Jr. to get ready to hit the pit box again.
JR Motorsports’ top 10 party at Pocono
While Dale Jr. and Connor Zilisch stole the spotlight at Pocono, the rest of the JR Motorsports roster quietly delivered a statement weekend. Carson Kvapil, driving the No. 1 Chevrolet, made one of the biggest climbs of the day. After qualifying 22nd, Kvapil sliced through the field to finish an impressive 6th. Gaining 16 points throughout the race. It was a performance built on patience, a strong, long-run pace, and well-executed stops.
Moreover, Justin Allgaier, a veteran presence in the No. 7 JRM entry, started 8th after showing speed in practice. At one point, it was him and Chase Elliott fighting for the win, until they drove into each other and had to check up, allowing Love and Zilisch to take the reins and fight till the end. Despite this setback, points leader Allgaier came home with a 10th-place finish, another valuable points day that keeps him well within the hunt in the championship standings. Justin’s consistency this season has been the quiet anchor of the JRM effort, and Pocono was no exception.
Sammy Smith also added to the team’s tally, piloting the No. 8 Chevy to an 8th place after qualifying 13th. Smith, who has been building momentum with each start, ran inside the top 10 most of the afternoon, collecting stage points and keeping himself in striking distance of a stronger playoff seeding. His run was clean and efficient, and it suggested that he is inching towards breakout form.
Altogether, JR Motorsport had four cars finish inside the top 10, an impressive showing of depth and balance. While the post-race headlines circled Connor’s victory and Dale Jr.’s rookie stint as a crew chief, Kvapil, Allgaier, and Smith quietly turned in the kind of performances that win championships in the long run. What did you think of the Xfinity race this weekend? Let us know in the comments!
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