Dale Earnhardt Jr might already be NASCAR’s most popular crew chief. He is certainly an undefeated one.
Pressed into unexpected service, Earnhardt on Saturday called the shots for 18-year-old prospect Connor Zilisch in the No. 88 Chevrolet, as they landed in victory lane in the second-tier Xfinity Series race at Pocono Raceway.
“It felt good to have some input and decisionmaking power,” Earnhardt said. “And then helping Connor understand what our plan was so he knew when to push and what he was expected to do.”
Photo: AFP
Earnhardt — who won NASCAR’s most-popular driver award 15 times — made a pit stop from his day job as team owner at JR Motorsports with normal crew chief Mardy Lindley suspended one race because of a lug nut infraction this month at Nashville.
Aside from his duties as team owner, Earnhardt was also at Pocono for his role on the Prime broadcast for the NASCAR Cup Series race yesterday.
“Lot of fun for me today,” Earnhardt said. “I missed the thrill of competition. I love broadcast, don’t get me wrong, but nothing compares to driving or just being part of the team. Being an owner doesn’t really deliver like this. This is a lot of fun.”
Photo: AFP
The win continued a banner season for the NASCAR Hall of Fame driver — who swept two races at Pocono as a driver in 2014 — after JR Motorsports and reigning Xfinity Series champion Justin Allgaier qualified for the season-opening Daytona 500.
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