Dale Earnhardt Jr. Leads Zilisch to Victory at Pocono as Emergency Crew Chief

In a weekend twist that shocked NASCAR fans, Dale Earnhardt Jr. stepped into the crew chief role for JR Motorsports at yesterday’s Xfinity Series race in Pocono and got to celebrate in victory lane. Mardy Lindley, the regular crew chief for rookie Connor Zilisch, was serving a one-race suspension after two loose lug nuts were found during post-race inspection at Nashville Superspeedway. Lindley personally asked his boss—Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt Jr.—to fill in. Earnhardt told reporters, “There are probably over 100 people at JR Motorsports that would have been more qualified, but Mardy asked me to do it. So I was like, ‘You must want me to do it.’”

Earnhardt embraced this challenge and took it seriously. He attended all pre-race meetings, sat through pit-stop practice, and even climbed on pit wall as a tire catcher during stops. “I feel like I really did have a role today that was probably even more than I anticipated,” Earnhardt said. Drawing on decades of racing knowledge and serving guidance from his old Cup Series crew chief, Steve Letarte.

In the concluding laps of the 100-lap explore the Pocono Mountains 250, cautions and restarts become a major storyline. One by one, key contenders would fall out of the race. Emerging from the carnage was Connor Zilisch, with the guidance of Dale Earnhardt Jr. Zilisch battled his best friend, Jesse Love, in the final restart, taking the lead on lap 96 and holding on to score his first-ever oval victory.

When asked about his rookie crew chief’s performance, Zilisch was enthusiastic: “He was kicking me in the ass on some of those restarts, giving me some advice. Advice well taken.” Earnhardt, reflecting on the victory, remarked, “I miss the thrill of competition — being an owner doesn’t really deliver like this. Nothing compares to driving, though.” Yesterday’s win marked several milestones: Zilisch’s second win of the season and first on an oval, Earnhardt’s first triumph as a crew chief in national series competition, and a rare achievement for Earnhardt, as one of only nine individuals to capture wins as driver, owner, and crew chief. The Zilisch and Earnhardt collaboration not only delivered a tremendous win but also reaffirmed the Hall of Fame career of Earnhardt Jr. He continues to actively contribute to the sport and to his legacy.