Dale Earnhardt Jr. to work as crew chief for Connor Zilisch at Pocono

JR Motorsports has made a surprise announcement regarding the interim crew chief for Connor Zilisch this weekend at Pocono Raceway.

Zilisch’s usual crew chief, Mardy Lindley, is serving a one-race suspension for loose lug nuts found following the Nashville Xfinity race. He was also fined $10,000, which is the usual penalty for such a violation. 

The No. 88 JRM Chevrolet will have none other than team co-owner and NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt Jr. atop the pit box, calling the shots on Saturday.

Earnhardt has worn many hats throughout his NASCAR career between driver, owner and broadcaster, but this is certainly a new one as he takes on the role of crew chief at Pocono. According to Racing Reference, this is the first time any member of the Earnhardt family has worked as a crew chief at any of the three national levels of the sport.

And in case you are one of the few who don’t know Dale Jr.’s background, he is the son of NASCAR legend and seven-time champion of the sport, Dale Earnhardt. In his nearly 20 years as a driver himself, Dale Jr. won 26 races including two Daytona 500s before being elected to the Hall of Fame in 2021. He also has plenty of experience in the Xfinity Series as a two-time NXS champion with 24 career wins.

Zilisch, an 18-year-old rising star in the sport who is currently under contract with Trackhouse, is already locked into the playoffs after winning at COTA earlier this year.