NASCAR has a stringent approval process for drivers who want to get behind the wheel in a national series race. It‘s a little easier for those who want to call the shots from atop the pit box.
That became evident after Dale Earnhardt Jr. won at Pocono Raceway in his debut as an Xfinity Series crew chief.
With Mardy Lindley, crew chief for Conor Zilisch, suspended because of lug nut violations at Nashville Superspeedway, Earnhardt took the reins for the No. 88 JR Motorsports team that he co-owns.
Being approved to squeeze in the side gig around his job as a broadcast analyst (after five races with Prime, he will move to TNT Sports for the next five races) was relatively simple for Earnhardt, who needed no qualifications to be listed as the crew chief.
“There are no requirements to be a crew chief outside of the NASCAR license,” NASCAR senior director of racing communications Amanda Ellis said during the latest episode of the “Hauler Talk” podcast. “Obviously we know Dale’s qualified at least from a driver perspective but no additional requirements would have been required for him to take the crew chief role.”
Though he was prevented from being on the pit box, Lindley was in touch with Earnhardt during the race as NASCAR allows contact with suspended team members.
“Ultimately in 2025, there’s no way to police that,” Ellis said. “The teams still have to serve the penalty, but we recognize that they could be in contact with (a suspended team member).”
During the podcast episode, NASCAR managing director of racing communications Mike Forde and Ellis also were joined by NASCAR chief media and revenue officer Brian Herbst, who discussed Prime‘s recently completed five-race run as the Cup Series‘ first broadcast streaming partner and TNT‘s arrival this weekend with the In-Season Challenge.
Other topics covered during the 20th episode of “Hauler Talk,” which explores competition issues in NASCAR:
— Brad Keselowski‘s penalty for pitting too soon at Pocono and how NASCAR decides when to open the pits.
— Why there were no penalties called on the tire that hit a team member during the Cup race at Pocono.
— The rash of brake problems at Pocono.
— A pivotal restart in the Truck Series race at Pocono.
— How NASCAR will handle officiating the In-Season Challenge.
Click on the embed above to listen or search for “Hauler Talk” wherever you download podcasts to hear it on your phone, tablet or mobile device.
Nate Ryan has written about NASCAR since 1996 while working at the San Bernardino Sun, Richmond Times-Dispatch, USA TODAY and for the past 10 years at NBC Sports Digital. He is a contributor to the “Hauler Talk” show on the NASCAR Podcast Network. He also has covered various other motorsports, including the IndyCar and IMSA series.
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