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Former NASCAR Cup Series driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. appeared in an interview with SiriusXM and showcased his excitement to come back strong in the 2026 season. During the interaction, Dale Jr. opened up about having an off-season filled with hard work to step up his team's performance in the next season.JR Motorsports fielded four full-time entries in the Xfinity Series this season, with Connor Zilisch in the #88 Chevy. Followed by the 2024 champion Justin Allgaier in the #7, Sammy Smith piloting the #8, and Carson Kvapil driving the #1 ride for the team. Additionally, Zilisch, Allgaier, and Kvapil qualified for the Championship 4 race at Phoenix.Despite Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s co-owned team's dominance, Richard Childress Racing driver Jesse Love outperformed them in the title battle. The #2 Chevy driver clinched his maiden title in his sophomore season, overpowering the Rookie of the Year Connor Zilisch with ten victories on the board.The #88 Chevy driver completed the 200-lap race in third place, followed by his teammate Justin Allgaier in fifth place and Kvapil in 13th place. Recalling his team's performance this season, Dale Jr. told the media:"I'm ready for next year to get started. We've got a lot of things going that we're really excited about, just ready to get back to the racetrack and redeem ourselves. You know, anytime you don't get the result you need, you can't wait to go back and try again. So, I know we'll have an off-season of hard work and dedication to try to position ourselves where we come back here and get it done next year."Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s team will feature Carson Kvapil, Justin Allgaier, and Sammy Smith as the full-time drivers in the 2026 season in their respective rides. Additionally, Cup Series drivers Shane van Gisbergen and Ross Chastain will part-time drive the #9 Chevy.“I wanted him to stay”: Dale Earnhardt Jr. got candid about the major change ahead of the 2026 seasonFormer Xfinity Series champion Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s co-owned team, JR Motorsports, will witness a major change in the next season. Justin Allgaier's crew chief, Jim Pohlman, will leave the organization to join Richard Childress Racing for a career in the Cup Series.The Xfinity Series crew chief has previously worked with RCR during the 2022 season. Pohlman will replace the #8 Chevy Camaro ZL1 crew chief, Randall Burnett. The crew chief has been with JR Motorsports for a few years and led the #7 Chevy to multiple victories and one Xfinity Series championship title in the 2024 season.During an episode of the Dale Jr. Download podcast, Dale Earnhardt Jr. revealed how hard it is to replace someone like Pohlman. He further stated:"It is hard to replace a guy like Jim. I told Jim I wanted him to stay, but I knew that he had this opportunity and that it was great for him to go and hear it out, right?""Um, he's worked at RCR before, so he knows that environment. He would know himself whether that's a comfortable environment for him. He's been there. And, uh, you know, he made the choice to go, and I love it. I think, you know, it's tough to replace him," he added.Reflecting on Kyle Busch's struggles from the 2024 season, the Cup Series team announced the major change. Busch has been on a winless streak since the last season and ended his streak of winning at least one race each season. The #8 Chevy driver also missed the playoffs in the 2024 and 2025 seasons.
