Dale Jr. debuts as team boss and wins in Xfinity Series!

Dale Earnhardt Jr. could already be NASCAR’s most popular team boss. Certainly, he is undefeated. Faced with an unexpected need, Earnhardt took the reins of the 18-year-old prospect, Connor Zilisch, in the No. 88 Chevrolet, and together they reached Victory Lane on Saturday in the Xfinity Series race at Pocono Raceway.

We had a lot of things going for us.
Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Earnhardt, who won NASCAR’s Most Popular Driver award 15 times, made a pit stop from his job as team owner at JR Motorsports, due to the suspension of regular crew chief Mardy Lindley for a lug nut infraction in Nashville.

Dale Jr. debuts as team boss and wins in Xfinity Series! — Dale Earnhardt Jr. ayudó a llevar a Connor Zilisch a la victoria en Xfinity en su primera carrera como jefe de equipo.

In addition to his responsibilities as team owner, Earnhardt was also at Pocono for his role in Prime’s broadcast of Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race.

I had a lot of fun today. I missed the excitement of the competition. I love broadcasting, don’t get me wrong. But nothing compares to driving or just being part of the team. Being an owner doesn’t really offer this. This is a lot of fun.
Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Earnhardt was accompanied by his wife and two young daughters as he walked towards Victory Lane to celebrate. His eldest daughter, Isla Rose, grabbed the checkered flag, while the youngest, Nicole Lorraine, enjoyed the spectacle from her father’s arms. The victory continued a standout season for the NASCAR Hall of Fame driver, who swept two races at Pocono as a driver in 2014, after JR Motorsports and current Xfinity Series champion Justin Allgaier qualified for the season-opening Daytona 500 and secured his Cup Series debut. Earnhardt won two Daytona 500s, in 2004 and 2014, and 26 races in total. His Saturday side hustle got a little easier with Zilisch behind the wheel. Zilisch, who turns 19 in July, raced to his second Xfinity win of the season and the third of his young career. He won his Xfinity debut last year at Watkins Glen International. Earnhardt even participated during the race and threw tires over the wall during pit stops. Zilisch took the victory to the end and finally overtook Jesse Love with five laps to go in the race. Love finished second.