Fitting that JR Motorsports, Dale Earnhardt Jr. Earn 100th Xfinity Win at Brickyard

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With it being the 30th anniversary of Dale Earnhardt’s Brickyard 400 victory, it only seems fitting that JR Motorsports earn its 100th NASCAR Xfinity Series win at the historic Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

After all, racing is in Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s and Kelley Earnhardt Miller’s DNA. Their paternal grandfather, Ralph Earnhardt, is one of NASCAR’s 75 greatest drivers, having won several track championships and the Sportsman National title during his career. Their maternal grandfather, Robert Gee, was one of stock car racing’s best car builders. Their father was a seven-time NASCAR Cup champion.

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Dale Earnhardt Jr. and sister Kelley have become a formidable team in the racing world. David Jensen - Getty Images

Kelley, Dale and brother Kerry all raced Late Models, and their father would tell anyone who asked without hesitation that Kelley was the best driver of the three. However, when they lost their primary sponsor, Kelley, a UNC-Charlotte graduate, turned her attention to the sport’s business side.

Dale and Kelley have been tightknit since childhood. Even though Kelley is just two years older than Dale she has always watched over him. Their parents divorced soon after Dale was born, and they lived with their mother until their house burned. That’s when the siblings went to live with their father who was single at the time and in the early years of his NASCAR Cup career.

It wasn’t always the easiest environment for two young children to navigate, but Kelley watched over her brother.


Moving on Up

JR Motorsports is now fourth on the all-time NASCAR Xfinity Series win list.

  1. Joe Gibbs Racing 217

  2. Roush Fenway Racing 138

  3. Richard Childress Racing 101

  4. JR Motorsports 100

Note: JR Motorsports is the only team in the top four that doesn't have a Cup operation. Roush Fenway, now RFK Racing, no longer has a Xfinity operation.


The elder Earnhardt soon married Teresa Houston, NASCAR Busch Series driver Tommy Houston’s niece, and when they decided to send Dale to Oak Ridge Military Academy in Oak Ridge, North Carolina, Kelley elected to go as well. She didn’t want her younger brother attending the school by himself.

nascar xfinity series pennzoil 250
Justin Allgaier, left, won the Xfinity Series championship with team owner Dale Earnhardt Jr. in 2024. Jonathan Bachman - Getty Images

Once Dale moved into NASCAR’s national touring series as a driver, Kelley became his business manager. Due to their relationship since childhood, she was the only person he trusted. It hasn’t always been smooth sailing. However, together they have assembled a business that’s become a formidable force in NASCAR’s Xfinity Series.

Kelley oversees the business, her husband, L.W. Miller, a former Modified driver, oversees JR Motorsports Late Model program as well as son Wyatt Miller’s budding racing career. Dale with his TV analyst work and podcast has become the face of JR Motorsports. Rick Hendrick also is part owner of the operation and Hendrick Motorsports furnishes the team’s engines.

While reflecting on the organization’s 100th Xfinity Series victory, it must be noted it wasn’t an easy road. Formed in 2005, the company was three years old before it acquired its first victory. It was that same year – 2008 – that Brad Keselowski was hired. He finished third in the driver standings that season, the team’s first top 10 in the points.

“He (Keselowski) helped us keep our cars in one piece so we could build them better and get them where they run good enough for him to get us to victory lane,” Dale says.

Eventually, the championships came. Chase Elliott provided JR Motorsports with its first title in 2014. Then came its second in 2017 with William Byron. Tyler Reddick gave the organization its third championship a year later, and then Justin Allgaier captured the fourth in 2024.

On Saturday, Connor Zilisch won at the Brickyard to make it 100 for the team in the Xfinity Series.

“Hopefully, we’ll have some more memories,” Dale says. “I know we’re right in the middle of what I think we can do as a company. We got many more things to accomplish.”

It’s just sad those winning cars can’t be produced in the massive facility their father built with the intention of housing a championship operation. Instead, those beautiful buildings sit in silence beside Highway 3 in Mooresville, North Carolina.

Results

NASCAR Xfinity Series Pennzoil 250

Indianapolis Motor Speedway

Saturday, July 26, 2025

1. (7) Connor Zilisch #, Chevrolet, 100.

2. (1) Sam Mayer, Ford, 100.

3. (14) Taylor Gray #, Toyota, 100.

4. (19) Kyle Larson(i), Chevrolet, 100.

5. (21) Ryan Sieg, Ford, 100.

6. (9) William Sawalich #, Toyota, 100.

7. (11) Sammy Smith, Chevrolet, 100.

8. (18) Daniel Dye #, Chevrolet, 100.

9. (4) Jesse Love, Chevrolet, 100.

10. (16) Dean Thompson #, Toyota, 100.

11. (25) Matt DiBenedetto, Chevrolet, 100.

12. (12) Jeremy Clements, Chevrolet, 100.

13. (15) Christian Eckes #, Chevrolet, 100.

14. (26) Parker Retzlaff, Chevrolet, 100.

15. (23) Jeb Burton, Chevrolet, 100.

16. (28) Kyle Sieg, Ford, 100.

17. (3) Sheldon Creed, Ford, 100.

18. (20) Harrison Burton, Ford, 100.

19. (30) Josh Bilicki, Chevrolet, 100.

20. (27) Brennan Poole, Chevrolet, 100.

21. (34) Ryan Ellis, Chevrolet, 100.

22. (31) Josh Williams, Chevrolet, 100.

23. (22) Anthony Alfredo, Chevrolet, 100.

24. (33) Mason Massey, Chevrolet, 100.

25. (32) Garrett Smithley, Chevrolet, 100.

26. (17) Leland Honeyman, Chevrolet, 100.

27. (29) Blaine Perkins, Chevrolet, 100.

28. (36) Joey Gase, Chevrolet, 100.

29. (38) David Starr, Chevrolet, 100.

30. (10) Carson Kvapil #, Chevrolet, 100.

31. (37) Dawson Cram, Chevrolet, 100.

32. (5) Brandon Jones, Toyota, 97.

33. (2) Nick Sanchez #, Chevrolet, 96.

34. (13) Austin Hill, Chevrolet, 95.

35. (6) Aric Almirola, Toyota, Accident, 90.

36. (8) Justin Allgaier, Chevrolet, Accident, 87.

37. (24) Katherine Legge(i), Chevrolet, Electrical, 74.

38. (35) Logan Bearden, Chevrolet, Electrical, 37.

Average Speed of Race Winner: 104.907 mph.

Time of Race: 2 Hrs, 22 Mins, 59 Secs. Margin of Victory: 0.339 Seconds.

Caution Flags: 6 for 29 laps.

Lead Changes: 10 among 6 drivers.

Lap Leaders: S. Mayer 1-32;J. Allgaier 33;A. Almirola 34-35;J. Allgaier 36-51;C. Zilisch # 52-59;J. Allgaier 60-66;K. Larson(i) 67-73;J. Allgaier 74-86;C. Zilisch # 87-95;T. Gray # 96-98;C. Zilisch # 99-100.

Leaders Summary (Driver, Times Lead, Laps Led): Justin Allgaier 4 times for 37 laps; Sam Mayer 1 time for 32 laps; Connor Zilisch # 3 times for 19 laps; Kyle Larson(i) 1 time for 7 laps; Taylor Gray # 1 time for 3 laps; Aric Almirola 1 time for 2 laps.

Stage #1 Top Ten: 41,7,19,20,88,00,2,17,54,1

Stage #2 Top Ten: 7,88,17,19,54,20,41,1,2,18

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