Dale Earnhardt Jr. took on a new challenge during the Xfinity Series race at the Pocono Raceway on Saturday. Following the suspension that Connor Zilisch’s crew chief, Mardy Lindley, suffered for a mistake he’d made at Nashville, Junior stepped into his role. Surprisingly, he walked away victorious with Zilisch speeding his way to Victory Lane.
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This successful showing led the media to ask the three-time Cup Series champion, Joey Logano, if he would be interested in following Junior into the world of being a crew chief someday. He answered with a laugh, “Never thought of it. I think the opportunity was perfect for him to jump in there and do it right. He owns a team.”
Zilisch is a driver for Junior’s JR Motorsports. So, Junior has the flexibility and authority to take on different roles. Logano believes that such power makes all the difference. He continued, “I’m sure almost everybody thinks that it’s really neat for him to do that. I don’t know if I’ll ever have the same exact opportunity as that.”
Even if he did, Logano wouldn’t be someone who just filled in for a missing crew chief on race day. He understands the importance of the job and its requirements. “That role is much deeper on a day-to-day basis,” he added. “If you’re asking me if I want to crew chief a race, sure. If you’re asking if I want to crew chief a car all year long, I’d rather drive.”
That made his stand clear. Despite his reluctance to transition into being a full-time crew chief, Logano’s desire to lead a crew occasionally does pique strong interest and wonder about how he might perform.
Dale Jr.’s success as a crew chief in Pocono
Junior and his team had always known what would happen in scenarios such as the one in which Lindley was suspended. So, they’d been prepared for the challenge ahead. The popular icon said, “When we have an issue like this with somebody being suspended, Mardy and everybody know what to do.”
He added, “Everybody on this team, just amazing all weekend long, and what a great race by Connor Zilisch. He is going to be a big deal in this sport for a long time.”
Zilisch was equally elated with the experience of racing under the guidance of a NASCAR legend. Overall, the experience went beautifully for all parties. It remains to be seen whether the taste that Junior got will make him venture into the role again.
