Dale Earnhardt Jr. comes clean on the struggles of communicating with Connor Zilisch’s suspended crew chief

Dale Earnhardt Jr. opened up about the 'delayed' communication with Connor Zilisch's suspended crew chief, Mardy Lindley, during the Xfinity Series race at Pocono Raceway. Earnhardt revealed how Lindley wasn't as 'hands-on' as he had hoped for his debut stint as crew chief.

Lindley was suspended for a post-race infraction on Zilisch's car at Nashville Superspeedway, prompting Earnhardt to step in as crew chief at Pocono Raceway. Nonetheless, the JR Motorsports co-owner had a strong showing in his new role, making strategic calls that kept Zilisch up front and ultimately helped secure the win.

During a team meeting, Earnhardt called the experience 'eye-opening' and appreciated how prepared the crew was. In the latest episode of 'Dale Jr Download,' Earnhardt revealed whether he received any support from Lindley during Saturday's (June 21) race.

"Yes. I could communicate with Mardy. It was difficult, it was delayed and I'll be honest, Mardy was not as hands-on as I would have been in his position. The vibe that I got from Mardy was almost like he gave us the playbook on Wednesday, and then he just kind of stood set back, and he's like, I'm not there," he said.

"During the race. I was like, where the f**k is Mardy? I'm like, 'hey, Mardy blah blah blah' and he's like, 'whatever you think', and I'm like, 'What the f**k, what do you mean what do I think, like you're the crew chief, what do you think,'" he added.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. also mentioned how JRM doesn't have a 'war room' like many suspect and that Lindley was just at his home 'watching the race on TV.'

Ahead of Earnhardt's debut, Kyle Busch labeled the move a 'publicity' stunt, citing how suspended crew chiefs can still communicate with the team through modern technology. He later clarified that his comments weren't aimed at Earnhardt but rather a critique on how 'silly' crew chief suspensions have become.

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Dale Earnhardt Jr. highlights strategic role in Pocono Crew Chief success

Dale Earnhardt Jr. recalled his crew chief gig at Pocono Raceway and revealed how he 'really got involved' in calling strategies. Notably, the former Cup Series driver helped the 18-year-old make up places from his ninth-place start and ultimately capture Stage 2.

He then called in Zilisch for a pit stop during green flag conditions, a move that paid off manyfold when other drivers pitted under caution. Reflecting upon the interim role, Earnhardt spoke to his colleagues in the Prime Video broadcasting booth and said (via X/NASCAR),

"As the race was playing out, man, we really got involved in what we should do strategy-wise and understanding how to share with the driver what he needed to know."[0:12 onwards]

Dale Earnhardt Jr. also explained how he was able to help Connor Zilisch on the driver side of things, offering guidance on restarts and side drafting, noting that he had a better overall perspective from the pit box.