Dale Earnhardt Jr. discusses the Lindley-Earnhardt family bond as he steps in as crew chief for Connor Zilisch

Dale Earnhardt Jr. has taken on the role of Connor Zilisch’s crew chief at the Pocono Mountains 250 Xfinity Series race. Details regarding the move were shared in a YouTube video from Bless You Hardt, where Earnhardt Jr. explained how the idea came about and why he decided to do it. He also spoke about the old bond between the two families.

Regular crew chief Mardy Lindley is serving a one-race suspension after NASCAR found too many lug nuts loose on Zilisch’s car during a post-race inspection at Nashville. Although the team delayed the penalty to keep Lindley in the box for the following race in Mexico City, he is now sitting out at Pocono. Lindley reached out to Earnhardt Jr. directly and suggested he step in.

“He texted me and said, ‘Do you want a crew chief?’” Dale Earnhardt Jr. recounted. “And I said, ‘Man, I don’t know. Should I?’ He goes, ‘Yeah, you’ll be fine. You do it'.” (46:34 onwards)

Earnhardt Jr. was hesitant at first, unsure whether he had the experience to do the job. But Lindley’s confidence helped sway him. He further added,

“He was just like, ‘Hey, you ought to do it.’ They have it all sorted out, right? It’s all pretty straightforward on what needs to happen.” (47:23 onwards)

“We have a really good group of guys that are underneath Marty that know exactly what needs to go on during the race.”

The pairing with Zilisch brings together two ends of the NASCAR experience spectrum—Earnhardt Jr., the two-time Xfinity Series champion, and Zilisch, a rising rookie talent. Zilisch has already made waves this season, grabbing a win at Circuit of the Americas and maintaining a strong position in the standings despite missing a race due to injury. He currently sits fifth overall and is signed to a development deal with Trackhouse Racing, which has teamed up with JR Motorsports for his 2025 full-time ride.

Earnhardt Jr. is also still working as a broadcaster during the same weekend for Amazon Prime Video’s Cup Series coverage, making his crew chief debut even more unusual. But aside from logistics, he said the decision had personal meaning because of the long history between the Earnhardt and Lindley families.

“The Earnhardts and the Lindleys are a family of racers that go back a couple generations,” Earnhardt Jr. explained. (46:44 onwards)

“His dad and my dad were incredible short track racers, well respected. His dad would also lose his life driving a race car at a young age when Marty was young. And so we have this kindred sort of experience in life.” he added.

Earnhardt Jr. added that his own father “loved Marty” and tried to help him when he could. That generational bond played a role in Earnhardt Jr. agreeing to take on this unfamiliar role, even if just for one race.

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What’s next at Pocono: Dale Earnhardt Jr. advises fans

The upcoming NASCAR Cup Series race at Pocono is not just another date on the calendar—it is the end of an era. Dale Earnhardt Jr. has confirmed that this weekend’s event will be the last NASCAR race broadcast exclusively on Amazon Prime Video. The race, titled the Great American Getaway 400, is set for June 22 at Pocono Raceway.

In a post on X, Dale Earnhardt Jr. invited fans camping in the infield to join him for the pre and post-race events by the rocks in the infield area. He wrote:

This event is also important because it features Dale Earnhardt Jr. in dual roles. He will act as the pit box leader for Zilisch in the Xfinity Series and analyst for Prime Video during the Cup Series race.