“Really got involved”: Dale Earnhardt Jr. recalls his race-winning crew chief gig at Pocono

Dale Earnhardt Jr. reflected on his surprising reentry into the Xfinity Series as a crew chief for the 18-year-old Connor Zilisch. He took on the role as Zilisch's crew chief Mardy Lindley was suspended.

Dale Jr. characterized his experience as a winning crew chief at Pocono as a surprise challenge that was fulfilling. When Lindley asked him to work alongside the team, he leapt at the chance and quickly found himself engaging in the decision and strategy process of the team; something he really enjoyed.

"That was pretty cool. I got to do more than I thought I was going to. I didn't know what to expect. Marty asked me to do it and jumped up there and got involved on the pit stops, had a little roll there. That was fun, exciting, nerve-wracking."

"And then 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 about the race car and the strategy we were trying to pull as well," Junior said on Prime Video (via NASCAR on X).

As the race marched forward, Dale Earnhardt Jr. became more and more involved in the judgment calls that were being made, particularly around pit strategy and relaying relevant information to the 18-year-old phenom. Junior made it a point to inform Zilisch about the plan, but he also informed him about the logic behind the plan, helping him build some understanding of the changing conditions.

"And then trying to help him on restart, side drafting, all these things that I could see he could do better, be more aggressive with. And telling him, I think that's one thing, knowing as a driver, you're out on that racetrack. You're like, just tell me what our plan is. Help me understand everything that you know, right? The crew chief is sitting up there and he can see," he added.

Connor Zilisch achieved a milestone NASCAR Xfinity Series win at the Explore the Pocono Mountains 250 at Pocono Raceway, his first career oval victory as well as his third NASCAR Xfinity Series victory overall. The 18-year-old JR Motorsports rookie led a race-high 34 laps and pulled off a pivotal late-race pass of Jesse Love with four to go.

Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s driver held off numerous restarts and strategy variations, while also executing a well-timed pit strategy in clean air in the last laps to seal the win.

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Dale Earnhardt Jr. recalled when The Intimidator made Richard Petty “so mad”

Dale Earnhardt Jr. recently also recounted a memorable and uncharacteristic incident involving his father, Dale Sr., and NASCAR legend Richard Petty during the 1980 spring race at Martinsville. In just his second full-time Cup Series season, Earnhardt Sr.—already emerging as a championship contender—attempted an aggressive move on the opening lap, diving down the inside into Turn One.

This led to contact with Dick Brooks and then with Petty, triggering a nine-car pile-up that left "The King" Richard Petty furious.

"Martinsville, this is a race to forget. This was really out of character, at least in my opinion, for him. The green flag comes out he's starting on the inside, let's say row five or so. They drive down into Turn one and dad is running into the door of the #43 car. He's jumped the inside three wide. No one's going into Turn one expecting this," Dale Earnhardt Jr. said on the Becoming Earnhardt podcast.

The aftermath of the crash saw Petty, who was the reigning champion at the time, confront Earnhardt Sr. after the race.