 | |
| Owner(s) | Dale Earnhardt Jr. Kelley Earnhardt Miller Rick Hendrick L.W. Miller |
|---|---|
| Base | Mooresville, North Carolina |
| Series | NASCAR Cup Series NASCAR Xfinity Series NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series CARS Late Model Stock Tour eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series |
| Race drivers | Cup Series: 40.Justin Allgaier (part-time) Xfinity Series: 1.Carson Kvapil(R) 7.Justin Allgaier 8.Sammy Smith 9.Ross Chastain,Shane van Gisbergen (part-time) 88.Connor Zilisch(R) Late Model Stock Cars: 8. Caden Kvapil,Dale Earnhardt Jr. 88.Connor Hall |
| Sponsors | Cup Series: 40.Traveller Whiskey Xfinity Series: 1.Bass Pro Shops/Clarience Technologies,Roto-Rooter, Jarrett Logistics 7. BRANDT (Rev1 Energy, Trademark Nitrogen), Protect Your Melon, Jarrett Logistics,Hellmann's, Carolina Carports 8.TMC Transportation,Pilot Flying J,Allstate Peterbilt Group 9.Acceptance Insurance,Kubota 88.WeatherTech,Roto-Rooter, Carolina Carports,KOA, Jarrett Logistics Late Model Stock Cars: 8. Carolina Carports,Bass Pro Shops 88.Bass Pro Shops |
| Manufacturer | Chevrolet |
| Opened | 2005 |
| Career | |
| Debut | Cup Series: 2025Daytona 500 (Daytona) Xfinity Series: 2005Ford 300 (Homestead) Camping World Truck Series: 2015Kroger 250 (Martinsville) ARCA Racing Series: 2008Lucas Oil 200 (Daytona) |
| Latest race | Cup Series: 2025Daytona 500 (Daytona) Xfinity Series: 2025Hard Rock Bet 300 (Homestead) Camping World Truck Series: 2016Ford EcoBoost 200 (Homestead) ARCA Racing Series: 2015 ModSpace 125 (Pocono) |
| Races competed | Total: 690 Cup Series: 1 Xfinity Series: 645 Camping World Truck Series: 38 ARCA Racing Series: 6 |
| Drivers' Championships | Total: 4 Cup Series: 0 Xfinity Series: 4 2014,2017,2018,2024 Camping World Truck Series: 0 ARCA Racing Series: 0 |
| Race victories | Total: 94 Cup Series: 0 Xfinity Series: 91 Camping World Truck Series: 2 ARCA Racing Series: 1 |
| Pole positions | Total: 42 Cup Series: 0 Xfinity Series: 37 Camping World Truck Series: 4 ARCA Racing Series: 1 |
JR Motorsports (pronounced "Junior Motorsports") is an American professionalstock car racing team based inMooresville, North Carolina, co-owned byDale Earnhardt Jr.,Kelley Earnhardt Miller,L.W. Miller, andRick Hendrick. It currently competes in theNASCAR Cup Series,NASCAR Xfinity Series,eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series,CARS Late Model Stock Tour, and occasionally in theNASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series.
The team fields the No. 40Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 part-time at the NASCAR Cup Series forJustin Allgaier. The team also fields four full-time entries in the Xfinity Series: the No. 1Chevrolet Camaro SS full-time forCarson Kvapil, the No. 7 Camaro full-time for Allgaier, the No. 8 Camaro full-time forSammy Smith, the No. 88 Camaro full-time forConnor Zilisch, as well as the No. 9 part-time for multiple drivers. The team fields the No. 88 Camaro full-time in theCARS Late Model Stock Tour forConnor Hall.
JR Motorsports began in a shed on the property ofDale Earnhardt, Inc. in 1998 with just one employee, as the marketing division of Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s race team. It wasn't until 2002 that Earnhardt Jr. turned the business into a race team when T. J. Majors drove street stock division atConcord Motorsport Park in North Carolina. Upon Earnhardt Jr.'s signing with Hendrick Motorsports, the Hendrick and JR Motorsports Nationwide Series teams were merged.
The first win for the team came at Motor Mile Speedway in Radford, VA, in 2004. (At the time, Earnhardt Jr. was co-owner of another racing venture,Chance 2 Motorsports.) JR Motorsports in its current form, competing in theNASCAR Xfinity Series started in 2006 when sponsorship from theUnited States Navy funded the team. The team originally wanted to open in 2007, but the Navy sponsorship accelerated the operations.[1]
Today, the team operates out of a 66,000-square-foot (6,100 m2) race shop nearMooresville, North Carolina.
In early 2019 it was announced that JR Motorsports had formed a driver development program withGMS Racing,Drivers Edge Development, to train young drivers. Drivers in the program would race in JR Motorsports' Late Model and NASCAR Xfinity Series teams, as well as GMS Racing'sNASCAR K&N Pro Series,ARCA Menards Series, andNASCAR Craftsman Truck Series teams. JR Motorsports drivers Noah Gragson, Zane Smith, Sam Mayer, and Adam Lemke were among the inaugural members of the program.[2]
On April 11, 2021, Earnhardt Jr. hinted that JR Motorsports may move up to theCup Series, given the proposed savings associated with the debut of theNext Gen car in 2022. The challenges for the team are acquiring a charter and securing sponsorship for a Cup program.[3]
On August 24, 2022, Director of Competition Ryan Pemberton parted ways with JR Motorsports after working with the team since 2012.[4] On September 1, Mike Bumgarner was announced as Pemberton's replacement.[5]
During a press conference atLowe's Motor Speedway on May 16, 2008, Earnhardt stated that once the Nationwide (now Xfinity) Series started using theCar of Tomorrow chassis, which debuted in July 2010 at the Daytona International Speedway, his Nationwide teams would possibly leave the series, due to the costs of switching cars. When asked if he would move JR Motorsports to theSprint Cup Series, Earnhardt said that due to the Xfinity Series and Sprint Cup Series almost having the same expensive costs, he might move the team to the Sprint Cup Series as early as 2009 "if the right opportunity comes along with the right sponsorship and driver...".[6] However, JR Motorsports did not end up moving their team to Sprint Cup and has remained in the Xfinity Series (and at the time, Truck Series), partially due to NASCAR's Cup Series limit of four cars per team owner. BecauseRick Hendrick has an ownership stake in JR Motorsports and already fields the maximum of four cars withHendrick Motorsports, JR Motorsports cannot field an entry in the Cup Series without Hendrick releasing his interest in the team. However, on April 11, 2021, Earnhardt Jr. hinted that JR Motorsports may move up to the Cup Series, given the proposed savings associated with the debut of the Next-Gen car in 2022. The challenges for the team are acquiring acharter, not continuing their professional relationship withRick Hendrick (as a JRM Cup team with Hendrick's involvement would max out the four-car limit of Hendrick Motorsports), and securing sponsorship for a Cup program.
On January 15, 2025, it was announced that JR Motorsports, in collaboration withChris Stapleton, intended to compete in the2025 Daytona 500 with the No. 40 car, driven byJustin Allgaier. No. 40 was selected for the car to reflect the labeling of Stapleton's signatureTraveller Whiskey, the primary sponsor of the car, as "Blend No. 40" on its bottles.[7] This was Allgaier's first Cup Series start since the2024 Coca-Cola 600, where he filled in forKyle Larson. Larson was originally scheduled to pilot the No. 5 car but missed the race due to his participation in the2024 Indianapolis 500 on a day in which weather issues delayed the Indianapolis 500 several hours and cut the Coca-Cola 600 short before Larson could get in the car.[8]
Despite the most Daytona 500 entries in a decade since the imposition of the charter system,[9] Allgaier would finish as the top open car of his duel and make the field for the race.[10] Allgaier piloted the entry to a ninth-place finish after starting 19th.
| Year | Driver | No. | Make | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 | 36 | Owners | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Justin Allgaier | 40 | Chevy | DAY 9 | ATL | COA | PHO | LVS | HOM | MAR | DAR | BRI | TAL | TEX | KAN | CLT | NSH | MCH | MXC | POC | ATL | CSC | SON | DOV | IND | IOW | GLN | RCH | DAY | DAR | GTW | BRI | NHA | KAN | ROV | LVS | TAL | MAR | PHO |
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It was announced in late 2015 thatElliott Sadler would drive the new No. 1OneMain Financial Chevy, replacingChase Elliott as he moved up to take over the No. 24 replacingJeff Gordon.[11] Sadler started the season with a fourth-place finish in the season opener at Daytona. He would win three races in 2016 and ended up finishing second in the overall standings after a controversial restart with less than ten laps remaining at Homestead that cost Sadler and his teammate,Justin Allgaier, a shot to win the title. In 2017, Sadler didn't win a race but ended up finishing 2nd in points behind only teammateWilliam Byron.
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On September 25, 2018,Noah Gragson was announced as the new driver of the No. 1 after Sadler announced his retirement earlier that year; However, on January 25, 2019, it was announced that Michael Annett would drive the No. 1 car with the points from the 5 car going over to the 1 car while Gragson would drive the No. 9 car.[12] Annett scored his first career victory atDaytona International Speedway in theNASCAR Racing Experience 300.[13] Annett returned to JRM in 2020 and qualified for the playoffs. He was eliminated after the first round.[14] In July 2021, Annett missed the races at Atlanta and New Hampshire due to astress fracture in his right femur.Austin Dillon served as his replacement in the No. 1 for Atlanta, whileJosh Berry did so for New Hampshire. On October 6, 2021, Annett announced his retirement from full-time racing.[15][16]
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Sam Mayer was announced the new full-time driver of the No. 1 on January 4, 2022. He started the season with a 30th-place finish atDaytona and scored four top-five finishes in the first 10 races. On May 3, crew chief Taylor Moyer was suspended for four races due to a tire and wheel loss atDover.[17] Andrew Overstreet was announced as the crew chief of the No. 1 forDarlington.[18]
On August 9, 2022, it was announced that Mayer would return for the 2023 season.[19] He started the2023 season with a 27th-place finish atDaytona. Mayer scored his first career win atRoad America.[20] He followed it up with his second win atWatkins Glen.[21] During the playoffs, Mayer won at theCharlotte Roval and atHomestead to make the Championship 4.[22][23] Mayer finished fifth atPhoenix and third in the points standings.[24]
Mayer started the2024 season with a 36th place DNF atDaytona. AtTexas, he beatRyan Sieg by 0.002 seconds to win the race and a Dash 4 Cash bonus ofUS$100,000.[25] He scored his second win of the season atIowa.[26] Mayer announced his departure toHaas Factory Team for the 2025 season on August 17, 2024.[27] During the playoffs, he was disqualified atTalladega after his car failed the post-race ride height requirement.[28] A week later, Mayer won at theCharlotte Roval.[29]
On October 1, 2024, it was announced thatCarson Kvapil will run full-time in 2025 driving the No. 1 Chevrolet.[30]
The No. 5 car joined in 2008 as part of the merger withHendrick Motorsports' Nationwide teams. It was driven byJimmie Johnson,Dale Earnhardt Jr.,Martin Truex Jr.,Mark Martin,Landon Cassill,Ron Fellows andAdrian Fernandez,[31] with sponsorship fromLowe's (Johnson and Fernandez),National Guard (Truex Jr, Earnhardt Jr and Cassill), Delphi, (Martin) and Godaddy.com (Earnhardt Jr and Fellows). The No. 5 car won two races in 2008, with Martin atLas Vegas andRon Fellows inMontreal, the first NASCAR race run in the rain.
The 5 car returned in 2009 with sponsorship fromFastenal,GoDaddy.com,Unilever and Delphi.[needs update] The team's best finish was a third with Earnhardt Jr at Atlanta.
In 2011, the 5 car returned as JR Motorsports' 3rd entry, with Dale Earnhardt Jr. andRon Fellows running a handful of races part-time. The car returned in 2012 once more with Dale Jr. and Fellows driving, andRegan Smith would win the Ford 300 after announcing his addition to the team. Ron Fellows would nearly win a few races at Road America in 2011 & 2012, and then at Watkins Glen in 2012 before running one last race for the team in the inaugural race atMid-Ohio Sports Car Course in 2013. Fellows would part ways with the team at year's end, due to a sponsor conflict related toNAPA Auto Parts joining the team for 2014.[32]
The car was originally slated for Smith in 2013, but he was moved to the No. 7 when Jr's Cup teammateKasey Kahne and USAC driverBrad Sweet signed to drive the No. 5 with sponsorship fromGreat Clips.
On Monday, October 14, 2013, JR Motorsports announced thatKevin Harvick would begin driving the No. 5 car in at least 12 races for the 2014 season. In four of the races, the car was sponsored byHunt Brothers Pizza.[33] Super Late Model driverAustin Theriault drove the car in a three races for the team starting at Iowa. JR development driverJosh Berry drove two races starting at Iowa in August. For 2015, the No. 5 was driven by Kahne in a single race at Charlotte as a 4th team car, where he finished 3rd.
Michael Annett drove the car full-time in 2017 withPilot Flying J as the sponsor en route to a 9th-place finish in the standings as well as earning a career-best 2nd-place finish at Road America.[34]
On January 25, 2019, it was announced that Annett would be piloting the No. 1 car with the points from the 5 car going over to the 1 car with the 5 car being shut down.[12]
The team fielded the No. 7 withDanica Patrick driving about 12 races for JR Motorsports withGoDaddy.com sponsorship in 2010. The remainder of the schedule was filled out withScott Wimmer,Dale Earnhardt Jr.,Landon Cassill,Steve Arpin,Josh Wise andJ. R. Fitzpatrick. Patrick recorded a best finish of 4th at Las Vegas. Wise returned to the team for 2011, recording three top tens and one top-five in fourteen starts. Earnhardt Jr. drove the car at Talladega, and Cup driversJimmie Johnson,Kasey Kahne andJamie McMurray drove the car for a combined six starts that season.
Danica Patrick returned to the No. 7 in 2012, this time running a full schedule with sponsorship from GoDaddy,Tissot, andHot Wheels. Patrick departed JR Motorsports to compete full-time in the Cup Series for the 2013 season.
Regan Smith, a former teammate to Dale Earnhardt Jr. atDEI who served as his substitute driver in the Cup Series late in 2012, was signed to drive for the team in 2013. Initially announced to drive the No. 5 car, he would be moved to the No. 7. Smith won twice at Talladega and Michigan, but suffered a run of bad luck in the summer and finished third in points. In 2014, Regan Smith returned to drive the No. 7 car, starting the season with a win in theDRIVE4COPD 300 at Daytona. From there, he would go on to help JRM complete a one-two points finish behind Chase Elliott. In 2015, Regan Smith returned to the No. 7 full-time. He also gained two victories including Mid-Ohio and Dover. Following the Kansas race, Smith stated that he will not return for JR Motorsports in 2016.
Justin Allgaier would be later announced to be the new driver of the No. 7 Chevy, bringing sponsorship from BRANDT. After finishing the 2016 season 3rd in the final standings while going winless, he picked up two wins at Phoenix and Chicagoland in 2017 en route to another 3rd-place finish in the standings. In 2018, Allgaier had a career-best season winning 5 races at Dover, Iowa, Road America, Mid-Ohio, and Indianapolis while also clinching the regular-season championship, but he ended up finishing 7th in the final standings after being eliminated in the round of 8. At the second-to-last race of the 2019 season at Phoenix, Allgaier had possibly been set to finish 2nd for the sixth time of the year until he suddenly witnessed race leaderChristopher Bell getting flagged for speeding on pit road at the end of Stage 2, nabbing his 1st victory of the season and 3rd Championship 4 appearance in the last four years after leading 85 laps. He finished 4th in the final points standings after finishing 14th at Homestead. In2020 Allgaier rebounded from a sluggish first half of the season to win 3 races atDover and sweeping theRichmond races. He would make the final four and would finish 2nd in points toAustin Cindric. In2021 he won twice early in the season atAtlanta andDarlington and finished the season fifth in points. In 2022, Allgaier ended a 34-race winless streak at Darlington. He would also win at Nashville and New Hampshire. Allgaier finished the season third in the points standings.
Allgaier started the2023 season with a third-place finish atDaytona. He scored his first win of the season atCharlotte.[35] Allgaier beatSheldon Creed by 0.005 seconds in double overtime at theDaytona night race.[36] During the playoffs, he won atBristol andMartinsville to make the Championship 4.[37][38] Allgaier finished third atPhoenix and second in the points standings.[24]
Allgaier started the2024 season with an eighth-place finish atDaytona. On May 11, he dominated atDarlington, winning Stages 1 and 2 before taking the checkered flag.[39] He scored his second win of the season atMichigan.[40] Despite not winning a race during the playoffs, Allgaier stayed consistent enough to make the Championship 4.[41] Allgaier finished second atPhoenix and claimed his first Xfinity Series championship.[42]
Allgaier started the2025 season with an 18th place finish atDaytona. A month later, he scored back-to-back wins atLas Vegas andHomestead.[43][44]
The No. 8, long driven by Earnhardt Jr. during his early Cup career withDale Earnhardt, Inc., became a JRM number in 2019 after acquiring it fromB. J. McLeod Motorsports.[12][53] The team inherited the No. 1 car points and it was shared byZane Smith,Brett Moffitt,Jeb Burton,Ryan Truex,Ryan Preece,Regan Smith, andSheldon Creed.[12][54] Elliott and Earnhardt returned to the car for one-off races at Daytona and Darlington, respectively. For 2020,Jeb Burton,Dale Earnhardt Jr., andDaniel Hemric all share the No. 8 for 2020 with Hemric doing a majority of the driving.[55][56]For 2021,Sam Mayer was scheduled to drive the No. 8 car part-time in the latter portion of 2021.[57] For the first half of the season,Josh Berry is scheduled to drive the No. 8 car for 12 races whileMiguel Paludo drive for 3 road-course races.[58][59]
After driving the No. 8 car for 12 races in 2021, on August 16, 2021, it was announced thatJosh Berry will drive the car full-time in2022.[60] He began the season with a 16th-place finish atDaytona. Berry scored wins atDover andCharlotte to make the playoffs. During the playoffs, he won atLas Vegas to make the Championship 4.[61]
During the2023 season, Berry drove winless, but stayed consistent enough to make the playoffs. He was eliminated at the conclusion of theCharlotte Roval race.[22]
On September 27, 2023, JR Motorsports announced thatSammy Smith will drive the No. 8 for the2024 season.[62] Smith started the season with a 23rd-place finish atDaytona. He made the playoffs with four top-fives and 13 top-10 finishes. During the playoffs, Smith scored his second career win atTalladega.[63]
The No. 9 car made its debut in 2014, when an 18-year-old Hendrick development driver namedChase Elliott was signed to drive a fourth entry for JR Motorsports. The car was renumbered to 9, the longtime number of Chase's fatherBill Elliott. In a surprise move,NAPA Auto Parts, which recently leftMichael Waltrip Racing and was rumored to depart from the sport, signed on to sponsor the full season.[64] After theBoyd Gaming 300 atLas Vegas Motor Speedway, the team was revealed to have violated Sections 12–4.2 (P2 penalty) and 20A–12.8.1B (car exceeded minimum front height) of the NASCAR rulebook. As a result, crew chiefGreg Ives was placed on probation until December 31.[65] At theO'Reilly Auto Parts 300, Elliott passed teammateKevin Harvick for his first Nationwide Series win.[66] Elliott's second win came in theVFW Sport Clips Help a Hero 200 atDarlington Raceway, where he led 52 laps. A late race caution and a slow pit stop would find Elliott restarting in 6th with just 2 laps to go. Elliott managed an outstanding feat of passing the 5 cars in front of him en route to his second win of the season. Elliott would win his third race of the season in theEnjoyIllinois.com 300 atChicagoland Speedway after holding offTrevor Bayne.[67] Elliott won the 2014 Nationwide Series championship, the first rookie to win a NASCAR national series championship.
In 2015, Elliott returned to the No. 9 full-time to defend his championship, but only won one race at Richmond and finished 2nd in the final standings. Elliott's 2014 crew chief Greg Ives would move up to Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s Cup Series team, replaced by longtime Xfinity crew chief Ernie Cope. The No. 9 team did not race in 2016.[68]
On August 18, 2016,William Byron andHendrick Motorsports announced a multi-year driver development agreement, with Byron running full-time in theXfinity Series driving the No. 9Liberty UniversityChevrolet Camaro for JR Motorsports in 2017. It was the first time since 2014 that the No. 9 was driven by a rookie driver.[69] At the 2017 Ford Eco Boost 300, as William Byron and Elliott Sadler were battling late, Byron took advantage of Sadler's mistake of trying to pass Ryan Preece when he was too far back, slowing Sadler and allowing Byron to pass both drivers. When Sadler tried to follow, he made contact with Preece, sending Preece sideways and Sadler into the wall. After that Byron pulled away and finished 3rd, ultimately winning the championship and Rookie of the Year honors while winning four races at Iowa, Daytona, Indianapolis, and Phoenix.
Tyler Reddick was signed to a full-time schedule for the 2018 Xfinity season, replacing William Byron, who was promoted to the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. On February 17, 2018, Reddick beat teammate Elliott Sadler in a photo finish to win the season-opening race at Daytona. At a margin of .0004 seconds, it is the closest finish in NASCAR history. At the Ford EcoBoost 300, Reddick took advantage of pitting while leaderCole Custer stayed longer than him and won the race while also winning the championship, joining Chase Elliott and William Byron as the third different driver to win the championship and Rookie of the Year honors in the No. 9. Despite winning the championship, Reddick opted to leave JRM forRichard Childress Racing in 2019, winning his second Xfinity championship that year before jumping to the Cup Series in 2020.
On December 18, 2018, it was announced that the No. 9 car would be driven byZane Smith for eight races while other drivers fill out the other 25 races; however, on January 25, 2019, it was announced thatNoah Gragson would drive the No. 9 car full-time while Smith will run 8 races in the new No. 8 entry.[12] In his first year with JRM, Gragson scored no wins, but had six top-fives and 22 top-10s while finishing eighth in the points standings.
Gragson began the2020 season with his first career win atDaytona. He also scored his second victory atBristol. In addition, Gragson recorded 17 top-fives and 25 top-10s, finishing fifth in the points standings.
The2021 season for Gragson began with a 32nd-place finish atDaytona. His run that season was marred by six DNFs, but back-to-back wins atDarlington andRichmond put him in the playoffs for the third season in a row. Gragson won again atMartinsville and finished the season third in the standings.
Gragson began the2022 season with a third-place finish atDaytona. He also scored wins atPhoenix,Talladega, andPocono. AtRoad America, Gragson had an on-road scuffle withSage Karam, resulting in him triggering a 13-car pileup on lap 25. He was finedUS$35,000 and docked 30 driver and owner points for the incident.[70] On August 10, 2022, it was announced that Gragson would leave JRM to go drive thePetty GMS Motorsports No. 42 in theNASCAR Cup Series. At theSeptember Darlington race, Gragson won a three-car battle withSheldon Creed andKyle Larson on the closing laps.[71] He also won the next three races atKansas,Bristol, andTexas, becoming the first driver sinceSam Ard in 1983 to win four straight Xfinity Series races.[72] Gragson won atHomestead to make his second Championship 4 appearance.[73]
On September 14, 2022, it was announced thatBrandon Jones would departJoe Gibbs Racing and replace Gragson in the No. 9 for 2023. Jones' sponsorMenards confirmed they would follow him for the full 2023 season.[74] On September 3, 2024, it was announced that Jones would depart from JRM and return to JGR for 2025.[75]
On January 10, 2025, it was announced thatRoss Chastain andShane van Gisbergen would drive part-time in the No. 9.[76]
In 2006, the team fielded the No. 83 team as a part-time second car. The car was driven byShane Huffman with sponsorship from theMake a Wish Foundation. The car returned in 2008 driven byDale Earnhardt Jr. with theUS Navy sponsoring. In 2010, JR Motorsports andRichard Childress Racing announced that the number would switch from No. 83 to No. 3 with Dale Earnhardt Jr. driving the car at Daytona in July with Wrangler sponsoring the car. This was a tribute toDale Earnhardt, being inducted into theNASCAR Hall of Fame in May. Earnhardt Jr. won the race in the No. 3 car.
| Year | Driver | No. | Make | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 | Owners | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Shane Huffman | 83 | Chevy | DAY | CAL | MXC | LVS | ATL | BRI | TEX | NSH | PHO | TAL | RCH | DAR | CLT | DOV | NSH | KEN | MLW | DAY | CHI | NHA | MAR | GTY 27 | IRP | GLN | MCH | BRI | CAL | RCH | DOV | KAN | CLT | MEM | TEX | PHO | HOM | ||
| 2008 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | DAY | CAL | LVS | ATL | BRI | NSH | TEX | PHO | MXC | TAL | RCH | DAR | CLT 4 | DOV | NSH | KEN | MLW | NHA | DAY | CHI | GTY | IRP | CGV | GLN | MCH | BRI | CAL | RCH | DOV | KAN | CLT | MEM | TEX | PHO | HOM |
The No. 88 debuted in 2005 at theFord 300 withMark McFarland driving with sponsorship from theUnited States Navy, qualifying eighteenth and finishing twentieth. McFarland was named the full-time driver and had a seventh-place finish atTalladega Superspeedway, but was replaced byShane Huffman after twenty-one races,[77][78] withMartin Truex Jr. andRobby Gordon filling-in for certain races. Huffman was hired as the full-time driver in 2007, and had two top-ten finishes before he was released from the ride as well.[79]
Brad Keselowski, son of formerCraftsman Truck Series driverBob Keselowski, was hired to replace Huffman for three races,[80] withSCCA driverAndy Pilgrim to be in the car for the road course races in Montreal and Watkins Glen.[81] Keselowski then returned at his hometown trackMichigan.[82] He was involved in a hard crash atFontana, in which he was tagged by a spinning car, collided head first and then driver side with the turn 1 wall, temporarily was airborne, and then rode the guardrail while his car was on fire before coming to a stop. Keselowski was taken to a local hospital,[83] and was later cleared to race at Richmond the next week. Keselowski finished the season with five top-ten finishes[84]Keselowski signed a two-year contract with JR Motorsports with the Navy returning as sponsor in 2008.[85] He won his first race atNashville Superspeedway and later picked up another win atBristol Motor Speedway, finishing third in points but lost the Navy sponsorship for 2009.[86]GoDaddy.com andDelphi Corporation sponsored the No. 88 for a total of 24 races in 2009, withUnilever brands sponsoring 11 races on the No. 88 car. Keselowski won four races and finished third in points for the second consecutive season before leaving forPenske Racing.
At the end of the 2009 season,Kelly Bires signed a two-year contract to drive for JR Motorsports in the No. 88 Chevy through 2011, with Earnhardt eager to see what Bires could do in his equipment.[87] Bires drove the No. 5Ragu Chevy for Junior at Homestead in preparation for running full-time in 2010.[88] Due to sponsorship obligations withUnilever and theirHellmann's Mayonnaise brand, ownerDale Earnhardt Jr. ran the No. 88 car at the 2010 season opener atDaytona andDanica Patrick ran the No. 7 car with her sponsorGoDaddy.com, forcing Bires to sit out.[89] In his debut atFontana, Bires scored a seventh-place finish. Even more curious than his missing Daytona was when Bires was removed from the No. 88 car in favor of Cup driverJamie McMurray after only five races run, with only one finish below 17th (a crash at Las Vegas).[90] Earnhardt Jr. cited chemistry issues between Bires, JR Motorsports management, and the team including Tony Eury Sr. andJr., and implied that Bires was taking a seat from "the next Brad Keselowski, the next Jeff Gordon." Bires was the third young driver to be hastily removed from the 88 car.[91]Elliott Sadler,Greg Sacks,Aric Almirola,Steve Arpin,Coleman Pressley, Dale Earnhardt Jr. andRon Fellows all ran races in the car to finish out the season. The No. 88 team took home one win in 2010, with McMurray victorious in theGreat Clips 300 at Atlanta. They also came close to winning the inaugural race atRoad America withRon Fellows.
FormerDEI development driverAric Almirola moved up from the Truck Series to drive the car full-time in 2011 as a part of a 2-year deal. With sponsorship fromUnilever, Grand Touring Vodka, and TaxSlayer, Almirola ended up fourth in points in his first full-time season.
Almirola then left JRM after 2011 to joinRichard Petty Motorsports in the Cup Series, while the No. 88 was taken by formerRed Bull development driverCole Whitt in 2012 for his rookie season. Whitt had a consistent rookie season despite switching crew chiefs from Tony Eury Sr. to Bruce Cook. Whitt recorded a best finish of 4th at Daytona, Talladega, and Michigan, finishing 7th in the point standings but lost the Rookie of the Year battle toAustin Dillon.
With the team unable to find sponsorship for Whitt for 2013, the No. 88 was used by Dale Jr. in his limited Nationwide Series schedule (to keep consistency with his Cup Series number).
Dale Jr. andKevin Harvick drove the car for the first two races of the 2014 season before switching the owner's points to the No. 5. In 2015 the No. 5 team became the No. 88 team, and was driven by Dale Jr. in 4 races,Kevin Harvick in 12 races,Kasey Kahne in 7 races, andBen Rhodes in 10 races. On April 23, 2016, Dale Earnhardt Jr. piloted the No. 88 to victory atRichmond International Raceway, his first Xfinity win in six years and first with JR Motorsports.
It was announced in late-2016 that the No. 88 would be downgraded to a part-time ride for 2017 for Earnhardt Jr. and Kahne.[34]
Chase Elliott drove the No. 88 in the 2018 season opening race at Daytona. Despite being black flagged after losing a window, he still managed to finish 12th.[92] Earnhardt Jr. raced the car at theFederated Auto Parts 250 in Richmond, where he led a race-high 96 laps before finishing in fourth place.[93][94] Impressed by his finish, Earnhardt Jr. said he will try to run another race in the 2019 season.[95]
WithJosh Berry driving the 8 full-time in 2022, Earnhardt Jr. opened a fifth part-time entry for himself at Martinsville and forMiguel Paludo at three of the road courses. ThreeHendrick Motorsports drivers:Chase Elliott,William Byron, andKyle Larson drove the No. 88 at select races. Elliott did not qualify for theDarlington spring race, which marked the first time that team did not qualify. Byron finished second atTexas and 26th atNew Hampshire. Larson won atWatkins Glen after Byron (driving the Hendrick Motorsports No. 17 entry) andTy Gibbs spun off-course while fighting for the lead during the final restart.[96] AtWatkins Glen,Connor Zilisch won the pole, led the most laps, and saved enough fuel in two overtime restarts for the win in his Xfinity Series debut, becoming the first driver in over three years (Ty Gibbs at the2021 Daytona RC race) to win in their Xfinity Series debut.[97]
On August 7, 2024, it was announced onThe Dale Jr. Download that Zilisch will drive the No. 88 car for JRM full-time in2025.[98]
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On January 12, 2015, JR Motorsports announced thatHaas Racing Development driverCole Custer would drive a truck for the team in 10 races in 2015, marking the team's first foray into theCamping World Truck Series. Trucks were acquired from former Hendrick development partnerTurner Scott Motorsports after that team ceased operations. The team operated out of a satellite facility inMooresville, North Carolina.[99][100] The truck's number (No. 00) and sponsor (Haas Automation) both came with the team from Haas Racing.Under NASCAR's age requirement rules for the Truck Series, the 17-year-old Custer ran 10 races, all at tracks under 1.1 miles (1,800 m) in length (and Gateway Motorsports Park), with the team planning a full-time run in 2016 for the championship.Kasey Kahne,Kevin Harvick,Kyle Larson,Alex Bowman, andJeb Burton also ran races in the No. 00 truck.[101] The No. 00 ran 15 races, winning twice: with Kahne at Charlotte in May, and with Custer at Gateway in June.
In 2016, Custer went full time in the No. 00 and won the pole atCanadian Tire Motorsports Park, and looked to be the truck to beat. After leading the most laps, it seemed as though Custer would score his first win of the season and a spot in the inaugural chase, untilJohn Hunter Nemechek put Custer into the grass and into the fence to win the race. After the race, Custer tackled Nemechek to the ground and was soon separated by NASCAR officials. No fines or penalties would be handed out to either driver.
In early January 2017, JRM announced the end of their participation in truck racing - to focus fully on their Xfinity Series entries.
| Year | Driver | No. | Make | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | NCWTC | Pts | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Cole Custer | 00 | Chevy | DAY | ATL | MAR 16 | KAN | DOV 13* | TEX | GTW 1 | IOW 9 | KEN | ELD 29 | BRI 16* | MSP 10* | NHA 24 | LVS | TAL | MAR 4* | PHO 26 | HOM | 18th | 305 | [102][103] [104][105] [106] | |||||
| Kasey Kahne | CLT 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Kevin Harvick | POC 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Alex Bowman | MCH 11 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Kyle Larson | CHI 7 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Jeb Burton | TEX 16 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2016 | Cole Custer | DAY 24 | ATL 17 | MAR 29 | KAN 7 | DOV 5 | CLT 13 | TEX 14 | IOW 2 | GTW 15 | KEN 14 | ELD 6 | POC 5 | BRI 6 | MCH 22 | MSP 2* | CHI 9 | NHA 6 | LVS 3 | TAL 29 | MAR 7 | TEX 9 | PHO 10 | HOM 10 | 10th | 502 | [107] | ||
In 2016, the team fielded a second truck numbered 49 forNick Drake, like Cole Custer aHaas Racing Development driver, beginning at Dover. The entry was fielded in a collaboration withPremium Motorsports, a fellow Truck Series team which normally runs the No. 49. Drake's paint scheme is similar toCole Custer's, with the sameHaas Automation sponsorship.[108][109] In Drake's first career start at Dover, he finished a solid 16th.[110] Drake made his second start atIowa Speedway.[110] The truck did not make any other starts with JR Motorsports equipment. Like the No. 00, the No. 49 was shut down due to sponsorHaas Automation leaving the team.
| Year | Driver | No. | Make | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | NCWTC | Pts | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Nick Drake | 49 | Chevy | DAY | ATL | MAR | KAN | DOV 16 | CLT | TEX | IOW 23 | GTW | KEN | ELD | POC | BRI | MCH | MSP | CHI | NHA | LVS | TAL | MAR | TEX | PHO | HOM |
In 2016, JR Motorsports entered a second truck in collaboration withContreras Motorsports forChase Elliott in theTexas Roadhouse 200 atMartinsville SpeedwaywithNAPA andValvoline as co-sponsors. Elliott started on the pole and led 109 of 200 laps before finishing in 2nd.
| Year | Driver | No. | Make | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | NCWTC | Pts | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Chase Elliott | 71 | Chevy | DAY | ATL | MAR | KAN | DOV | CLT | TEX | IOW | GTW | KEN | ELD | POC | BRI | MCH | MSP | CHI | NHA | LVS | TAL | MAR 2* | TEX | PHO | HOM |
JRM has competed in sixARCA Racing Series events.Landon Cassill made the team debut in2008 driving the No. 88 Chevrolet atDaytona and finished 7th. He returned atTalladega but finished 39th due to a crash.
The team would not compete in 2009 but returned for the2010 ARCA Racing Series' season.Danica Patrick drove the No. 7 car at Daytona and finished 6th.
The team did not run between 2011 and 2014 but returned in2015 withCole Custer behind the wheel of the No. 00 Chevrolet. Custer made the pole position and led 15 laps but finished 5th atNew Jersey Motorsports Park. He returned at the first Pocono race but finished 24th due to an axle problem. He then returned for the second Pocono race, started 5th, and won the race, after leading 18 laps. That win was the first and only win of JR Motorsports in ARCA. That race also was the last of the team in ARCA.
JR Motorsports has fielded a regionallate model program since 2002.[111]
JR Motorsports fields the No. 88 Chevrolet driven byJosh Berry and various other drivers in Late Models. Berry, who has driven for JRM since 2010, captured the 2012Motor Mile Speedway championship in theNASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series, the first championship for JRM at any level, running 18 races while collecting 6 poles and 15 top 5 finishes.[111][112] Berry scored a second track championship atHickory Motor Speedway in 2014.[112] William Byron scored a single victory to finish runner up to Berry for the NASCAR-sanctioned track championship at Hickory.[113] Pierce, who finished second in his Camping World Truck Series debut in theMudsummer Classic atEldora Speedway during the 2015 season, made his debut with JRM that year atHickory Motor Speedway.[114]
Christian Eckes ran the No. 1 Chevrolet for the 2016 season finishing 4th in the championship behind Berry in 3rd.
Anthony Alfredo was the Late Model development driver for the 2017 CARS Tour season, running the No. 8, and would go on to win two races and finish a close second in the championship to teammate Josh Berry.
On January 18, 2018, JRM announced the replacement of Anthony Alfredo, who announced the same day that he was moving to the K&N Series withMDM Motorsports, with 14-year-oldSam Mayer, which later on that year made his K&N Series debut and drove for MDM in his third race in the K&N Series. On August 4, 2018, Mayer will drive the 28 and Berry will drive the 73 for the throwback weekend at Hickory Motor Speedway. Mayer went on to collect one win and finish 5th in the standings behind Berry in 4th in his No. 8 Chevrolet.
Adam Lemke ran the new No. 98 in 2019 and unfortunately struggled for most of the season and finished 9th in the standings and missed two races.
Connor Mosack ran the No. 98 in the final race of 2019 and would go on to run full-time in 2020 at first in the No. 8 but would start running the No. 88 after Berry focused on an Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series National Championship, he finished 6th in the standings.
William Cox III was announced to run for JR Motorsports full-time in the CARS Tour for 2021, however he was released 4 races in and was replaced by Conner Jones for majority of the remaining races. Josh Berry ran a few late model races also in 2021.
Carson Kvapil, son of formerNASCAR Camping World Truck Series championTravis Kvapil, will run the No. 8 full-time in 2022 after closing the 2021 season for the team. Carson would dominate in 2022 and 2023 winning back-to-back championships.
Following Carson Kvapil's promotion to the Xfinity Series, it was announced that 2-time and defending Weekly Series National Champion and CARS Tour regular,Connor Hall, would take over the No. 8 full-time in 2025.
JRM's late model program has fielded rides for current NASCARspotterT. J. Majors andJeremy McGrath. It is currently overseen byKelley Earnhardt Miller's husband,L. W. Miller.[112][115]
In 2007, JR Motorsports supplied cars forSpeed Channel's NASCAR coverage. TheSpeed 1 fleet forNASCAR RaceDay included a pair offourth-generation cars forsuperspeedways and intermediate tracks each, and aCar of Tomorrow. Speed 1 was driven byHermie Sadler.[116]
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)JRM DEBUT - Kelly Bires will make his debut with JR Motorsports in the No. 5 Ragu Chevrolet this weekend in the NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Homestead-Miami Speedway. WEEKEND OF FIRSTS - Homestead marks Ragu's first race with JR Motorsports.
When they signed the contract, Kelly Bires was ready to start the year off strong for JR Motorsports, though when it came to Daytona, he wasn't to be found in either JR Motorsports car.
