As Justin Allgaier begins the defense of the long-awaited NASCAR Xfinity Series title he won at Phoenix Raceway last year, the focus, appropriately enough, is on his rookie JR Motorsports teammate, Connor Zilisch.

The 19-year-old driver of the No. 88 Chevrolet has won seven of the last eight races, including the last four straight, tying Sam Ard (1983) and Noah Gragson (2022) for the Xfinity Series record for consecutive victories.

Zilisch, the Regular Season Champion, is 59 points above the current elimination line for the Playoffs’ Round of 8 entering Friday night’s Food City 300 at Bristol Motor Speedway (7:30 p.m. ET on CW, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

He plans to keep his remarkable streak going as the postseason begins.

“This No. 88 team has been on a run this year, and four wins in a row is a rare feat, but we aren’t going to take any of that for granted going into the Playoffs,” Zilisch said. “(Crew chief) Mardy (Lindley), my whole team and my pit crew continue to execute every week, and we don’t plan on turning down the intensity anytime soon.

“It has been awesome to have the success we have had this season, and we plan to unload another fast WeatherTech Chevrolet this Friday.”

At 30 points above the current cut line, Allgaier is the only Playoff driver besides Zilisch with any degree of comfort entering the Playoffs.

The remaining 10 Playoff drivers, from Sam Mayer in third to Austin Hill in 12th, are covered by a spread of 16 points. Mayer is 11 points to the good while Hill, who lost his regular-season Playoff points under penalty for wrecking Aric Almirola at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, is five points below the elimination line.

The extraordinary closeness of the Playoff field all but guarantees an intense scramble for position in Friday night’s Playoff opener at Thunder Valley.

Josh Morris saw something in Niece Motorsports that reminded him of the company he and four friends started.

So it was no coincidence that Dearborn-based DQS Solutions and Staffing got involved in a joint venture to acquire the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series team.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. was just spit balling, and it’s far from a formal announcement, but he does have a degree of FOMO (fear of missing out) on not running the NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Bristol this weekend.

While answering questions on the latest episode of the Dale Jr. Download podcast, Earnhardt said he could see himself continuing to make one-off appearances in the lower national levels for many years to come.

“I should run one or two more,” said Earnhardt, who has not made a start this season after making at least one appearance in the Xfinity Series every year since his retirement from Cup in 2017. “But, I don’t know if and when I’ll do that.

“North Wilkesboro, I don’t really want to run Wilkesboro with the new pavement but there’s a chance by the time I’m 55-to-58 years old that maybe that pavement is kind of worn out a little bit and I can just hop on out there and do it.”

58?! He’s 50 currently.

“I don’t have any problem with getting in my Xfinity car in eight years and running a one-off,” he said. “What the hell? Why the hell not? I’d run Bristol again. I’d run Wilkesboro once the pavement wears out. If the Nashville (Fairgrounds) thing happens, I’d probably contemplate going and running that one as well.”

Earnhardt intends to race his Late Model Stock for at least another decade and says he still wants to make a Craftsman Truck Series start if it checks all the boxes.

“But it has to be fun for me and I just can’t figure out where to run one that would be fun for me, right,” Earnhardt said. “I have certain things that I think are fun. I like Martinsville but I don’t like the racing there. It’s a little short in that you don’t even get into the bad side of the tire … to where the tire’s messing around.

“I went to run an Xfinity race at Martinsville and its miserable because of the tire … the stages are too short. You don’t get to take advantage of being better at driving a race car because of the tire, once your tire starts to fail, and you lose the rear drive and different things … the brakes get mad and the tires blow up the air pressure.

“Like, if you’re smart, you can do good things early in the run that’ll make your car really great at lap 80 and 100, which is so much fun but they never get to that point. They never do. The stage is over and there ain’t enough power too in the Xfinity cars at Martinsville.

“You stand in the gas and it’s like stepping in a bucket of water.”

But again, don’t hold him to it, because he’s just ‘shooting the crap’ on his podcast.

“Maybe I’ll run that Truck race at 58-years-old at Wilkesboro. Don’t hold me to it, people.”

What’s Happening?

According to Dale Earnhardt Jr, JR Motorsports’ top Late Model Driver, Connor Hall, is looking to make the jump to the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series in 2026.

Connor Hall has had an impressive run racing late models for JR Motorsports this season. With just three races left in the CARS Tour Late Model Stock season, the 28-year-old has two wins and currently sits second in the LMSC standings, just one point behind Landen Lewis.

While there is still a championship battle to be had over the next few weeks, during the latest episode of The Dale Jr Download, his car owner, Dale Earnhardt Jr, spoke about Hall’s 2026 plans, saying he will not be behind the wheel of the No. 88 next season, and is instead, looking to make the jump to the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series.

“Connor is going to move on from the CARS Tour next year. His plan is to move out of our car and try to put himself in an opportunity to drive a truck.” — Dale Earnhardt Jr

While Earnhardt did not mention whether or not Hall has had legitimate discussions with any teams, this is an exciting move not only for Hall but also for the CARS Tour, which has become one of many stepping stones for drivers to break into the NASCAR National Series. With names like Josh Berry, Kaden Honeycutt, and Carson Kvapil all cutting their teeth in the series.

Though Hall is a short track racing veteran, he has one NASCAR National Series start under his belt in the Craftsman Truck Series, finishing 10th with McAnally–Hilgemann Racing at Richmond last fall. While he has yet to announce any plans for 2026, there are already a few potentially open slots in the series, with teams like ThorSport Racing and Niece Motorsports seeing recent shakeups.

Another opportunity could also come in the form of RAM’s new five-truck entry with Kaulig Racing, with rumors that fellow CARS Tour alumnus Brendan “Butterbean” Queen could be in the running for one of those seats. Other rumors hint that the OEM could bring in short track racers via a reality TV show, something a driver of Hall’s caliber would be a prime candidate for.

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At first glance, a motorcycle dealership can look a lot like a car dealership. Both have a showroom, sales desks, a service department, and a parts counter. But according to Fran O’Hagan, founder and CEO of Pied Piper Management Company, the similarities end there.

“The temptation is to say, ‘Cars and motorcycles are both motor vehicles, so we should run the stores the same way,’” O’Hagan says. “But the cultures, customer expectations, and even the reasons people buy are very different.”

That difference can be a competitive advantage for powersports dealers — if they embrace it while also adopting certain high-performing processes from the auto industry.

The Enthusiast Factor

One of the most visible differences between auto and powersports dealerships is the sales staff. In the car business, salespeople are often career professionals, motivated by earnings and driven by monthly quotas. In powersports, many salespeople are enthusiasts first.

“They got the job because they love motorcycles, ATVs, or side-by-sides, not necessarily because they wanted to be in sales,” O’Hagan explains. “That passion is a great asset — customers feel it — but it also means you can’t just assume they know how to consistently sell.”

The solution? O’Hagan says powersports dealers need simple, repeatable processes that any staff member can follow, regardless of experience.

“Think of Starbucks,” he says. “Your coffee is the same whether the person behind the counter has been there three days or three years. That’s not by accident — it’s because they have a system.”

Cameron O’Hagan, Fran’s son and Pied Piper’s VP of operations, adds: “In powersports, a strong process makes the difference between one salesperson getting lucky and the whole team hitting consistent numbers.”

Process Over Personality

The motorcycle industry sometimes worries about turnover. O’Hagan’s take? It’s not a bad thing if your systems are strong.

“If you’re dependent on one rockstar salesperson, you’re in trouble when they leave,” he says. “Instead, make sure anyone with the right attitude can succeed by following the same process every time.”

That process should start the moment a customer walks in. Every guest should be greeted promptly, engaged in conversation, and asked the right qualifying questions. “Skipping steps is what kills sales,” O’Hagan warns. “Auto dealers have known this for decades.”

The “invisible” side of sales

Many of the highest ROI opportunities in powersports aren’t what customers see on the sales floor — they’re what happens when the customer isn’t in the store at all.

“Web leads, phone calls, service inquiries… this is where the money is won or lost,” O’Hagan says.

Pied Piper measures this through its Prospect Satisfaction Index (PSI) and Internet Lead Effectiveness (ILE) studies. In the auto industry, the best practice for responding to an internet lead is within 15 minutes via all channels: phone, email, and text.

“In powersports, a lot of dealers still check leads once a day, if that,” Cameron says. “Even moving from once-a-day to twice-a-day responses can increase closing rates.”

The data backs that up. Dealers scoring over 80 on Pied Piper’s ILE scale sell 50% more units to the same number of leads compared to those scoring under 40.

“That’s not because they have better prices,” Fran explains. “It’s because they’re the first to respond, and they do it professionally.”

Customer-centric service department

The service experience is another area where powersports can take a cue from auto retail.

In Pied Piper’s 2025 service mystery shopping study, 90% of auto dealers offered a specific appointment time when asked. In powersports? Just 52%.

“When you tell a customer, ‘Just bring it in,’ what you’re really saying is, ‘You might be without your machine for weeks.’ And in powersports, a week without a bike in summer is like a month without heat in winter.” — Fran O’Hagan

Cameron recommends always offering a specific appointment date — even if it’s two weeks away. Customers can still drop off early if they want, but they’ll appreciate having a set expectation.

That level of scheduling also improves shop efficiency. “In auto, they know what’s coming in every day,” Cameron says. “In powersports, it’s often chaos.”

After-sales mindset

One of the biggest differences in how auto dealers think? Their focus on keeping customers in the service lane years after the sale.

“In auto, once a customer starts going to an independent shop, the odds of getting them back are almost zero,” Fran says. “So they fight to keep them.”

This is an area powersports dealers often neglect, especially with customers 4 to 6 years into ownership. But the opportunities are there — maintenance, upgrades, accessories, even trade-ins.

“With a good CRM, you can reach out at the right times with the right offers,” Cameron says. “If you sold someone a bike four years ago, you should know when they’re due for tires, when their warranty is ending, or when a new model they might like is launching.”

Technology and AI

The automotive sector is investing heavily in AI for lead management, chatbots, and even service scheduling. While these tools can deliver consistent scripts and upsell prompts, they’re not perfect.

“AI still struggles when the customer has a unique situation,” Fran notes. “If you don’t have a smooth handoff to a human, you’re going to frustrate people.”

Cameron adds: “The best use right now is for consistency — making sure every lead gets a fast, professional response. But you still need humans to build trust.”

Key takeaways for dealers

• Build simple, consistent sales processes that anyone can follow.
• Respond to leads quickly — phone, email, and text.
• Treat web leads like walk-ins.
• Offer service to customers at specific appointment times.
• Use CRM tools to keep after-sales customers engaged.
• Use AI for consistency, but keep humans for relationship-building.

“In powersports, every lead matters,” Fran says. “The dealers who nail their processes — visible and invisible — are the ones who will win.”