With 88 wins, 1045 top 10s, and over 14,000 laps led, Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s JR Motorsports is undoubtedly one of the top teams in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. But how did an organization that began in 2002 as a modest three-car street stock operation evolve into one of the sport’s most dominant forces?

Hear it straight from the man himself. Following the ecstatic Sonoma weekend, the two-time Daytona winner opened up about the team’s journey, revealing how deep-rooted connections and autonomy have fueled their latest NXS surge.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. Uncovers JR Motorsports’ Winning Formula

JRM has come a long way, rising from being a humble stock car racing team initially formed to compete locally at Concord Motor Speedway. Fielding champions like Chase Elliott, William Byron, Tyler Reddick, and Justin Allgaier, the team won four championships, the latest being Allgaier’s 2024 title run.

Earnhardt credited the JRM crew, reflecting on Connor Zilisch and Shane van Gisbergen’s fairytale one-two finish at Sonoma. “Just incredible,” he said. “Bummy, LW, the whole entire organization. All our crew chiefs, tons of resources from Hendrick Motorsports, Chad Knaus, Jeff Gordon.”

The veteran highlighted his team’s crucial alliances, particularly their connection with Trackhouse Racing. He noted, “Lot of support on the pit crew side from different areas. Justin Marks and Trackhouse. I mean, there’s a lot of allies that we have that are part of our performance and help us run well. We do a lot of things in-house, but we also rely on a ton of help from outside that really does directly affect our performance.”

“So, we’ve really just kind of got everything in the right place, and it’s hard to do, and we might not be there for forever,” Earnhardt said, revealing the secret sauce to his team’s recent upswing. He continued, “Right now, we’re taking advantage of being on top or being one of the better teams, and hopefully we can sustain that all the way through the playoffs. And you know, win the championship. Be good when it matters.”

Saturday’s Xfinity feature saw all five of the JRM cars rolling off from inside the top 10 and came home with a stellar P1 (Zilisch), P2 (SVG), P6 (Justin Allgaier), P8 (Carson Kvapill), P9 (Sammy Smith).

RELATED: Sonoma Winner Connor Zilisch Eyes Ultimate NASCAR Gift for Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Co. at Indy

With wind in their sails, chemistry in the garage, and talent behind the wheel, Earnhardt and Co. aren’t just winning; it looks like they’re taking over.

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Connor Zilisch’s  No. 88 car rolls into Sonoma Raceway with one of the sharpest paint schemes NASCAR fans will see all weekend. The red, white, and blue colors look great, but there’s a bigger story here. The sponsor backing the car just made a major commitment to Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s operation, and it shows how much faith they have in what JR Motorsports (JRM) is building.

Roto-Rooter sponsors Zilisch and Carson Kvapil for two races each in the 2025 Xfinity Series season. They’re also part of JR Motorsports’ Late Model program. But for 2026, they’ve bumped up their commitment to seven races.

Why Did Roto-Rooter Triple Their JR Motorsports Sponsorship for 2026?

That jump from four races to seven tells you everything about how JRM has been performing. Justin Allgaier won the Xfinity championship in 2024. He’s leading the points standings right now with three wins already under his belt. Meanwhile, Zilisch has grabbed two wins, Sammy Smith has one, and Kvapil has been rock-solid consistent all season.

With results like that, it was only a matter of time before Roto-Rooter extended its partnership with the team.

Allgaier will run some of those seven races, but JRM hasn’t announced which other drivers will get Roto-Rooter backing. Naturally, Earnhardt was pumped about the news.

What Did Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Roto-Rooter Say About the Deal?

In a recent press release from JRM, co-owner Earnhardt said, “We are excited to continue growing our relationship with Roto-Rooter. I feel like JR Motorsports offers an amazing marketing platform across the board, and it’s great when partners see the value that our companies provide. I’m looking forward to seeing how we can continue to deliver for Roto-Rooter on and off the track.”

The feeling is mutual. Roto-Rooter President Thad Reinhard didn’t hold back his enthusiasm about the expanded partnership. “We couldn’t be more excited to continue our relationship with Dale, Kelley, and everyone at JR Motorsports,” Reinhard said.

The company has a broader vision regarding this partner, which Reinhard feels will transcend into a wider idea because of the shared values. He said, “Partnering with JR Motorsports means more than just sponsorship, it’s about being part of a true team. We share the same values: reliability, hard work, and a drive to succeed, both on and off the track. We’re especially thrilled to be working more closely with Dale on a personal level and to follow his journey in the Late Model series. I’m looking forward to watching our relationship continue to grow.”

The 2026 season is still months away, but fans can start wondering what paint schemes Roto-Rooter will bring to those seven races with JRM.

July 13, 2025

James Beaton Best in XGT, Josh Carlson Wins Once Again in SGT

WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. (July 13, 2025) – 22 years after making his first-career start at Watkins Glen International in the NASCAR Cup Series, Paul Menard finally took checkered flag at the historic racetrack in the Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli’s 50th race at The Glen. After rolling off third in his No. 3 Pittsburgh Paints/Menards Ford Mustang, the 2024 champion made the pass for the lead on lap 17 and was engaged in a cat-and-mouse game with Adam Andretti (No. 17 Top Liner Chevrolet Camaro) until the checkered flag waved.

When the green flag waved, polesitter Chris Dyson (No. 16 GYM WEED Ford Mustang) was immediately passed on the outside by second-place Andretti, who shot out to a massive 10-carlength lead. Andretti nurtured his multi-second advantage for the first nine laps while Menard fought with Dyson for the second position. On lap 10, Menard made the pass on Dyson and slowly began to hunt down Andretti. Andretti’s gap began to shrink, and on lap 17, Andretti made a mistake on the exit of the boot, allowing Menard to get by. For the remaining 13 laps, Andretti was on Menard’s bumper, attempting to regain the point position, but when the race reached its conclusion, it was Menard who drove into GYM WEED Winners Circle, followed by Andretti and Dyson. Tomy Drissi (No. 8 Trench Shoring Co./Motul Chevrolet Camaro) finished fourth, and Amy Ruman (No. 7 McNichols Co./Valley Automotive Group Chevrolet Camaro) finished fifth in a car borrowed from Drissi Motorsports following a crash in testing which heavily damaged her Corvette.

Notes of Interest:

• Paul Menard earned his 11th-career Trans Am victory in the series’ 50th start at Watkins Glen International. The victory was Menard’s fourth of the season.

• The 2024 champion won for the first time at Watkins Glen International. He has been competing at the track since 2003 in NASCAR’s top-three series.

• Menard has made 28 previous starts at Watkins Glen in the NASCAR Cup, Xfinity and Truck Series and one in the Trans Am Series. Before today, his best finish was second in both Trans Am and Xfinity.

• Menard leaves the track with the points lead and a 31-point advantage over Adam Andretti.

• Adam Andretti scored his sixth podium in eight races this season. He is tied with Menard for the most podium finishes in 2025.

“It’s great to be back in the Trans Am Series at Watkins Glen, one of my favorite racetracks,” said Menard. “It’s just a badass racetrack, and I told Adam [Andretti], we just did 100 miles of qualifying. We were on it every single lap. The car held up; I got a little loose at the end. We had a tough weekend; we battled a lot of different gremlins and my boys put it all together for the race. The car was just solid all race. On to Canadian Tire Motorsport Park. I love that track up there; another badass, high-speed track. Adam is keeping us honest in the points and we’ll keep at it.”

TA Top Five:
1. Paul Menard, No. 3 Pittsburgh Paints/Menards Ford Mustang 
2. Adam Andretti, No. 17 Top Liner Chevrolet Camaro
3. Chris Dyson, No. 16 GYM WEED Ford Mustang
4. Tomy Drissi, No. 8 Trench Shoring Co./Motul Chevrolet Camaro
5. Amy Ruman, No. 23 McNichols Co./Valley Automotive Group Chevrolet Corvette

EMCO Gears Lap Leader:
Adam Andretti, No. 17 Top Liner Chevrolet Camaro

XGT:
The lone competitor in XGT, James Beaton in the No. 82 Playtime Hot Rods & Motorsports Chevrolet Corvette was the top finisher in the class. Unfortunately, an engine failure on lap 10 led to his early retirement from the race.

XGT Results:
1. James Beaton, No. 82 Playtime Hot Rods & Motorsports Chevrolet Corvette

SGT:
For the seventh time this season, Joshua Carlson in the No. 36 Enseva/Diercks Ltd./TC Fab Ford Mustang dominated the SGT class. He was the fastest competitor in practice, qualifying and the race, and he led every lap. Ray Mason (No. 00 Alloy Employer Services Ford Mustang) showed quick pace, crossing the finish line second, and 2022 champion Milton Grant (No. 55 Sentry Self Storage/Springhill Suites Porsche 991.1) finished third.

“I’m feeling pretty good,” said Carlson on the podium. “We led the whole weekend in practice, qualifying, and the race. I’d like to thank Enseva. Without them, I wouldn’t be racing this weekend. I had a lot of fun racing with Milton [Grant] and Ray [Mason]. I hope to see them out at the next race.”

SGT Results:
1. Joshua Carlson, No. 36 Enseva/Diercks Ltd./TC Fab Ford Mustang
2. Ray Mason, No. 00 Alloy Employer Services Ford Mustang
3. Milton Grant, No. 55 Sentry Self Storage/Springhill Suites Porsche 991.1 Mustang

Final Details:
Official race results can be found here.

An encore presentation of today’s race will air tonight on SPEED SPORT 1 at 7:00 p.m. ET.

The Trans Am Series takes a brief hiatus before returning to action at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, August 28-31. Tickets can be purchased here.

The NASCAR Cup Series continues today, as racers compete in the Toyota/Save Mart 350 this afternoon. The race is scheduled to begin at 2:30 p.m. CT on TNT Sports. Fans can watch this NASCAR race for free online by using the free trial offered by DirecTV. Alternatively, Sling offers a first-month discount to new users.

William Byron enters this race with 632 points, so he currently sits atop the NASCAR Cup Series standings. Byron has struggled recently, as he was unable to finish the race last week. With this in mind, he will try to turn things around this afternoon.

Notably, Byron has secured seven finishes inside the top 5 this season.

Chase Elliott has earned second place in the NASCAR Cup Series standings, as he currently possesses 619 points. He finished last week’s race in 16th place, so he will try to improve his performance today.

Kyle Larson has 613 points this season, so he is only 19 points behind Byron for first place in the NASCAR Cup Series. With this in mind, Larson will look to win his fourth race of the season this afternoon.

Fans can watch the Toyota/Save Mart 350 race for free online by using the free trial offered by DirecTV. Alternatively, Sling offers a first-month discount to new users.

For the second straight week we get some NASCAR Cup Series road course action! Shane van Gisbergen went to victory lane for the second time this season and he swept both the Xfinity and Cup Series races at Chicago last weekend!

For this weekend, he finished as the runner-up in Saturday’s Xfinity Series Race at Sonoma Raceway, but he starts on the pole once again for Sunday’s Cup Series race. Can he go back-to-back? He’ll have some stiff competition to contend with so let’s take a look at the top NASCAR DFS picks for the Toyota/Save Mart 350 on DraftKings and FanDuel!

Sonoma Raceway Trends

Sonoma marks the fourth road course that we’ve seen on the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series schedule with two remaining (Watkins Glen and the…