LONG POND, Pa. (AP) — Dale Earnhardt Jr. might already be NASCAR’s most popular crew chief.

He’s certainly an undefeated one.

Pressed into unexpected service, Earnhardt called the shots for 18-year-old prospect Connor Zilisch in the No. 88 Chevrolet and they landed in victory lane Saturday in the second-tier Xfinity Series race at Pocono Raceway.

“It felt good to have some input and decision-making power,” Earnhardt said. “And then helping Connor understand what our plan was so he knew when to push and what he was expected to do.”

Earnhardt — who won NASCAR’s most-popular driver award 15 times — made a pit stop from his day job as team owner at JR Motorsports with normal crew chief Mardy Lindley suspended one race because of a lug nut infraction this month at Nashville.

Aside from his duties as team owner, Earnhardt also was at Pocono for his role on the Prime broadcast for the NASCAR Cup Series race Sunday.

“Lot of fun for me today,” Earnhardt said. “I missed the thrill of competition. I love broadcast, don’t get me wrong. But nothing compares to driving or just being part of the team. Being an owner doesn’t really deliver like this. This is a lot of fun.”

Earnhardt had his wife and two young daughters in tow with him as he made the celebratory walk to victory lane. Oldest daughter Isla Rose clutched the checkered flag while youngest Nicole Lorraine soaked in the scene from her dad’s arms.

“I love that they just get to experience things about NASCAR,” Earnhardt said. “I had such a great time growing up as a kid in this sport, just running around here. I want them to have that opportunity and understand that this is a place where they could create opportunities for themselves down the road.”

The win continued a banner season for the NASCAR Hall of Fame driver — who swept two races at Pocono as a driver in 2014 — after JR Motorsports and reigning Xfinity Series champion Justin Allgaier qualified for the season-opening Daytona 500 and secured their Cup Series debut.

Earnhardt won two Daytona 500s, in 2004 and 2014, and 26 races overall.

His side hustle Saturday was made a bit easier with Zilisch behind the wheel. Zilisch, who turns 19 in July, raced to his second Xfinity victory of the season and third of his young career. He won his Xfinity debut last year at Watkins Glen International.

Earnhardt even pitched in during the race and tossed tires over the wall during pit stops.

“Midway through the race man, I was feeling it,” Earnhardt said.

Zilisch took the win down to the wire and finally passed Jesse Love with five laps left in the race. Love finished second.

“Dale Junior, not too bad on the box,” Zilisch said. “Pretty cool to have him up there. Getting him a 1-for-1 win as crew chief is pretty awesome.”

Even with the victory, it just might be one-and-done on the pit box for Earnhardt.

“I don’t know that I see myself doing it again,” he said.

___

AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing

Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

This may be the last NASCAR Cup Series race of the Amazon Prime broadcasts, but the network still features some compelling must-see NASCAR storylines in the four-part “Earnhardt” documentary and, similarly the single-episode “American Thunder,” which chronicles NASCAR’s Garage 56 project from inception to race debut in the 2023 24 Hours of Le Mans.

The Earnhardt docu-series on Prime Video has received a hugely positive response and features some never-before-seen video and certainly some compelling interviews with those that knew the late seven-time champion best. Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Kelley Earnhardt are featured prominently and their stories about their dad heart-felt and captivating.

The “American Thunder: From NASCAR to LeMans” documentary is also intriguing, whether you are a race fan or not. It chronicles the remarkable project from idea to post-race celebration. Seven-time NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson, Formula One champ Jenson Button and sports car legend Mike Rockenfeller shared the seat of the No. 24 Chevrolet.

And so many of NASCAR’s heavy-hitters from series executives Jim France and Steve O’Donnell to the Hendrick team’s Rick Hendrick and Jeff Gordon to a former NASCAR-to-Le Mans competitor Hershel McGriff are all featured in this behind-the-scenes look at the massive effort it took to develop the car, make the huge-logistical lift in travelling to the small French town of Le Mans and ultimately the drama of the actual race and what the involvement meant to all involved.

June 21, 2025

McKee Second, Annunziata Third, Boes Best in Pro/Am and Third Overall

LEXINGTON, Ohio (June 21, 2025) – Practice and qualifying have concluded for the Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli’s CUBE 3 Architecture TA2 Series race at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. TeamSLR’s Corey Day in the No. 17 HendrickCars.com/SLR-M1 Chevrolet Camaro set a new track qualifying record, capturing his first-career pole award with a time of 1:23.553.

“It was a good lap, of course,” said Day. “It’s been a really good weekend so far. I’m still new to this road course thing, so I’ve been studying a lot and working hard with Josh Wise, Scott Speed and the team, just trying to get better at this stuff. It seems to be paying off so far. It’s a good start to the weekend. We’ll study our laps and try to recreate it for 45 laps tomorrow.”

Barry Boes (No. 27 Accio Data/SLR-M1 Chevrolet Camaro) was the fastest of the Pro/Am Challenge contenders and third overall with a time of 1:24.073.

The race will be contested tomorrow at 1:35 p.m. ET. It will be streamed LIVE on Trans Am’s YouTube channel, @TheTransAmSeries and broadcast LIVE on SPEED SPORT 1, with coverage beginning at  1:00 p.m. ET. An encore presentation will air on SPEED SPORT 1 at 6:00 p.m. ET. For more information on where you can watch SPEED SPORT 1, click here.

Qualifying Top Five:

1. Corey Day, No. 17 HendrickCars.com/SLR-M1 Chevrolet Camaro (1:23.553)

2. Tristan McKee, No. 28 Spire/Gainbridge/SLR-M1 Chevrolet Camaro (1:23.829)

3. Thomas Annunziata, No. 90 Gazoo Racing/Nitro Motorsports Toyota Camry (1:24.077)

4. Adrian Wlostowski, No. 3 CMI/Spot-On Services/AMT Motorsports Ford Mustang (1:24.224)

5. Sam Corry, No. 70 Nitro Motorsports Toyota Camry (1:24.381)

Fastest in Pro/Am Challenge:

1. Barry Boes, No. 27 Accio Data/SLR-M1 Racecars Chevrolet Camaro (1:24.073)

Full provisional qualifying results can be found here.

Practice:

1. Tristan McKee, No. 28 Spire/Gainbridge/SLR-M1 Chevrolet Camaro (1:23.867)

2. Sam Corry, No. 70 Nitro Motorsports Toyota Camry (1:24.119)

3. Rafa Matos, No. 57 Concord American Flagpole/SHR Chevrolet Camaro (1:24.226)

4. Adrian Wlostowski, No. 3 CMI/Spot-On Services/AMT Motorsports Ford Mustang (1:24.382)

5. Thomas Annunziata, No. 90 Gazoo Racing/Nitro Motorsports Toyota Camry (1:24.462)

Fastest in Pro/Am Challenge:

1. Barry Boes, No. 27 Accio Data/SLR-M1 Racecars Chevrolet Camaro (1:24.170)

Full practice results can be found here.

Just ask Kyle Busch, who suffered a crushing TKO loss when he clashed with Stenhouse after last year’s All-Star race.

Get ready! The Pounding at Pocono could be just another round in the ongoing feud between Stenhouse and Hocevar.

“He probably will be looking over his shoulder for a long time,” Stenhouse said Saturday at Pocono. “We’ll see how that goes.”

Hocevar has to look over his shoulder — and for that charging Chevrolet in his rearview mirror.

“The scorecard has it that I I’m getting something from the 47 at some point, right? And I think my team and everybody kind of knows that,” Hocevar said.

Their beef has little chance of getting squashed any time soon, a dispute that started three races ago when Hocevar wrecked Stenhouse early at Nashville. Hocevar sent Stenhouse spinning last week in Mexico City, which ignited the postrace melee on pit road.

Stenhouse seemed to grab at Hocevar as he spoke to him, then slapped at his helmet as Stenhouse walked away.

Hocevar’s in-car camera captured audio of the confrontation.

“I’m going to beat your (behind),” Stenhouse threatened. “You’re a lap down, you’ve got nothing to do. Why you run right into me? It’s the second time. I’m going to beat your (behind) when we get back to the States.”

Hocevar avoided a smackdown from Stenhouse but his Spire team hit him where it hurts — a $50,000 fine on Tuesday for derogatory comments he made about Mexico City on a livestream as NASCAR raced there last weekend.

At just 23 and in his second full Cup season, Hocevar has whipped himself into a flurry of unwanted attention, continuing a trend that started last year when even veteran Denny Hamlin chimed in and said NASCAR had ” to do something to Carson.”

Stenhouse might do it on behalf of the sanctioning body with his fist or even his No. 47 Chevrolet.

Hocevar conceded, yes, payback may be imminent and the time to talk out their lingering issues is over.

Yet, Hocevar pleaded: “It’s not an open hunting season on the 77 because of these incidents.”

Hocevar stamped his own target on his back. With his aggressive racing. With his ignorant words.

“Just because I do something in the heat of the moment or maybe, you know, you do it two or three times, doesn’t mean I’m not hard on myself for those mistakes because they are mistakes,” he said. “It’s just trying not to make that a pattern. But when you’re constantly making aggressive moves like we’re doing, it’s balancing that fine line of, you know, you make a thousand moves a day. Just unfortunately, what people remember isn’t always the good ones. You always remember the negative ones.”

Case in point, Hocevar walked back his derisive comments about Mexico after he actually experienced the culture of the country following NASCAR’s foray into a new Cup Series market.

“I didn’t give it a shot. I didn’t give it a chance,” Hocevar said. “I didn’t go walk around. I didn’t go see it. When I did, you know, then hindsight’s 20/20, then I have my own opinion. But I’ve already put it out there.”

Spire also ordered Hocevar to attend cultural-sensitivity and bias-awareness training.

He can be thankful he gets a shot at another race. Stenhouse’s spotter, Tab Boyd, was fired this week by HYAK Motorsports in the wake of an unflattering social media post about his experience in Mexico.

“That’s above my paygrade,” Stenhouse said.

The biggest KO so far came in the standings, where Stenhouse has been flattened in just three weeks from 13th in points in the thick of playoff contention before Nashville to 21st entering Pocono. Hocevar is one point ahead of Stenhouse in the standings.

“That’s the thing that hurts worse for our team is just where it’s put us,” Stenhouse said.

Stenhouse’s trash talk more worthy of UFC hype could put him in hot water should he actually deliver on his vowed retribution and take out Hocevar.

If it comes to a point where NASCAR dishes out a monetary punishment, it’s OK, the 2023 Daytona 500 champion could afford his fine. He just sold his North Carolina estate for $12.2 million, the highest-priced residential sale ever recorded in the greater Charlotte metro area.

“It’s been a big week. We’ve had a lot going on,” Stenhouse said, laughing.

He’d rather talk real estate than about the space and time wasted thinking about Hocevar.

“I’m just honestly tired of talking about the kid,” Stenhouse said.

Tired of the talk? Sure. Of the action? Not just yet.

“Eventually it’ll all come together at some point,” Stenhouse said. “I’m not sure when or how. But it will.”

___

AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing

Credit: AP

Credit: AP

Credit: AP

Credit: AP

Credit: AP

Credit: AP

Saturday

At Virginia Motorsports Park

Dinwiddie, Va.

Sunday’s Pairings

Top Fuel

1. Brittany Force, 3.839 seconds, 327.98 mph vs. 14. Tony Stewart, 8.979, 79.59; 2. Clay Millican, 3.864, 324.90 vs. 13. Smax Smith, 5.979, 107.70; 3. Steve Torrence, 3.877, 324.28 vs. 12. Josh Hart, 5.956, 108.41; 4. Shawn Reed, 3.885, 323.74 vs. 11. Dan Mercier, 4.284, 206.07; 5. Shawn Langdon, 3.891, 325.45 vs. 10. Cameron Ferre, 4.070, 287.60; 6. Doug Foley, 3.896, 310.91 vs. 9. Justin Ashley, 3.950, 305.63; 7. Doug Kalitta, 3.905, 327.43 vs. 8. Antron Brown, 3.944, 312.50.

Funny Car

1. Jack Beckman, Chevy Camaro, 3.988, 320.51 vs. 16. Jim Campbell, Ford Mustang, 9.864, 74.26; 2. Austin Prock, Camaro, 4.004, 321.73 vs. 15. Cruz Pedregon, Dodge Charger, 5.867, 118.17; 3. J.R. Todd, Toyota GR Supra, 4.018, 320.05 vs. 14. Buddy Hull, Charger, 5.184, 144.64; 4. Daniel Wilkerson, Mustang, 4.022, 320.74 vs. 13. Dave Richards, Mustang, 4.267, 291.45; 5. Ron Capps, GR Supra, 4.028, 320.81 vs. 12. Chad Green, Mustang, 4.081, 314.17; 6. Matt Hagan, Charger, 4.039, 319.07 vs. 11. Hunter Green, Charger, 4.080, 314.46; 7. Bob Tasca III, Mustang, 4.047, 319.75 vs. 10. Spencer Hyde, Mustang, 4.069, 306.46; 8. Alexis DeJoria, Charger, 4.050, 317.79 vs. 9. Paul Lee, Charger, 4.052, 307.93.

Pro Stock Motorcycle

1. Brayden Davis, Suzuki, 6.757, 198.85 vs. 16. Marc Ingwersen, EBR, 6.924, 194.72; 2. Matt Smith, Buell, 6.768, 201.43 vs. 15. Chase Van Sant, Suzuki, 6.907, 196.44; 3. John Hall, Beull, 6.787, 199.97 vs. 14. Chris Bostick, Suzuki, 6.898, 196.50; 4. Gaige Herrera, Suzuki, 6.793, 199.49 vs. 13. Ron Tornow, Victory, 6.898, 198.55; 5. Steve Johnson, Suzuki, 6.801, 197.54 vs. 12. Kelly Clontz, Suzuki, 6.897, 197.62; 6. Richard Gadson, Suzuki, 6.809, 199.73 vs. 11. Hector Arana Jr, EBR, 6.877, 198.09; 7. Angie Smith, Buell, 6.813, 199.70 vs. 10. Dystany Spurlock, Buell, 6.870, 194.66; 8. Ryan Oehler, EBR, 6.848, 198.44 vs. 9. Jianna Evaristo, Buell, 6.863, 199.29. Did Not Qualify: 17. Brandon Litten, 6.960, 192.58.

_____

Copyright
© 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.

LONG POND, Pa. (AP) — Dale Earnhardt Jr. might already be NASCAR’s most popular crew chief.

He’s certainly an undefeated one.

Pressed into unexpected service, Earnhardt called the shots for 18-year-old prospect Connor Zilisch in the No. 88 Chevrolet and they landed in victory lane Saturday in the second-tier Xfinity Series race at Pocono Raceway.

“It felt good to have some input and decision-making power,” Earnhardt said. “And then helping Connor understand what our plan was so he knew when to push and what he was expected to do.”

Earnhardt — who won NASCAR’s most-popular driver award 15 times — made a pit stop from his day job as team owner at JR Motorsports with normal crew chief Mardy Lindley suspended one race because of a lug nut infraction this month at Nashville.

Aside from his duties as team owner, Earnhardt also was at Pocono for his role on the Prime broadcast for the NASCAR Cup Series race Sunday.

“Lot of fun for me today,” Earnhardt said. “I missed the thrill of competition. I love broadcast, don’t get me wrong. But nothing compares to driving or just being part of the team. Being an owner doesn’t really deliver like this. This is a lot of fun.”

Earnhardt had his wife and two young daughters in tow with him as he made the celebratory walk to victory lane. Oldest daughter Isla Rose clutched the checkered flag while youngest Nicole Lorraine soaked in the scene from her dad’s arms.

“I love that they just get to experience things about NASCAR,” Earnhardt said. “I had such a great time growing up as a kid in this sport, just running around here. I want them to have that opportunity and understand that this is a place where they could create opportunities for themselves down the road.”

The win continued a banner season for the NASCAR Hall of Fame driver — who swept two races at Pocono as a driver in 2014 — after JR Motorsports and reigning Xfinity Series champion Justin Allgaier qualified for the season-opening Daytona 500 and secured their Cup Series debut.

Earnhardt won two Daytona 500s, in 2004 and 2014, and 26 races overall.

His side hustle Saturday was made a bit easier with Zilisch behind the wheel. Zilisch, who turns 19 in July, raced to his second Xfinity victory of the season and third of his young career. He won his Xfinity debut last year at Watkins Glen International.

Earnhardt even pitched in during the race and tossed tires over the wall during pit stops.

“Midway through the race man, I was feeling it,” Earnhardt said.

Zilisch took the win down to the wire and finally passed Jesse Love with five laps left in the race. Love finished second.

“Dale Junior, not too bad on the box,” Zilisch said. “Pretty cool to have him up there. Getting him a 1-for-1 win as crew chief is pretty awesome.”

Even with the victory, it just might be one-and-done on the pit box for Earnhardt.

“I don’t know that I see myself doing it again,” he said.

___

AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing

Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.