When regular crew chief Mardy Lindley was suspended one week for the (rather common) issue of loose lug nuts, JR Motorsports team co-owner and NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt Jr. stepped up to the plate to lead the No. 88 team this weekend. Well, with Dale Jr. calling the shots and rising star Connor Zilisch behind the wheel, they captured the checkered flag at Pocono Raceway.
It was actually Lindley's idea, texting Dale Jr. to ask if he was up for the challenge. The Lindleys and Earnhardts have quite the history as well. Dale Sr. and Butch Lindley (Mardy's father) raced against each other back in the 1970s and sadly, both Mardy and Dale Jr. lost their fathers to the sport of auto racing. Earnhardt said on Saturday that the shared tragedy of losing their fathers connected them.
