"Don’t want to say he's done": $50M-worth Kelley Earnhardt on Dale Jr.’s racing future following recent JR Motorsports announcement

JR Motorsports co-owner Kelley Earnhardt gave his verdict on Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s future in the NASCAR Xfinity Series after Connor Zilisch was announced to take over the #88 Chevy for 2025.

Dale Jr. has previously addressed the uncertainty surrounding his future appearances in the Xfinity Series, preferring to run Late Model races instead. The 49-year-old NASCAR Hall of Famer is slated to enter the Bristol Night race in the #88 Chevy in September, but his plans for 2025 remain uncertain.

Kelley Earnhardt, worth $50 million (per Celebrity Net Worth), addressed the speculation surrounding Dale Jr.'s future, stating that he is enjoying his time in Late Models, and they currently don't have any plans for future Xfinity outings. She suggested that this is not the end of the road for Dale Jr. NASCAR.

In a recent appearance on SiriusXM NASCAR radio, she said:

"He absolutely loves the racing. He just ebbs and flows, he's having a ton of fun in the Late Models, and trying to run as much of that as he can. He wants to do that 4-6 times a year."

"I don't want to say he's done Xfinity racing, but we don't have anything on the map right now for him. It could just change, we've got a lot of balls falling and rising right now. Over the next month or so, hopefully it'll all come together and and we'll have an exact plan," she added.

The #88 Chevy has served as the All-Star car at JR Motorsports, with Carson Kvapil, Connor Mosack, and Bubba Pollard driving the car in the first half of the 2024 season. Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Connor Zilisch are slated to drive the car in the second half.

There is plenty of speculation surrounding the JR Motorsports driver lineup for 2025 after Zilisch was announced to take over the #88 Chevy full-time. It is unclear whether Dale Jr. will make a start in 2025 and which car he will drive next season.

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Kelley Earnhardt "super excited" to welcome Connor Zilisch to JRM

JR Motorsports co-owner Kelley Earnhardt is excited to see Connor Zilisch behind the wheel of the #88 Chevy. She revealed that she has known the 18-year-old for a couple of years, and hyped up the "super-talented" NASCAR Cup Series prospect.

"We're super excited to welcome Connor and see what he's made of. He's got a lot of support behind him. I've known Connor for a couple of years racing micros out at Millbridge. Been exposed to him through those ranks. Just a super good kid, super talented so far in almost everything that he's gotten in. So it'll be a lot of fun. It's kind of what we do. So we're looking forward to it," she said on SiriusXM Radio.

Kelley Earnhardt and Dale Jr. announced earlier this season that Connor Zilisch would make his Xfinity debut in September at Watkins Glen (September 14), followed by starts at Kansas, Homestead, and Phoenix.