When Rick Hendrick applauded Kelley and Dale Earnhardt Jr. for “tremendous dividends” with JR Motorsports

Back in 2014, Dale Earnhardt Jr. had a tremendous season in the #88 for Hendrick Motorsports, and Chase Elliott an even better one in the Xfinity Series (then called Nationwide Series) for JR Motorsports, becoming the youngest champion in the category. Rick Hendrick, owner of both teams, praised the NASCAR legend and his sister Kelley for their work and dedication to JR Motorsports' greatness.

Dale Jr. and his sister started JRM in the early-2000s and debuted in the Xfinity Series in 2006 thanks to a US Navy sponsorship. The very next year, Hendrick joined forces with them and together they built one of the category's most influential teams. JR Motorsports has won the championship four times, and last month, the team made its Cup Series debut at the Daytona 500 with Justin Allgaier as the driver.

After the 2014 season, Hendrick Motorsports shared a release on its official page, in which Dale Earnhardt Jr., Rick Hendrick, and Chase Elliott reflected on their season and future.

"The success it's had this year with all the wins, and developing people like Greg Ives, giving him a shot and now coming on in the Cup Series to be Dale's crew chief, it's paying tremendous dividends to our company," Rick Hendrick said on his team's official page.

Greg Ives, who was Elliott's crew chief during that 2014 championship run, went on to join Dale Earnhardt Jr. in the Cup Series the following year. They would win a total of three races together. He was also part of Jimmie Johnson's pit crew during his five straight Cup Series championships between 2006 and 2010.

"We went through a lot of growing pains, won some races, worked with a lot of great people, and, you know, this championship just really has me reflecting back on all that and all the people that have come through that shop and the people that we have now, the relationships that we've built, partners we've had," Dale Earnhardt Jr. added via Hendrick Motorsports official page.

From that point forward, JR Motorsports would win three more Xfinity Series championships (2017, 2018, and 2024).

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Dale Earnhardt Jr. and JRM had a dream debut in the Cup Series

On February 16th, 2025 at Daytona Beach, Florida, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and his team debuted in the Cup Series. Behind the wheel of the #40 Chevrolet sat Justin Allgaier, an experienced NASCAR, who had just won the Xfinity Series crown the previous season.

The team's main sponsor was Traveler Whiskey, owned by country singer Chris Stapleton.

Although he was ineligible to earn championship points, he had a dream performance, finishing P9 after starting 19th. As of March 8th, neither Dale Jr., nor the team has announced when or even if JRM will return to the Cup Series.