As one of the most successful organizations in NASCAR’s tier-two Xfinity Series, JR Motorsports has long been the subject of speculation regarding a potential transition to the Cup Series.
While the possibility remains under consideration, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and his sister Kelley Earnhardt are still coming to terms with the loss of the Xfinity title, a championship that appeared well within JR Motorsports’ reach. Despite record-setting performances from drivers Connor Zilisch and Justin Allgaier, the title ultimately slipped away.
Now, as the team recuperates from the blow and prepares for the next season, Earnhardt opened up about the group’s Cup aspirations in a recent interview.
The Current State And Focus Of The JRM Camp
After a flawless season on paper and missing out on his maiden Xfinity championship, Zilisch is already eyeing his Cup debut with Trackhouse Racing in the upcoming season. Meanwhile, in the JRM garage, the Earnhardts are weighing the prospect of running the Cup Series full-time while continuing to build on their strong Xfinity program.
In her recent appearance on NASCAR’s SiriusXM Radio, Earnhardt spoke candidly about the team’s approach to competing in NASCAR’s top tier. The JRM CEO began by addressing the tense climate in the sport as NASCAR awaits its trial involving 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports.
She revealed that the sport’s major players are waiting to see how the lawsuit unfolds before making any key moves, including the JRM camp. Earnhardt also stated that the team is still looking for the right opportunity; for now, their collective goal is to succeed at the Daytona 500.
Elaborating on JRM’s Xfinity program, she added, “We’re happy with our Xfinity program. We got another four cars next year, four full-time cars for that, and another part-time gig with some of the Trackhouse drivers as well. So, what we’re doing business-wise is great.”
Kelley Earnhardt on Running Full-Time in the Cup Series With JRM
Following this, the brains behind JRM’s success addressed the burning question: “Would JRM like to be Cup racing?”
“From a legacy standpoint & everything that we built, I think it would be really cool for us to experience.”@JRMotorsports co-owner @EarnhardtKelley speaks about the team’s intentions to run the Cup Series in the future.
More https://t.co/WGRTG5gnEd pic.twitter.com/pnGdtsfT5R
— SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Ch. 90) (@SiriusXMNASCAR) November 19, 2025
Earnhardt was affirmative about greenlighting JRM’s Cup Series transition; however, she also emphasized waiting for the right opportunity. She continued:
“We certainly would [like to be Cup racing]. It’s something from a legacy standpoint, and everything that we built, I think it would be really cool for us to experience, but the right opportunity just hasn’t come forward yet.”
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While the JRM boss evaluated the team’s Cup chapter, her brother recently spoke about dealing with nerves heading into the next season. On the recent episode of his podcast, “Dale Jr. Download,” he said:
“I’m nervous because we’re going to have a new body. Anytime a manufacturer gets a new body, they don’t go to Daytona and perform better. You’re figuring out kind of what makes that body perform at a track like that. I don’t know details, I just shoot it straight. Every time a manufacturer changes the body, they’re trying their best in every way, when a new body is coming in, to make their cars more competitive at the tracks that we race the most.”
Though the siblings have often expressed their desire to run a full-time Cup program, their ambitions have yet to come to fruition. Now, with NASCAR’s trial around the corner, JRM’s Cup dreams will also be heavily influenced by the court’s decision.
