Dale Earnhardt Jr. opened up about crew chief Jim Pohlman’s departure from JR Motorsports to Richard Childress Racing (RCR). This marks a major shake-up for both teams. Jim Pohlman, who guided Justin Allgaier to the 2024 NASCAR Xfinity Series championship, will be joining Kyle Busch in the NASCAR Cup Series starting in 2026, a move that signals the next big step in his career.
Jim Pohlman’s Impact at JR Motorsports
During his run with JR Motorsports, Pohlman proved himself to be a difference-maker. His leadership and technical precision helped Allgaier capture the 2024 Xfinity title and kept the team consistently competitive.
“It’s tough to replace him,” Dale Jr. said on The Dale Jr. Download podcast. “Are we better with him? Yes. We’re a much better race team with Jim in the building.”
Even as the team prepares for life without him, Dale Jr. made it clear that Pohlman’s legacy, and possibly another championship, depending on how things go at Phoenix, will leave a lasting mark.
Pohlman, on the other hand, was full of praise for Justin and JRM and pointed out his dream to race on Sunday.
“Justin is the guy who put me on the map,” Pohlman said. “Without JRM, this opportunity doesn’t exist. It’s very hard to leave Justin; he’s a great friend and has been a friend for a long time. We’ve won an ARCA championship, we’ve won an Xfinity championship – hopefully, we’re going to win two. To walk away from the possibility of winning three in a row was very heavy on my mind.
“The goal for me has always been to race on Sunday and make it to that level and have an opportunity to win Daytona 500s and win at the highest level. It’s a great opportunity and I’m certainly looking forward to it.”
Dale Earnhardt Excitement for Pohlman’s Future at RCR
Despite losing one of his best, Dale Jr. isn’t bitter about it. In fact, he’s genuinely happy for Pohlman.
“I told Jim I wanted him to stay, but I knew that he had this opportunity, and it was great for him to go and hear it out,” Dale Jr. said.
Kyle Busch, who’ll work with Pohlman at RCR, also had positive things to say about his new crew chief’s leadership and record of success. Dale Jr. added that he’s eager to see what the two can achieve together: “I can’t wait to see how Jim and Kyle do next year.”
Richard Childress Racing’s Approach and Pohlman’s Work Ethic
Dale Earnhardt also took a moment to praise how RCR handled the whole process. “I thought RCR handled it really well,” he said. “How they reached out to us to ask if they could discuss this with Jim, they did it all right.”
He described Pohlman as meticulous and relentless in his work, traits that will serve him well in the highly competitive Cup Series.NASCAR Cup Series Bank of America Roval 400 Prize Money: What Is the Purse? “He’s detailed. He works his tail off,” Dale Jr. said. “Every thousandth of a fraction of a freaking inch in every little piece and part is what you’ve got to work for.”
A Bittersweet Goodbye
Pohlman’s move to RCR feels like the natural next chapter for a crew chief who’s earned his place among the sport’s best. For JR Motorsports, it’s a tough goodbye, but for NASCAR fans, it’s another exciting partnership to watch.
As Dale Jr. put it, the mix of pride and anticipation says it all: losing a great one always stings, but seeing them rise to new heights is what makes racing so rewarding.
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