For most fans, the only good thing to come out of this year’s Daytona 500 was the presence of Dale Earnhardt Jr. and JR Motorsports. Their joy was doubled when Justin Allgaier registered a top-10 finish in his team’s first-ever Cup Series participation. But that was where the fun stopped for everyone, including Earnhardt and his team, because of it being their only Cup Series participation of 2025.
Fans continue to wonder when they will get to see JRM and Earnhardt back in the Cup Series and the easy answer is — when they have enough money. And if you go into the details, it’s a question worth $40,000,000.
The $40 Million Bump Standing Between Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Cup Series Participation
Running a car in NASCAR’s Cup Series is neither a mean feat nor cheap. While Earnhardt certainly wants to run JRM in the Cup Series full-time, he isn’t willing to foot the entire bill alone.
On a recent podcast, the 50-year-old claimed that if a suitable sponsor were to sign on, he wouldn’t mind having Allgaier run in Talladega. But this time, a one-off sponsor won’t cut it.
JRM hopes to secure sponsors for a charter, even if it means Earnhardt would control only a fraction of the ownership share. While he isn’t entirely sure of the cost, Earnhardt assumes it will still cost at least $40 million to secure a charter and, “I’m not giving you $40 million. It is not something I’m interested in.”
In the “right situation,” he’s willing to spend $5-$10 million from his own pocket, but not more than that. The money would get him about a 20% share in the team, and he feels completely comfortable with it. In return, Earnhardt will also be bringing his sister, Kelley Earnhardt Miller, who has a shared history of running successful teams both on and off the track, to the table.
Earnhardt also feels that the investment must come from someone who understands that a $40 million charter could be worth hundreds of millions of dollars down the road. It may take two years or maybe 10, but he believes it to be true. Earnhardt added that he wouldn’t be willing to put his money on the line if he didn’t believe the investment would grow.
Despite having enough of his own money to buy the charter, Earnhardt remains wary of risking it all on a dream. With most of the money being his kids’ inheritance, the veteran driver doesn’t want to be selfish and use it to fuel his personal goals.
