The 67th annual Daytona 500 marked a momentous event in JR Motorsports’ history, with Justin Allgaier not only marking the team’s debut in the NASCAR Cup Series but also achieving their first-ever top-10 finish in “The Great American Race.” While Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s team is a major force in the Xfinity Series, they’ve never ventured into the top tier as a full-time competitor.
Looking at the same, the sport’s president, Steve Phelps, revealed he hopes to see things change and witness the team in the Cup Series as a regular. But Earnhardt is happy with where he’s at, particularly given everything that is at stake for him and his family.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. Not in Favor of Risking Children’s Future for His Dream
Following Allgaier’s immensely successful outing in Daytona, Earnhardt talked about his interest in wanting to bring JR Motorsports to the Cup Series full-time. Even with the new charter agreement making it an economical process, the 50-year-old feels getting the initial funding remains a challenge.
Until that happens, Earnhardt would remain wary of venturing into the Cup Series, especially with his own money on the line. The JR Motorsports co-owner says he “Can’t risk my kids’ inheritance and future on some idea of my own. That’s a selfish thing.”
Speaking to the Sports Business Journal, the NASCAR President hoped to see JRM “deal cards more this year” while remaining unsure of how things would pan out. He added that the management would love to see them venture into the top tier of competition full-time because “they’re good people.”
Addressing JRM’s Daytona debut, Phelps claimed the team was “just giddy” with the achievement. Most of it was because they are an open team and not a chartered one.
With Earnhardt and his sister, Kelley Earnhardt Miller, co-owning the team, Phelps also said that they were the backbone of the sport.
Additionally, with them being Dale Earnhardt Sr.’s children, Phelps felt getting the initial funding wouldn’t be too much of a problem for them. However, until that happens, Earnhardt Jr. has made it abundantly clear that he will not put his own money on the line just to make his personal dream come true.
