Dale Earnhardt Jr. shared a clear view of where JR Motorsports stands early in the 2026 NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series season. The team entered the year with several changes, including new rules across NASCAR and internal personnel adjustments.
Despite that, the organization has shown strong speed and consistency from the opening races. Earnhardt Jr. pointed to early signs at Phoenix as a key moment that showed the team could compete right away.
He also highlighted the role of veteran driver Justin Allgaier and spoke in detail about Lee Pulliam’s recent debut. His comments focused on preparation, teamwork, and the group’s handling of a challenging offseason to stay competitive in NASCAR.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. on JR Motorsports’ Response to Changes
Dale Earnhardt Jr. said the team worked hard to adjust to rule changes in the series, which impacted competition across NASCAR.
“We worked really hard in the offseason. There were rule changes that everyone in the series had to figure out. We also made changes with our personnel, moved some crew chiefs around, and adjusted drivers. You always worry about that.”
He said the team found early speed at Phoenix Raceway.
“At Phoenix, we had really good speed. That gave us a good idea of how we might start the year. We’ve been able to carry that forward and continue to show up.”
Earnhardt Jr. added that past rule changes often created problems for the team, making this start more important.
“In the past, those kinds of changes hit us pretty hard. We’re proud that we were able to hit the ground running this time.”
NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Changes and Early Speed
Earnhardt Jr. said the team’s early performance in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series showed how well it handled the adjustments.
“We’ve been able to hang on, we’ve been able to show up. We had a lot of support, but we also had to figure things out ourselves.”
He explained that strong preparation helped the team stay competitive despite the changes across NASCAR.
“A lot of times those rule changes hit us hard, but this year we worked really hard and came out strong.”
Justin Allgaier and Lee Pulliam deliver strong results
Earnhardt Jr. praised Justin Allgaier for his steady performance and leadership inside the team.
“Justin has done an incredible job leading our organization. He’s always been dependable, always fast, a great teammate, and he handles sponsors the right way.”
He said Allgaier continues to perform at a high level on and off the track.
“He continues to be exceptional across the board and is doing a great job on the racetrack.”
Earnhardt Jr. also highlighted Lee Pulliam for his preparation and effort in his debut.
“Lee did a really good job this weekend and worked extremely hard to be prepared, spent a lot of time in the simulator, and worked on his fitness.”
He said Pulliam made the most of his opportunity.
“He treated it like it might be his only chance at this level and tried to absorb everything he could.”
Earnhardt Jr. believes Pulliam showed he can compete at a higher level in NASCAR.
“I think what he’s done in his career earned him this opportunity, and he showed he can compete. He could do a really good job in a Truck or O’Reilly Auto Parts Series car if given another chance.”
He added that while more races are not easy to arrange, the performance stood out.
“We’d love to run him more, but it’s difficult. He went out there, ran hard, stayed up front, and got a solid result, even with that small mistake on the restart.”