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JR Motorsports announces crew chief lineup for 2025 Xfinity Series season

JHby:Jonathan Howard•about 12 hours•

Jondean25

Sam Mayer
Mike Watters-Imagn Images

With the driver lineup set for next season, JR Motorsports has now finalized the crew chief roster for the 2025 season. This is going to be an elite team top to bottom in the NASCAR Xfinity Series this year.

A few changes have been made to the crew chief lineups. Having Brandon Jones and Sam Mayer leave for other teams created a few new scenarios and partnerships.

Andrew Overstreet is getting his first full-time crew chief gig. He was on the No. 88 car last season, the All-Star car for JR Motorsports. Jim Pohlman will stay with Justin Allgaier, hoping to run it back and win another championship in 2025.

After a year with Brandon Jones, Phillip Bell moves to the No. 8 car to be with Sammy Smith. Smith worked with Adam Wall last season and I think there is hope this new partnership will produce better results.

For the final full-time ride, Mardy Lindley is going to be Connor Zilisch’s crew chief on the 88 car. Lindley has won seven races in the last two years with Mayer.

Longtime car chief, Cory Shea, who worked on the No. 7 team last season, will be the crew chief of the No. 9 car. That car will be the “All-Star” entry. Ross Chastain and Shane van Gisbergen are already confirmed for five and four races, respectively.

JR Motorsports has a wealth of talent and resources. All of these crew chief and driver matchups appear to be solid. I think that Overstreet, after leading the No. 88 car to a win, six top-5s, and ten top-10s, he is ready to be full-time.

This might be JR Motorsports’ most talented group ever in terms of four full-time Xfinity Series drivers.

JR Motorsports has a plethora of talent in 2025

This season, JR Motorsports is going to return the defending Xfinity Series champion with Justin Allgaier. They also have Sammy Smith back for another year in the No. 8 car with the iconic DEI font from back in the day.

Smith is seen as a legit star in the sport one day. He has two career wins and is still only 20 years old until this June. Carson Kvapil makes his rookie debut in the series this year after one of the best late model runs in the country in the last few years. In his first starts, he almost won a couple of Xfinity races last season.

Of course, the fourth driver is Connor Zilisch. A phenom that has already won races in IMSA, NASCAR, ARCA, CARS Tour, Trans-Am, and more. We’re talking generational talent. He is stock car racing’s next big thing. No amount of hype right now can be overstated.

A champion and three drivers 23 years old and younger. Those three young guns will more than likely land themselves in the Cup Series sooner rather than later. A lot can happen, hyped up drivers oftentimes don’t live up to the buzz. This group appears to be different, though.