JRM Reveals Crew Chiefs for Top Rookies

What’s Happening?

Friday, JR Motorsports announced changes to its Crew Chief lineup for 2025. This season is one of a moderate overhaul for the team’s lineup, including two of the highest-rated rookies.

• Two teams will keep their 2024 Crew Chiefs in 2025. Sammy Smith retains Philip Bell, who took over before the 2024 playoffs and boosted Smith’s performance. Furthermore, 2024 series champion Justin Allgaier and Jim Pholman will work together once again in 2025; the two won six races in the past two seasons.
• However, the pairings most fans are interested in are the Crew Chiefs calling the shots for JRM’s rookies Carson Kvapil and Connor Zillish. These two young drivers are considered favorites to walk away with Rookie of the Year. Zilisch is a prospect for Trackhouse Racing, while Kvapil is a long-time late-model driver for JRM.
• JRM is pairing Kvapil with Andrew Overstreet in the No. 1. Overstreet was the Crew Chief of JRM’s part-time No. 88 last season. In 2024, Kvapil drove that No. 88 in nine races, earning three top fives and four top tens. Kvapil takes over the No. 1 for Sam Mayer, who is racing for the Haas Factory Team in 2025.

Zilisch, who won a race with Overstreet, will race with former No. 1 Crew Chief Mardy Lindley. In 2023 and 2024, with Sam Mayer, Lindley won seven races. Notably, four of those wins were on road courses, and pairing Lindley with the road course prodigy Zilisch makes sense for JRM.

The team also plans to enter the No. 9 part-time as Zillisch will drive the No. 88. Cory Shea will call the shots for this car. Known drivers include Trackhouse Racing’s Ross Chastain and Shane van Gisbergen, and potential drivers include Spire’s Rajah Caruth and Hendrick Motorsports’ prospect Corey Day.

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