It’s no secret that late-model racing is one of the most exciting categories for American motorsport fans after the NASCAR premiere series, and there’s one man who has been a perennial contender in the world of late-model cars for decades. With over 100 late model wins in his career, Bubba Pollard is now aiming to take the world of NASCAR by storm with his Xfinity Series debut driving for JR Motorsports at Richmond Raceway. Naturally, Dale Earnhardt Jr believes the pressure is higher than ever on his team to live up to the late model legend’s stock car expectations.

Dale Earnhardt Jr prepares for Bubba Pollard’s Xfinity debut

Over two weeks ago, JR Motorsports made the exciting announcement that it would field Bubba Pollard in the #88 Rheem Chevrolet for the Xfinity race at Richmond. While the news stirred up excitement within the community, Pollard’s garage is hard at work to equip him with the best car possible. Dale Earnhardt Jr reflected on JRM’s preparations for Pollard’s Xfinity debut with insider Matt Weaver.

Junior stated, “Brandon Jones and his family, they’ve all sort of been big supporters of short track racing and saw an opportunity to give Bubba that chance and that everybody wants to see him get. So we worked with Bubba too on a late model program in Martinsville, he was awesome. Guy’s accomplished so much in the short track field and came in, drove our car, he was just a pleasure, you know.”

The JRM boss wanted to ensure no stone was left unturned, as he shared, “He’s got sim this week and sim tomorrow, so I’d love to go over and watch him go through that process, and it’s really the only practice he’s going to get before he gets to the racetrack.”

The #88’s garage focus now was to provide Bubba Pollard with everything he could need for a memorable debut. Dale Earnhardt Jr also stated what his main goal for Bubba Pollard was, “We’re trying to tune him up and give him all the tools so he can have a great experience and I want him to have a great race car and a fun time and to get out with a smile on his face and want to do more, so we’re gonna try to give him the best chance we can.”

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While it’s safe to say Dale Earnhardt Jr is ensuring all bases are covered by JR Motorsports for Bubba Pollard’s debut, it’s also worth mentioning that this will be the first time Pollard will run at Richmond, making the task a little more challenging.

Can Bubba Pollard overcome the challenges of the unknown?

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It’s no secret that Bubba Pollard is among the most capable drivers in American racing, and while he may not have run at Richmond Raceway before his Xfinity debut, Earnhardt Jr believes that it will once again come down to the team to give him a confidence-inducing car. “Richmond’s not a super technical track, the things that he’ll have to pay attention to there, he’s well aware of,” Dale Earnhardt Jr stated.

The JRM owner showed complete confidence in Pollard’s abilities to overcome new challenges, feeling that the #88 team just had to focus on delivering their part. He concluded, “It will come down to whether we can give him the car he needs. He can do the job and he knows how to run races and he’s got great racecraft. If we give him a great racecar, he’ll drive it to the front.”

Talking about Pollard’s perspective ahead of his debut, the short-track racing star was no stranger to the length of raceways like Richmond but highlighted his gratitude for JRM as he entered the unknown. He shared in a team statement, “I really don’t know what to expect as it’s all very new to us, but I’m very thankful for the opportunity that Rheem and JR Motorsports have given me. I hope we can make the most of it. I’ve never had any laps at Richmond and I haven’t driven an Xfinity car, so it’s all going to be new.”

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After taking a look at how seriously JR Motorsports is taking their responsibility of giving Bubba Pollard a memorable Xfinity debut, the weekend at Richmond Raceway just couldn’t come any sooner!