JR Motorsports was established back in 1998, but it didn’t become a racing team until 2002. Meanwhile, the fledgling organization’s maiden foray into NASCAR was in 2005 in the Xfinity Series. Since then, the organization has gone on to become a motor racing powerhouse. A lot of it was thanks to the dynamic duo of Dale Earnhardt Jr. and his step-sister, Kelley Earnhardt Miller. Along the way, several top NASCAR drivers raced for them, including the likes of Danica Patrick and Brad Keselowski.

While Dale Jr. was the face of the project and an occasional racer, Kelley Earnhardt Miller was the brains behind the operation and worked behind the scenes with the economics. Before the NASCAR Xfinity plans, the organization started off small as Kelley Earnhardt started with a modest foundation, starting in the Late Model series.

From there, the Earnhardts made a name for themselves before dreaming bigger. That being said, how much have things changed between 2002 and 2025? Recently, Kelley Earnhardt Miller shared how the landscape has changed since JR Motorsports’ inception, and how it wouldn’t be the same without the support of some key drivers.

Danica Patrick and Brad Keselowski were major boosts to JRM

Speaking about the challenges of keeping up with the changing business landscape of owning a team, Kelley Earnhardt-Miller told NASCAR Live, “Yeah, that’s been very challenging. Thinking back to when the Navy came on board and having us on a 3-year commitment from them. Bringing Brad Keselowski in and finding that driver talent and those things.” Back in 2007, JRM got the sponsorship of the U.S. Navy which proved to be very crucial to help build a strong foundation. The icing was Brad Keselowski’s entry, as his raw talent and competitiveness helped elevate the team’s reputation.

The financial crisis that came for them in 2008 didn’t keep the ride a smooth sail. In fact, Kelley Earnhardt admitted that the 2010 season was particularly difficult as she remembers going to Daytona with just 11 races sponsored on the car. “We thought, ‘How is this going to work out? What’s going to happen?’ We just kept our faith that we would push through, that year and work things out,” she said.

There were just so many questions about how they would proceed with their limited means. Nevertheless, the brother-sister duo kept the faith that they would pull through. After reaching some form of stability, there were talks about growing the team. Eventually, one car multiplied into four.

And it is then that Kelley Earnhardt talks about how they received support in phases that eventually kept the team going. She said, “There’s been bridges along the way that have really sustained our team. The years that we had Danica Patrick part-time, things like that. There’s just been bridges that, every year, when we look at what businesses are going to look like.” The team continued to have a forward outlook, wherein they didn’t just plan for the immediate upcoming year, but multiple years in advance, to avoid any risk of an unfortunate situation for their team if it ever had to occur.

Kelley Earnhardt shares the challenges JR Motorsports faces in the modern age

With the rise of social media in the modern era, drivers and teams are closer to fans than ever before. Apart from the surface-level difference that we see, it also has a direct impact on a lot of things business-related, including sponsorships. Explaining this, Kelley Earnhardt said, “The introduction of social media marketing and digital marketing have changed the landscape of sponsorship so much. It’s more and more difficult, than challenging to figure out the value for partners.”

Earlier, before social media, if a sponsor paid a team for their logo, then the television broadcast or the race exposure was enough to satisfy them. However, now, with the world getting digitally closer, sponsors want more interaction, and their terms and conditions have made life tough for the teams. “The ROI for partners, and what they’re paying the customers for. It’s definitely harder these days than when we first started,” she added.

For now, JR Motorsports appears to be in a reasonably good position. The organization has been home to many current and future NASCAR Cup stars. Prime examples are Chase Elliott, Brad Keselowski, William Byron, Tyler Reddick, Danica Patrick, and many more. And the latest addition to their list of rising stars is Connor Zilisch, who has been making waves in the Xfinity Series. The 19-year-old has already won five races this season, with a current streak of three in a row. He will look for a fourth straight win and extend the streak in Saturday’s HyVee Perks 250 race at the Iowa Speedway.