Three years ago, JR Motorsports’ co-owner and Dale Jr.’s sister, Kelley Earnhardt, was excited about a potential Cup Series charter, saying, “We do want to go Cup racing. We believe that’s a good spot for us.” However, that never materialized. But the NASCAR Cup Series is going to look a lot different four months down the line, owing to the ongoing 23XI and Front Row Motorsports’ charter disputes. With a 360 expected by the end of this year, could this potentially carve out a spot for Dale Earnhardt Jr.?

While Dale Jr. and Kelley Earnhardt co-own JR Motorsports in the Xfinity Series, Kelley has reflected on the problems that exist in the Cup Series. Earlier in August, she explained that the biggest hurdle is the staggering cost of entry, noting that the market moves fast when the charter last exchanged hands, and that now only a handful of options remain.

Speaking on Kevin Harvick’s Happy Hour podcast, Harvick sounded off on Dale Jr. potentially owning a Cup car amid the expected charter system changes, and Bob Pockrass seconded that notion. He said, “Yeah. I think it’s open. I’d give him one. I mean, I think it’s open, but I from everything you hear out of that organization, they don’t want because… talk to them about investing and buying a charter, but they want to run that program year to year without losing money… They don’t want to look at the charter as something like… we can lose $20 million over 10 years, but then make it back when we sell the charter. They’re not looking at it that way.”

Add a pending lawsuit, shifting rules for open cars involving 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports, and uncertainty around assets like the long-standing Rick Ware Racing–Legacy Motor Club charter, which has now been resolved, and the business end becomes even murkier. Moreover, Kelley also pointed out JR Motorsport’s right-hand man manufacturer, Chevrolet.

She admitted saying, “Neither Dale nor I really feel solid about the opportunities that have been in front of him. We’ve, you know, I’ve had conversations this year with people and opportunities, and they come up and they kind of come and go — that’s just not the right situation. You know, we love our relationship with Chevrolet. We would not want to do anything that would really hurt that relationship. They’ve been a part of all of our wins, and it’s just been a part of our life since, you know, my dad’s days, and our partners, and we got a great thing going with JRM.”

With the new RAM Stellantis OEM returning to NASCAR and planning to enter the Craftsman Truck Series next year, this move is seen as a precursor to a possible Cup Series entry, with discussions indicating a potential debut by 2027 or 2028. Anything is possible. With Chevrolet’s new Cup Series car getting the green light for the Daytona 500 in 2026, and talks about increased horsepower, the stage is being set for a new era. And maybe, just maybe—Dale Jr. could be part of it.

However, Kevin Harvick had a rebuttal to that: “I mean, you’ve got Dale and, you know, I think that I think the workload that goes with it would be the hard part. You know, it’s—that’s a big bite, but it’ll be interesting to see how it all works out because not only do you have the new manufacturer, you’ve got the lawsuit with some undecided charters. There’s a lot of things that could make something swing in a direction that we didn’t see coming. Is that fair? ” 

And as the NASCAR charter system is bound to be reworked, LMC has acquired a third charter from RWR and is expected to lease it to RFK Racing for the No. 60 car driven by Ryan Preece next year. And with the current NASCAR lawsuit between Denny Hamlin’s 23XI Racing and FRM on one side and NASCAR on the other, the yearlong troubles will have an impact on the restructuring act chart systems for the future.

Bob Pockrass doubles down on the current playoffs while Dale Jr. calls for a Chase comeback

Bob Pockrass has gone against the grain in defending the current playoff system against the changes that are set to be made in 2026. While Dale Jr., among others, yearns for a return to the Golden Era, 36-point races, Pockrass has a different view on the playoffs.

Pockrass reminded fans that NASCAR hasn’t exactly been new to playoffs; the sport has used some form of a playoff-style format for 22 years, beginning with the Chase in 2004. Matt Kenseth’s 2003 championship run, where he claimed the title early despite winning just once all season, sparked that change.

Over time, the format has shifted. Jimmie Johnson’s five straight titles from 2006 to 2010 pushed NASCAR to keep tweaking the system, and by 2014, the current elimination-style playoffs were in place, with four drivers battling for the championship in the final race.

The winner-take-all nature of the finale has its critics, but Bob defended its broader impact. He mentions, “With playoffs, more drivers get talked about when it comes to the second half of the season and the possibility of them winning the championship. More teams are in the conversation, and their sponsors get a little more TV airtime.”

He also highlighted how the system changes driver behavior, claiming that the current playoff format pushes the drivers to win rather than accumulate points, saying, “The best thing about the current system is that it encourages drivers to win and not settle for a good points day.”

But as Mike Forde has finalized the declaration of the new playoff format after the finale in Phoenix, teams will be looking to adjust their strategies accordingly.