Huge news in the grassroots racing and NASCAR world, Bubba Pollard is going to make his Xfinity Series debut with JR Motorsports. Dale Earnhardt Jr. is putting one of the best talents in short-track racing in the No. 88 car.
For a while, Bubba Pollard has scoffed a bit at the idea of starting in NASCAR. He’s a racer’s racer through and through. He might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but he is his own person and doesn’t stray from his values.
Many people would jump at a chance to race in NASCAR. Pollard has waited and bided his time. Now, it looks like he got the right opportunity. Of course, driving for Dale Jr. is a no-brainer for most.
The 38-year-old driver from Georgia is making his start with Rheem Manufacturing as his sponsor. Usually, you can find Pollard in his No. 26 Late Model. However, he’s going to look great in the No. 88 car for JR Motorsports.
“I’m very excited,” Pollard said of his upcoming start, via JR Motorsports. “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.”
Bubba Pollard latest grassroots star to get a shot
One thing that Dale Earnhardt Jr. has been able to do with JR Motorsports is give drivers a shot. He has put a lot of effort into building his Xfinity Series organization. In recent years, he has been focusing on the grassroots.
Drivers like Josh Berry have spent years cutting their teeth on short tracks and dirt tracks around the country. Earnhardt also has his Late Model program with driver Carson Kvapil making an Xfinity Series start this year at Martinsville.
All of that, and not to mention the expansion of the CARS Tour. You get the point. This is all part of building the sport of stock car racing from the ground up.
“JR Motorsports has grown so much over the years,” said Kelley Earnhardt Miller, CEO of JR Motorsports. “But the core of what we do, from our championship-winning Late Model team to the NASCAR Xfinity Series, is to produce championship drivers and team personnel. Bubba Pollard is a great example of that sort of progression, and we’re proud to support him alongside a great partner in Rheem Manufacturing.”
Here’s a kicker for you, Bubba Pollard is going to make his ARCA Menards Series debut to prepare for his big race. He will race at Five Flags Speedway later this season to get used to a heavier stock car.
March 30 is the big day when Pollard makes his Xfinity Series debut at Richmond. This is a big moment for grassroots racing, and for Pollard himself, of course. How do you expect him to perform against the young drivers in ARCA and Xfinity?
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