Dale Earnhardt Jr. thrilled for Lee Pulliam as first-time JRM driver contends for win at Martinsville

A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for Lee Pulliam in his NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series could have a storybook ending. With 25 laps to go, Pulliam led the field back to green after a caution.

Just before the field resumed green flag racing, the CW broadcast caught up with JR Motorsports owner Dale Earnhardt Jr. He was a ball of nerves, hoping for the best for Pulliam down the stretch.

“I’m not surprised,” Earnhardt said of Lee Pulliam’s showing. “You know, the guy’s got more racecraft than a lot of these guys in the field, a lot of experience. He should be able to get in there and get it done. He’s done a great job today. He’s at a little bit of a deficit on tires, but we’ll just kind of see how this works out.”

Lee Pulliam has an extensive background in late model stock car racing, so he’s no stranger to being behind the wheel. However, he had taken a five-year break from the sport due to the rising cost of racing.

He returned for a few races at Martinsville in the ValleyStar Credit Union 300 in 2024 and 2025, catching Earnhardt’s eye in the process. That led to the opportunity with JR Motorsports.

“I’m proud of him and I know he’s got a lot of people pulling for him,” Earnhardt said. “Hopefully he can come out of here with a great result.”

After the caution flag ended with about 25 laps to go, Lee Pulliam lost the jump on the restart to Justin Allgaier. So he’ll have his hands full down the stretch as he tries to pull out the win.

In any case, it’s been a remarkable showing from a guy who doesn’t race at this level. Can Lee Pulliam finish it off?

“I’m always nervous, I don’t care who’s driving our car,” Earnhardt said. “Especially Martinsville, caution inside of 50 to go. This could get ugly, so this is not fun for owners, I’ll say that.”