Dale Earnhardt Jr’s ‘Unreal’ NASCAR Callup Left Bubba Pollard Awestruck

Bubba Pollard, a short-track racing legend with 100+ Late Model victories under his belt, is stepping out of his comfort zone and into the big leagues. The 37-year-old veteran from Georgia will make his NASCAR Xfinity Series debut on the 30th of March at the Richmond Raceway, driving the #88 Rheem Chevrolet for JR Motorsports, co-owned by NASCAR royalty Dale Earnhardt Jr., his sister Kelley Earnhardt Miller, and the iconic Rick Hendrick. This unexpected move marks a significant moment for both the late model legend and JR Motorsports as Pollard’s journey to the bright lights of the NXS is quite a unique one.

For almost two decades, short-track racing fans have christened Bubba Pollard, “Redneck Jesus” due to his immense popularity and success within the community. He has been a perennial contender in the prestigious Snowball Derby while also dominating events such as the All-American 400 and the Speedfest, earning the respect of major entities, including current Cup Series driver Noah Gragson, who bestowed the nickname onto him in 2017.

An Unexpected Rise to Xfinity Series

Known for his colorful and down-to-earth personality and exciting driving style, “Redneck Jesus” looks set to elevate the NASCAR Xfinity Series competition to a whole another level. Reflecting on his much anticipated, forthcoming debut, Pollard expressed his humble excitement and resonating gratitude, in an official statement on the JR Motorsports website, “I’m very thankful for the opportunity that Rheem and JR Motorsports have given me. I hope we can make the most of it.”

JR Motorsports and Dale Jr. have unexpectedly called upon Bubba Pollard, making his dream a reality.“I don’t know it happened…” Pollard said in a recent interview with Alan Dietz of Racing America, still visibly in awe of the news. “Unexpected you Know. I’ve gotten I wouldn’t say I don’t know what the words… kind of not give up but you know I was kind of moved on to the next chapter of my life you know and then to get the call unexpected I think just made it that much better.”

Pollard’s racing roots run deep. Growing up in Georgia, Bubba Pollard developed his racing skills on his grandfather’s racetrack, the Senoia Speedway, where he quickly rose to prominence as a dominant force. While early aspirations included competing at the national level someday, funding limitations kept him focused on regional success, unfortunately, where he accumulated a very impressive resume. The 2014 Southern Super Series championship title and a reputation for thrilling racing cemented his status as a short-track fan favorite.

The relatable short-track legend elaborated on his initial sentiments, providing an understandable timeline of his recent developments. “Just a couple of weeks after the Derby, there, um, I get a call from Rheem and everyone at JR Motorsports to ‘hey, let’s say this is kind of what we got planned, this is kind of what’s going on’ and I know they’ll share some more details here in the next couple weeks, uh, months maybe, but it’s pretty, it’s pretty cool. It took me a while to kind of process it because I didn’t know if it was for real or not, and people say that, but I really didn’t.“

Familiar faces and Dale Jr’s vision make this a perfect fit

However, Pollard’s path took an unexpected turn thanks to a connection made during the 2019 CARS Tour season. A friendship blossomed with former JR Motorsports late model driver and current Stewart-Haas Racing’s full-time driver for the #4 car in the Cup Series, Josh Berry, eventually leading to a successful one-off run with the team in the ValleyStar Credit Union 300. This collaboration, as Pollard highlighted, “opened the door” to his Xfinity Series debut.

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With nothing but humble gratitude, Pollard continued to enunciate, “I’m just thankful it did and thankful for Rheem and JR Motorsports for giving me this opportunity. Uh, it’s you know something you’d always want to do, so we’ll check it out, and uh I feel like it’s a good fit for me at JR Motorsports just because of everything Josh Berry and um you know, what Dale Jr does for short track racing with the CARS tour and… where it’s headed. I think it’s pretty big for short track racing, so just very thankful for them lot of respect for those guys.”

Berry, who previously piloted the #88 car for JR Motorsports in the late model series, has established a winning record and a strong connection with Junior’s team. Pollard acknowledges this foundation, expressing his confidence in the team’s fit. Moreover, JR Motorsports, co-owned by NASCAR legend Dale Earnhardt Jr, boasts a long-standing history in the regional late model scene, dating back to 2002. This shared passion for grassroots racing makes them a natural fit for Pollard, who will no doubt see this opportunity as a chance to bridge the gap between the two extremely different levels of competition.

​Read More: Late Model Legend Bubba Pollard to Drive for Dale Jr’s NASCAR Team at Richmond Raceway