Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s JR Motorsports is undergoing huge changes ahead of the 2025 season. Having signed Connor Zilisch in a full-time role, the team has now roped in yet another talented youngster, Carson Kvapil, to drive the fourth JRM car next year. Kvapil’s addition feels like adding the final piece of the puzzle. There were a lot of questions about how the team would shape up with the departures of Sam Mayer and Brand Jones.

The No. 1 ride was up for grabs for the newcomer given that two JRM drivers were exiting the team for 2025. Sam Mayer will move to the Haas Factory team, whereas Brandon Jones will be returning to Joe Gibbs Racing. As things stand, Justin Allgaier, Sammy Smith, Connor Zilisch, and Carson Kvapil will lead the charge for JRM as the four drivers. Dale Jr. won’t be returning to the #88 car, at least until the end of 2025.

Announcing the arrival of the late model stock car star on X JR Motorsports shared a video post on X with the caption, “The call he’s been waiting for. JR Motorsports is proud to promote @Carson_Kvapil to FULL TIME @NASCAR_Xfinity Series racing in 2025 with backing from @BassProShops.”

The 2-time CARS Tour champion got a taste of Xfinity racing in 2024, driving the #88 Chevy on a partial run. He has made eight starts so far and scored three top 5 results, including a second-place finish at Dover. His final scheduled race of this year will be at Talladega Superspeedway. A second-generation driver, Carson Kvapil will be entering his rookie season alongside Zilisch. And this pairing and driver lineup for 2025 has got the fans excited.

JRM might have found the championship-worthy line-up

It’s been a while since JR Motorsports has clinched the Xfinity Series championship. Tyler Reddick in 2018 was the last time the team experienced the triumphant feeling. Since then the team hasn’t been able to find a driver lineup that could dominate or bring back the heydays. However, with two rookie drivers in Kvapil and Zilisch backed by the experience of Allgaier and Smith has certainly filled fans with hope, “Man oh man JRM is gonna be stacked with talent next year.”

Carson Kvapil’s entry into JRM was a known secret. However, the team needed to sort out the drivers leaving the team and also confirm Dale Jr.’s plans for next year. With Jones and Mayer finding new teams and Jr. opting to sit out, it opened the doors for Kvapil to move into the team. But this fan couldn’t believe that JRM took so long to confirm the signing of the 21-year-old driver. “Crazy it took this long to get him signed.”

The likes of Cole Custer, Austin Hill, and Chandler Smith are proving to be real contenders to fight for the title this year. Although Sam Mayer and Justin Allgaier from JRM hold their own, their chances of triumph look slim. But with a talented four-driver lineup, this team could be a force to be reckoned with, according to this user on X. “Kvapil, Zilisch, Allgaier and Sammy Smith is as good of a four team Xfinity stable as possible. The glow up is real.”

Not every talented race car driver gets an opportunity to race in NASCAR. You need a strong affiliation with prominent racing families or deep pockets to fulfill this dream. However, JRM time and again has provided the drivers with a platform to showcase their racecraft, and signing Kvapil was just another example of that. “Is there a better @NASCAR_Xfinity ownership group that promotes hard working, deserving, paid their dues drivers, more than @DaleJr, @EarnhardtKelley and @JRMotorsports does? I don’t think so,” a fan replied.

Of course, his arrival in the team was only made possible by the support of the primary sponsors. In Kvapil’s case, he is going to be backed by Bass Pro Shops. The company has previously supported drivers like Josh Berry and Dale Jr. in the Xfinity Series and will now continue their association with the rookie driver. Glad to see them back with the team, this fan added, “Nice to see Bass Pro back on the hood of a JRM car.”

With big changes made to the team for 2025, it will be interesting to see how big of an impact these new drivers will have. But again, expectations will need to be kept in check given both Kvapil and Zilisch are inexperienced rookies.