Dale Earnhardt Jr. credits Hendrick engine for JR Motorsports’ 2026 turnaround

Dale Earnhardt Jr. has credited a secret horsepower boost from Hendrick Motorsports for JR Motorsports’ stunning six-win season in 2026. The No. 7 team’s surge came after Earnhardt Jr. and his crew visited Hendrick’s engine shop in the offseason and walked away with a clear upgrade.

On 18 Jun at Atlanta’s EchoPark Speedway, Justin Allgaier won in double-overtime to claim his sixth victory of the season. That marked a career-high for the 40-year-old veteran after 17 years in national touring competition. Earnhardt Jr. admitted the six-win haul wasn’t on his pre-season radar. Instead, he pointed to a massive horsepower boost from Hendrick Motorsports’ engine shop as the difference-maker.

Earnhardt Jr. said he sat down with Hendrick’s engine builders and heard, “We found a little more power.” He added, “You got all these Cup engines to build… and you’re over here working on our engines, making our engines better.” The extra horsepower, he argued, acts as a safety net for crew chiefs. “The power under the hood makes everything easier,” he said.

For Earnhardt Jr., the engine upgrade redefined JR Motorsports’ competitive floor this season. He called the power boost “that motor saves your a** so many times at all these racetracks and especially here [at Atlanta].” The team’s cars no longer had to be perfect to win. Instead, the extra horsepower carried them through chaotic races.

Earnhardt Jr. also used the milestone to praise Allgaier’s elite driving. “Justin Allgaier’s elite driving is a given,” he said. But the engine upgrade lifted the whole organization. The six wins stand as a historic personal best for Allgaier and a career-first for JR Motorsports in a single season.

Earnhardt Jr. also revealed NASCAR’s push to bring Chicagoland Speedway back in 2027. He spoke with NASCAR President Steve O’Donnell on The Dale Jr. Download and confirmed the sanctioning body wants the 1.5-mile intermediate track back on the calendar. “Drivers talked about how much they love this racetrack,” Earnhardt Jr. said. “Every single driver that I heard from said, bring it back.”