NASCAR: JR Motorsports Revamps Crew Chief Lineup with Updated Roles, New Hires

JR Motorsports has revamped its crew chief roster for the 2023 NASCAR Xfinity Series season, the organization announced today. Returning veterans Jason Burdett and Taylor Moyer will assume crew chief duties with the Nos. 9 and 8 entries, respectively, while the addition of Jim Pohlman on the No. 7 and Mardy Lindley with the No. 1 team completes the crew chief lineup.

Entering his ninth season with JRM, Burdett is the company’s winningest crew chief with 18 victories. Burdett, who led Justin Allgaier to Championship 4 appearances in five of the last seven seasons, will transition to the No. 9 Menards team with JRM’s newest driver Brandon Jones. Through his first eight years with the company, Burdett racked up an impressive 110 top-five and 183 top-10 finishes.

Moyer moves to the No. 8 team with driver Josh Berry for 2023 to fill the role vacated by Mike Bumgarner, now serving as JRM’s director of competition. In 2019-20, Moyer served as crew chief of JRM’s No. 8 Chevrolet and its rotating roster of drivers. He has spent the past two seasons atop the pit box for Berry and Sam Mayer, leading Mayer to 12 top fives, 25 top 10s and a playoff berth through to the Round of 8 in 2022.

“As successful as 2022 was for JR Motorsports, we’re always asking ourselves ‘how can we be better?’” said Bumgarner, JRM’s director of competition. “While we performed at a very high level this season, a tweak here or there can help push us even further. We were fortunate to bring in Jim (Pohlman) and Mardy (Lindley). Both have past success with their drivers and we expect that will aid in making a smooth transition.”

A native of Oak Lawn, Illinois, the 43-year-old Pohlman comes to JRM by way of Richard Childress Racing to assume crew chief duties for the No. 7 BRANDT Professional Agriculture team and perennial championship contender Allgaier. In 2008, Pohlman helped Allgaier secure an ARCA Menards Series championship, so the pairing will be familiar. Pohlman also spent time at the Cup Series level, most notably as crew chief for Juan Pablo Montoya in 2011 with several opportunities along the way in both Cup and NXS competition.

Additionally, Greenville, S.C. native Lindley, a decades-long veteran of the sport who spent the last two seasons at Kyle Busch Motorsports with six victories to his credit, joins Mayer in 2023 to lead the No. 1 team, reuniting the driver and crew chief for the first time since 2020. The Lindley / Mayer combination netted championships in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series (2019) and the ARCA Menards Series (2020). Together, the duo has more than 15 victories between the two series.