Dale Earnhardt Jr. has raised questions about Trackhouse Racing’s plans after Connor Zilisch announced his move to Hendrick Motorsports in 2028. The NASCAR Hall of Famer shared that Trackhouse could benefit from returning to a two-car operation and leasing its third charter.
Zilisch will remain with Trackhouse through the 2027 NASCAR Cup Series season and join Hendrick Motorsports in the No. 48 Chevrolet under a multiyear agreement. But the move has not prompted Trackhouse owner Justin Marks to downsize the team, citing economies of scale and sponsor commitments.
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Meanwhile, Dale Jr. has made a case for leasing the third charter. The JR Motorsports owner explained why a two-car team could make sense.
“As you scale up, everything gets cheaper. … You can run the second car for a discount of what it costs to run the first car, and as you run the third, that discount continues,” he said on the Dale Jr. Download (57:00 onwards).
“If I was Justin Marks, I would absolutely lease. I wouldn’t be interested in selling the charter, because the value of the charters are continuing to go up, but if you can lease it and make a little money over the course of the next handful of years leasing this charter out, do it. … You’re leasing this third charter that is still gaining in value and still an asset to sell down the road. That sounds like a decent plan.”
Connor Zilisch spent the 2025 NASCAR Xfinity Series season on loan from Trackhouse Racing to JR Motorsports. He collected 10 wins and 20 top-five finishes and finished second in the championship standings, which helped set up his move to Hendrick.
Dale Jr. added that a three-car operation could require around $200 million, compared with roughly $125 million for a two-car team. That lower figure would make it easier for Trackhouse to build new driver deals over the next few years.
“Sends probably the wrong message” – Justin Marks does not see Connor Zilisch’s departure as a reason to downsize
Following Connor Zilisch’s announcement, Trackhouse Racing founder Justin Marks rejected the idea of downsizing the team. He pointed to Chevrolet’s support and the committed sponsors as reasons to keep all three cars.
“Chevrolet likes that we have three cars. I like that we have three cars. Downsizing the team, I think it sends probably the wrong message. … We’ve got committed sponsorships on all three cars. We sell a charter. We got to call sponsors that have all become friends of ours and say, ‘Sorry, there’s no room for you here anymore,'” Marks said on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
“And this isn’t an industry where you put yourself in a position to call sponsors and say, ‘We don’t need your money.'”
Red Bull is the primary sponsor for the majority of Zilisch’s rookie Cup Series season.
Trackhouse’s other two full-time Cup drivers’ current contracts are also set to expire. Ross Chastain and Shane van Gisbergen could look to move elsewhere after the 2027 season.
Edited by Palak Gupta
