JR Motorsports set its crew chief lineup for the 2023 NASCAR Xfinity Series lineup on Monday.
Adam Wall will lead Sammy Smith in the No. 8
Phillip Bell will lead Brandon Jones in the No. 9
Mardy Lindley will lead Sam Mayer in the No. 1
Jim Pohlman will lead Justin Allgaier in the No. 7
Lindley and Pohlman retain their roles from the previous season while Wall and Bell are promotions to their new roles but from within the organization.
The promotions are a reflection of JR Motorsports’ relationship with Hendrick Motorsports. Bell spent seven seasons as a lead engineer with JR Motorsports before heading to the Cup Series with Legacy Motor Club last season.
Wall started at Hendrick Motorsports in 2011 and then joined JR Motorsports from 2016-2018 before returning to Hendrick to serve as lead engineer under Cliff Daniels at the No. 5 Cup Series car where they won a championship with Kyle Larson in 2021.
“I feel very confident in our group of crew chiefs for 2024,” said JRM’s Director of Competition Mike Bumgarner. “Both Adam and Phillip have previous experience here with our guys and that chemistry alone makes the flow of communication even better. The process speaks volumes to what Dale and Kelley have been able to do here.”
Wall served under crew chief Kevin Meendering and then JR Motorsports driver Elliott Sadler as an engineer starting in 2016. He left with Meendering when he was appointed crew chief for Jimmie Johnson.
“It’s a lot of the same people here at JR Motorsports, so I’m excited to hit the ground running,” Wall said. “It’s a really efficient process that they have going with HMS and JRM in terms of personnel, and I’m an example of how it works. To be able to come back to JRM on the crew chief level is a really nice path.”
In his most recent season at JRM, Bell was lead engineer for the No. 9 car that won eight races with Noah Gragson in 2021.
“I’m very appreciative of the opportunity,” said Bell. “I couldn’t have asked for a better place to be, because I know the systems and the people. It feels like coming home. The 9 team means a lot to me. We spent a lot of time and effort and helping build that legacy, getting the right systems in place to win races, and it means a lot to me to be here with them.”
Matt Weaver is a Motorsports Insider for Sportsnaut. Follow him on Twitter.