The Time is Now for JR Motorsports to Jump to Cup

It seems like you can't watch a NASCAR Xfinity Series race anymore without seeing at least one car from JR Motorsports in the mix.

The five-car team owned by Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kelley Earnhardt Miller and Rick Hendrick that started as a side project in a garage owned by Hendrick, has grown considerably into a championship-caliber operation for NASCAR's second-tier series.

Currently, the top three spots in the Xfinity Series points standings are occupied by JR Motorsports drivers, with stalwart veteran Elliott Sadler on top, rookie sensation William Byron in second and series mainstay Justin Allgaier in third.

Michael Annett, the team's fourth full-time driver, is 12th in the standings.

While Byron (three wins) and Allgaier (one win) have the team's only victories in a season once again dominated by Monster Energy Cup Series drivers, JR Motorsports has been impressive all year. Byron has had such a stellar season, Hendrick Motorsports decided to give the kid a ride in the Cup series next season in the famous No. 5 car, replacing Kasey Kahne, all before being able to taste his first legal alcoholic beverage.

Since its inception in 2005, JR Motorsports has racked up 35 Xfinity Series victories and scored big with the 2014 series championship, won by alumni Chase Elliott.

With all this success, it's hard to imagine why the team has decided to remain in the Xfinity Series and not take a chance at success in the Cup Series.

JR Motorsports, as it stands now, is a proving ground for future Hendrick Motorsports talent.

Elliott moved up to take the wheel behind the legendary No. 24 car in 2016, Byron is taking over the No. 5 car and JR Motorsports alumni Alex Bowman will replace Dale Jr. in the No. 88 ride at the end of this season.

Now if JR Motorsports were to move up to NASCAR's premiere series, it shouldn't be a full-on independent team. That would be mutiny toward Hendrick Motorsports, a powerhouse race team you would want to be allies with.

If the team were to move up, it should start as a one-car operation backed by a partnership with Hendrick, similar to the one Furniture Row Racing has with Joe Gibbs Racing.

That partnership has paid off in droves for Martin Truex Jr., who in case you haven't noticed the past couple seasons, has been on a career high and is a favorite to win the Cup Series championship this season. Erik Jones, who will replace Matt Kenseth in the No. 20 car next season, has also had solid performances this season in Furniture Row's second car and is in the running for Rookie of the Year honors.

With JR Motorsports' plethora of talent on hand and more potential standout young guns like William Byron bound to enter the series, it's hard to imagine this team wouldn't be able to obtain a charter and compete near the front for at least a handful of races in its first year in the Cup Series. Even if the team were to operate on a part-time basis at first, it would provide young drivers with the experience needed to make a smooth transition into the Cup Series full-time.

With Dale Jr.'s retirement at the end of this season, perhaps Earnhardt will make JR Motorsports more of a priority. While he will be tied up calling races in the broadcast booth for NBC next season, Earnhardt can still position his team behind the scenes for a potential Cup Series run.

It would certainly be something to look forward to and would give Jr. Nation more drivers to shift their fandom to after the end of the 2017 season. For now though, Earnhardt followers (including myself) will have to diversify their fandom.