JR Motorsports signs motocross legend McGrath

MOORESVILLE, N.C. -- Just weeks after Supercross champion Ricky Carmichael's stock-car debut, longtime rival Jeremy McGrath has now entered the arena with JR Motorsports.

A seven-time Supercross champion and touted as the most popular motorcycle racer of all time, McGrath inked a deal with Dale Earnhardt Jr. to run 10 late-model races.

Jeremy McGrath

Earnhardt and McGrath have known each other for several years and the announcement was made Tuesday during the unveiling of Earnhardt's new 66,000 square-foot race shop.

"He called us up and we had a car," said Earnhardt, who houses the No. 88 Chevrolet Busch Series car along with three late-model teams under the JR Motorsports banner.

Earnhardt called McGrath for a test about six weeks ago at Tri-County Racetrack, located north of Mooresville in Brasstown, N.C.

"We competed for lap times. He was right down there with us at the end. ... I hadn't drove a late model in 10 years," Earnhardt laughed. "We are happy [McGrath] called us ... it will be a great opportunity."

Team manager for McGrath's No. 72 Chevrolet late model, Jamey Caudill, said McGrath had a slow start but was up to speed by day's end.

"The biggest thing was his car control," Caudill said. "He has good car control and was smooth with the wheel."

McGrath recognizes the steep learning curve ahead. His first race is April 21 at Southern National Motorsports Park in Kenly, N.C.

"I'm used to dirt and obviously this is asphalt ... but there will be some similarities. You follow a line like in NASCAR only it's a 6-inch line in Supercross," McGrath said.

At 35, McGrath is getting a late start to his stock-car career but to his credit, he was pretty busy dominating Supercross from 1993 to 2001 and later winning medals at the X-Games.

"I'm not too old. I don't think so," McGrath said. "Once a racer always a racer, you can't breed a racer, you have it or you don't."

As for the possibility of facing Carmichael on the track again, McGrath said: "I'm hoping we get together, a friendly rivalry."

• JR Motorsports unveils 66,000 square-foot race shop