Known to many as “Pops”, Tony Eury Sr. has been a staple in the NASCAR garage for the past 25 years. He personifies a refreshing throwback to the sport’s nostalgic days. When racecars were brought to the track on open-air trailers, and race teams were comprised entirely of a volunteer crew of gear heads, Eury Sr. was there.  Racing has always been both a way of life and a family affair for him. As an uncle to Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Kelley Earnhardt Miller, his bond with the Earnhardts goes deeper than the racetrack.  He’s family.

Even as a child growing up in Kannapolis, N.C., Eury Sr. was working on racecars. His father, Ralph Eury, raced dirt cars, so as a youngster he would accompany his dad to local short track competitions.

When Eury Sr. was 18 years old he took a turn behind the wheel and started racing at area dirt tracks, including Lancaster (S.C.) Speedway, Metrolina Speedway and Concord (N.C.) Speedway on weekends. He competed for nine years before hanging up his helmet in 1981.

While working as a tractor trailer mechanic by day, Eury Sr.’s racing interests had him spending nights and weekends as a part-time crew chief for Dale Earnhardt Inc.’s NASCAR Late Model Sportsman Series team (now NASCAR Nationwide Series) in 1982. The team ran a limited schedule, and Eury Sr. used vacation days to travel to races until joining DEI full time in 1986.

The DEI team competed on a part-time basis through 1994, utilizing a number of different drivers, including Earnhardt Sr., Neil Bonnet, Jody Ridley, Bobby Hillin and Michael Waltrip. DEI started racing fulltime in the Nationwide Series in 1995 with driver Jeff Green. Eury Sr. served as Green’s crew chief for two seasons before Steve Park assumed driving duties. In the team’s first three full seasons they finished fifth, fourth and third in the championship standings.

In 1998, Eury Sr. was paired with nephew Dale Earnhardt Jr. for the young driver’s first full season of Nationwide Series racing. The duo collected 13 wins, 34 top fives, 44 top-10 finishes and back-to-back series championships in their first two years together.

Following two successful years in the Nationwide Series, Eury made the move to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in 2000 with Earnhardt Jr. Seven races into their first season at the Cup level, Eury Sr. and Earnhardt Jr. scored their first win at Texas Motor Speedway. They visited Victory Lane two more times that year—once at the Pontiac Excitement 400 at Richmond International Raceway and again at the All-Star Challenge at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Eury Sr. scored 13 more wins with Earnhardt Jr., including a Daytona 500 in 2004, before being promoted to Director of Competition at DEI in 2005. He held the position for three years until he was named crew chief of the No. 15 Cup entry for Paul Menard in 2007.

After more than 20 years with the company, Eury Sr. left DEI to join JR Motorsports in July 2007. As Director of Competition, he oversaw the company’s NASCAR Nationwide Series entries and late model programs. That fall he was named interim crew chief for the No. 88 Chevrolet and finished the season out with driver Brad Keselowski.

Eury Sr. was named the permanent crew chief for the No. 88 prior to the team’s 2008 campaign. The pairing proved a remarkable success, as the ensuing two seasons showcased the Eury Sr. / Keselowski combo peel off six wins, 33 top-fives, 53 top-10s and three pole awards. Eury Sr. led the No. 88 team to consecutive third-place finishes in the Nationwide Series point standings in 2008 and 2009.

In 2010, JRM’s flagship No. 88 Chevrolet featured nine different drivers behind its wheel, but that didn’t stifle Eury Sr.’s consistency. He led the team to one win, seven top-five and 15 top-10 finishes on the season.

Eury Sr. continued to spearhead the 88 team’s efforts in 2011, which netted one pole, seven top-five and 18 top-10 finishes with driver Aric Almirola.  Almirola finished the season ranked fourth in championship points. 

In his spare time, Eury Sr. enjoys vacationing at the beach and fishing.