Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s Team Set to Make NASCAR Cup Debut in Partnership With 10X Grammy Award-Winning Singer Chris Stapleton

Since first considering the move in 2008, Dale Earnhardt Jr.-owned JR Motorsports is ready to debut a NASCAR Cup car this season at the Daytona 500, collaborating with country music icon Chris Stapleton. The venture will see their defending NASCAR Xfinity Series champion, Justin Allgaier, behind the wheel of the #40 Chevrolet, decked out in the white and orange hues of Stapleton’s Traveller Whiskey brand.

Stapleton, keen to lend his support to JRM, is a famous musician with a trophy case brimming with 10 Grammy Awards, Academy of Country Music (ACM) Awards, and Country Music Association (CMA) Awards, along with accolades from Billboard Music, iHeartRadio Music, and ASCAP Country awards.

Meanwhile, on the track, the JRM team boasts an impressive record with 88 Xfinity race wins, four championships in 2014, 2017, 2018, and 2024, and have made 683 Xfinity starts.

Meanwhile, Dale Jr., a two-time Daytona 500 winner, has often voiced his desire to see JRM expand into the Cup Series full-time. However, he consistently noted that such expansion would need to be financially viable. The steep cost of charters — NASCAR’s version of a sports franchise, currently valued at over $20 million — has made this expansion cost-prohibitive.

Since JR Motorsports does not have its own charter and will join the fray as an open team, besides others like Beard Motorsports, Live Fast Motorsports, MBM Motorsports, NY Racing, and Trackhouse Racing, Allgaier is not assured a starting position in the 40-car Daytona 500 field.

To secure his spot, Allgaier must either clock a speedy time during the qualifying rounds to grab one of the four open spots or earn his place through a transfer position in the qualifying race.

Meanwhile, additional competitors are anticipated from Legacy Motor Club, potentially featuring Jimmie Johnson, and Rick Ware Racing, though specifics remain under wraps. Tricon is also rumored to field Martin Truex Jr., yet confirmation of their entry is still pending.

Dale Jr. makes his thoughts known on entering an open car, bringing in Greg Ives

As Justin Allgaier prepares to take the wheel of the #40 Traveller Whiskey Chevrolet, which draws inspiration from Blend No. 40 found in every Traveller bottle, for his start at the Daytona 500, he’ll do so with the seasoned Greg Ives leading as crew chief. Ives, notable for placing his car on the front row in six out of eight Daytona 500 appearances, brings a wealth of experience to the team.

Dale Jr. reflected on the strategic selection, noting, “I saw how many times he’s qualified a car on the front row at Daytona… But being an open car, there are some challenges to see what we can do to get into the field.”

“It won’t be easy. There’s some very tough competition. I was confident that Greg understood better than anybody the things we would all need to gather into place to go there with the best opportunity we could.”

Allgaier, familiar with the Cup Series from full-time seasons in 2014 and 2015 and a stand-in role in 2024 at Charlotte for Kyle Larson, will experience his first Cup entry under Dale Jr.’s banner. The venture will mark a big moment for JR Motorsports as they step up to compete with powerhouse teams like Hendrick Motorsports and Joe Gibbs Racing.