This year the Dale Earnhardt Jr. co-owned outfit, JR Motorsports will be fielding a Cup Series entry at the Daytona 500. Getting behind the wheel of the car will be none other than last year’s NASCAR Xfinity Series champion, Justin Allgaier. Speaking about fielding Allgaier, Junior recently elaborated on his choice, with his sister and business partner, Kelly Earnhardt, during a recent episode of The Dale Jr. Download.
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Junior expressed, “I think when we sat down and really thought about it one of the things that I appreciate about Justin is not only is he fast and not only has he helped us have a lot of success here at Junior Motorsports but his professionalism off the racetrack with our partners. He does a great job with his crew engaging with his team and keeps a pretty solid attitude outside the car and inside the car….”
“This is a one-shot for Traveller [the sponsors]. They need a great experience, they need to come away from this going. They’re not looking at just performance on the racetrack. They need a lot of things to happen… Justin is a guy that can really help us get to that mark and meet those targets for them,” Dale Jr. continued.
Dale Jr. shared that for the first NASCAR Cup entry of JR Motorsports, he approached decisions with an open mind, even on matters he could have strong opinions about, like the car number.
Recognizing the limited options available for car numbers, the JR Motorsports co-owner chose to see the venture as a continuation of Allgaier’s championship celebration rather than a high-stakes gamble.
Reflecting on the decision to enter the Cup Series after 17 years, Dale Jr. noted that they were waiting for the right moment for JR Motorsports to enter the Cup Series. The combination of Allgaier’s championship win in 2024 and Chris Stapleton’s partnership provided a golden opportunity to make their mark at this year’s Daytona 500.
However, the entry will have a hurdle to tackle: lacking a charter, JR Motorsports faces stiff competition as an open team. Alongside entries from Beard Motorsports, Live Fast Motorsports, MBM Motorsports, NY Racing, and Trackhouse Racing, Allgaier’s spot in the iconic 40-car field at Daytona isn’t guaranteed.
To secure his place, Allgaier will need to either deliver a fast qualifying time to claim one of the four available spots or secure a transfer position through the qualifying races.
