Justin Allgaier, driving with Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s JR Motorsports, started his 2025 NASCAR season with a bang in the Cup Series. With a top-10 finish in the Daytona 500, he also managed to mitigate the disappointment from the Xfinity race at the famed event, where he ended in 18th place.
Advertisement
It’s time for Allgaier to look forward to a great season in both the series, carrying the confidence from Daytona. He would love to continue dominating and build on his Xfinity Championship win from last season while also making waves in the top tier. And Algaier’s wife, Ashley, has a role to play in his success.
Allgaier is heeding some sage advice from his wife on how to tackle the new season. That included Ashley’s suggestion that the driver did a reboot in mindset at Daytona.
“I had a great piece of advice from my wife. She gets so mad at me because I tell this, but it is the truth and I love it. She said ‘Enjoy the championship while you can because when you get to Daytona you’re a zero again’,” said Ashley.
Now, that was a brutal reality check for the Xfinity champion. And his wife went on to clarify what she meant by it.
“And she said, ‘I don’t mean you personally are a zero’. But she said ‘You have zero points when you get [to] Daytona. Like they don’t give you an extra five bonus points in Daytona because you won the championship last year’,” said Allgaier.
Ashley’s take is refreshing and on-point. The competition will never ease up. And, as Allgaier’s biggest supporter, she wants him to stay focused. Right after speaking about his wife’s expectations, Allgaier also revealed how he views the competition.
“When you have success, when things go your way and you win a championship, and in your mind [you think], things are going to be easier, and they are really not. There are more talented race car drivers coming through the pipeline than there have ever been,” said the 38-year-old.
Success on the track demands consistent effort, whether it’s to maintain peak physical condition to endure the heat inside the car, or keeping it sharp to race with intensity on the track. And this sharpness was evident in Allgaier’s performance at this year’s Daytona 500.
Allgaier’s successful race at Daytona 500 with JR Motorsports
Although Allgaier had previously competed in the Daytona 500 in 2014 and 2015 during his full-time Cup Series stint with HScott Motorsports, finishing in P27 and P37 respectively, his return to the iconic race this year marked a big improvement.
Driving the #40 Chevy for JR Motorsports, Allgaier not only secured a spot within the 41-car field of the Great American Race but also finished in 9th place.
“I think we checked all the boxes. Really proud of JR Motorsports and everybody on this team. We hit all the markers. We had DVP. We had pit stops. We had craziness in picking lines. A lot of uncertainty on my part, just knowing the guys you are around. But all-in-all, it was a solid night,” said Allgaier, reflecting on his performance.
However, the achievement was hard-earned, especially considering his entry into the Daytona 500 was uncertain until the qualifying rounds. Only one additional spot was up for grabs in his Duel. Allgaier rose to the challenge and raced his way into the main event.
And, navigating through an explosive final lap at the Daytona 500, Allgaier secured a top-10 finish for his team in its debut race. Despite being penalized on pit road and getting entangled in a wreck towards the end of the race, Allgaier avoided further mayhem and locked in for the strong finish.
