JR Motorsports will enter Cup racing with a 2025 Daytona 500 entry

Thanks to the ownership group that features Dale Earnhardt Jr. and sister Kelley Earnhardt Miller, JR Motorsports has been a staple of the NASCAR Xfinity Series for nearly 20 years. To date, JRM has won 4 drivers' titles, winning in 2014 with Chase Elliott, in 2017 with William Byron, in 2018 with Tyler Reddick and at last in 2024 with Justin Allgaier.

2024 marked Allgaier's first Xfinity Championship after 14 full-time seasons of competition, and now he’ll get the prospect to compete within the event that’s NASCAR's crown jewel, in keeping with the newest announcement to the open driver pool. The transaction was a little bit of a surprise for Allgaier, who didn’t expect that after entering the JRM office, he can be given the chance to pilot JRM's first-ever Cup entry.

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Justin Allgaier, JR Motorsports, BRANDT Chevrolet Camaro

Photo: Danny Hansen / NKP / Motorsport Images

“This is a great opportunity,” Allgaier said at a press conference Wednesday. “I have a lot of pressure on myself at this point to see this organization compete on a big scale in the World Cup. Something that surprises me has never come to fruition before.”

Allgaier then talked about fighting for a spot in the five hundred with as much as nine open entries that might potentially fight for the ultimate 4 spots in the sector, recalling how he nearly broke under the pressure during last yr's title-deciding Xfinity event before making a remarkable comeback to secure the crown.

“Phoenix is ​​a perfect example of what not to do in times like these,” Allgaier laughed. “I believe one in every of the things that was extremely necessary to me was that I believe you’ve to have the mindset of attempting to qualify. This needs to be primary. This is the best approach to do it because you then can race duels in a distinct capability. You can afford to check somewhat more and learn among the things that will probably be crucial in the five hundred… If you don't qualify and need to race your individual way. during fights, I believe your way of pondering changes. We all understand what can occur in a matchup…we've seen it time and time again. I remember watching Jimmy Johnson attempt to climb up the sector last yr and I remember pondering to myself, have you ever ever been in that position? Know that you’ll need to commit to it, you’ve to throw caution to the wind and take a look at to see what you’ll be able to achieve.

A really capable crew chief leading the trouble

Allgaier will pilot the No. 40 JR Motorsports Chevrolet with experienced crew chief Greg Ives atop the pit lane. It's value noting that Ives was a crew chief for eight Daytona 500s, placing his automobile on the front row an astonishing six times.

“I saw how many times he qualified for the car, standing in the front row at Daytona,” Earnhardt Jr. smiled when asked concerning the decision to herald Ives. “It's like, 'Got any more magic, Greg?' Let's go to the track and see what we are able to do». However, being an open automobile, it's going to be a little bit of a challenge to see what we are able to do to get on the grid. It won't be easy. The competition was very difficult. I used to be convinced that Greg understood higher than anyone what all of us needed to get together and go there with the most effective opportunity we could. Me and him are only really great friends and I trust him with all my heart. And I don't think he'll be too annoyed that I'll be standing there asking him all forms of silly questions throughout the entire process.”

Support from a rustic music legend

The automobile is sponsored by singer Chris Stapleton's Traveler Whiskey brand. Stapleton was readily available for the announcement and said it hasn't fully sunk in yet as he embarks on his recent adventure.

“I was wondering what the coolest thing we could do with a whiskey brand,” Stapleton explained. “Well, maybe we should put it in a race car, because I happen to know Rick Hendrick [owner, Hendrick Motorsports]. Rick put me in touch with Dale and the opportunity came up, so I thought we had to do it. I went and talked to my partners and said, “Hey, we have to do this.” Let's make it happen. And they agreed. It's the best possible way we could introduce our brand to fans of the sport, and it's just cool to see it on a car. Selfishly, that's one of the things I wanted the most. Just to see it happen and now reality is setting in. Oh, we're taking the car to the Daytona 500. It's going to be great fun. I can't wait to see what happens… this whole experience.”

Allgaier has two previous Daytona 500 starts, leading the event in 2014 and 2015. He has 82 Cup starts overall, but his last appearance got here in last yr's Coca-Cola 600, replacing Kyle Larson within the Hendrick No. 5 Motorsports Chevrolet in the course of the start of the Indy 500.