Home / NASCAR / Dale Earnhardt Jr.-Owned Car To Attempt Qualifying For 2nd Daytona 500

Dale Earnhardt Jr.-Owned Car To Attempt Qualifying For 2nd Daytona 500

Jared Turner Written by Sports EditorJared Turner
Updated –
We may use AI tools to support content creation and editing. While we aim for accuracy via strict editorial standards, readers should independently verify important information. Ads on our site are served by Google AdSense and are not controlled or influenced by our editorial team.
Justin Allgaier

Every good movie has a sequel, right? On the heels of a standout season in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, JR Motorsports announced over the weekend that the Dale Earnhardt Jr.-owned company will attempt to make the Daytona 500 for the second year in a row.

Just like in 2025, JRM will try to qualify for The Great American Race with Justin Allgaier. In case you don’t follow the sport closely, Allgaier is the 2024 Xfinity Series champion and one of JRM’s full-time Xfinity drivers.

Last year, JRM enjoyed a solid outcome in its first NASCAR Cup Series race. So, the organization understandably has high hopes for a second Daytona 500 appearance, which would also mark its second start in NASCAR’s premier division.

What Car Will JR Motorsports Field For Justin Allgaier At The Daytona 500?

In a repeat of 2025, Justin Allgaier’s Daytona 500 car will be a No. 40 Chevrolet with primary sponsorship from Chris Stapleton and the country music artist’s Traveller Whiskey brand.

Understandably, Allgaier is hyped about the opportunity to potentially compete in NASCAR’s biggest race once again. Just like this year, though, the veteran driver won’t be guaranteed entry into the Daytona 500. That’s because JR Motorsports isn’t a full-time Cup Series team. As a result, Allgaier will need to qualify his way in based on speed via traditional qualifying or his finishing position in one of two Daytona 500 qualifying races.

But regardless of the logistics involved, Allgaier is excited about the prospects of making a second Daytona 500 for an organization with which he’s achieved great success. Along with winning the 2024 Xfinity Series title, Allgaier has recorded 25 race wins for JR Motorsports since joining the company in 2016.

This past season, he collected three trophies on the way to a fourth consecutive Championship 4 appearance. He ultimately finished third in standings. As a whole, JR Motorsports went to Victory Lane an incredible 17 times in Xfinity Series competition.

Ten of those wins belonged to rising superstar Connor Zilisch, who finished a painful second in the standings behind Richard Childress Racing driver Jesse Love.

Justin Allgaier Has A Message For Fans About His Daytona 500 Return With JR Motorsports

Justin Allgaier’s 2025 started with a bang at the Daytona 500, his lone Cup Series start of the season.

After racing his way into the field based on his finish in his qualifying race, Allgaier finished ninth for JRM in the main event.

Will he again make it into the field in 2026? If so, will he replicate or even, perhaps, improve on his Daytona 500 performance from 2025? Only time will tell, of course. But Allgaier is undoubtedly looking forward to trying for the second time.

“You didn’t think this was a one and done, did you?” he quipped in a video post from JR Motorsports on social media platform X announcing its 2026 Daytona 500 plans.

You can watch the video for yourself below. Clearly, Allgaier is an eager beaver. You can see it written all over his face.

Jared Turner Written by Sports EditorJared Turner
Jared Turner is a motorsports writer who has covered NASCAR for 20 years. He has interviewed over 20 NASCAR Hall of Famers and around 100 drivers, crew chiefs, and team owners, both past and present. He has also covered the sport for FOX Sports (where he was a two-time recipient of the FOX “X” Award for “Xtraordinary” job performance), NASCAR.com, Sporting News, NASCAR Pole Position Magazine, the SPEED network, and plenty of other online and print-only publications throughout his career. Notably, Jared has penned dozens of articles for NASCAR souvenir programs, including several featured prominently in Daytona 500 keepsakes. A Virginia Press Association award winner and former member of the National Motorsports Press Association (NMPA), Jared has racked up accolades both for his writing and his academic work. He studied both Communication and Psychology at Virginia Tech, where he was permanently enshrined in Phi Beta Kappa — the nation’s oldest and most prestigious academic honor society. Jared excels at feature writing and opinion writing, much of which stems from his dedication to all levels of racing.
All posts by Jared Turner
Other News