As successful as JR Motorsports has been in stock car racing for more than two decades, it’s been long a question of when the team, co-owned by NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt Jr. and his sister Kelley Earnhardt Miller, would enter a car in the NASCAR Cup Series.
That moment finally came to fruition as the team announced its intent to compete in this year’s Daytona 500 at Daytona (Fla.) Int’l Speedway with longtime driver and reigning NASCAR Xfinity Series champion Justin Allgaier in the seat.
Allgaier’s No. 40 Chevrolet will be sponsored by Traveller Whisky, a label created by country music star Chris Stapleton.
For Allgaier, the opportunity to compete in the Great American Race fresh off a long-awaited first Xfinity Series title is fitting.
“When I got brought into the office to discuss this, I thought I was being called to the principal’s office, to be honest with you at first,” Allgaier said. “I wasn’t really sure what to expect. When they were explaining some of the process about it, I kind of didn’t put myself in the position of them offering me the job to drive the car. I just thought they were kind of filling me in on what the plans were for JR Motorsports.
“When the opportunity was presented to obviously drive the car and to be a part of the foray for JR Motorsports in the Cup Series, I mean, that’s a big opportunity. I take a lot of pressure on myself in that moment to see this organization compete on the grand scale of the Cup Series… something that I am surprised that has never come to fruition before this point.
“But then to add somebody like Chris Stapleton and Traveller Whiskey into this, to see how involved Chris has been in this process and how much passion he’s had. I mean, really, in the conversations of what’s going back and forth between him and the team, and then just today to see his passion for this, is really, really cool for me and something that I’m not taking lightly.”
Earnhardt, a two-time Daytona 500 winner, is anxious to experience as much as he can throughout the weeks and days leading up to the event.
“I did tell Kelley that I wanted to be present for all the moments,” Earnhardt said. “And so from the moment we started to select the chassis and purchase the car; start to build, find the components and get the components.
“Even going through that with NASCAR and understanding that whole process is really unique and new, compared to how things work in the Xfinity Series. So, I want to be involved or at least a witness to everything.
“I’m going to be on pit road when the car is pushed out for qualifying. I’ll be there when it’s going out for practice. I’ll be there when they unload it on Wednesday at the race track. I want to go through tech. I want to see everything.”
Earnhardt’s excitement was apparent. While he doesn’t know “what’s realistic because there will be some other obligations” during the lead-up to the Daytona 500, the champion team owner is focused on soaking up every moment that he can.
“I’m approaching this like it’s a one and only opportunity… a dream come true,” Earnhardt said. “I told Kelley that I want her there for all of it, as well, because we’ve done this together from the start.
“This was something that we really waited for the right moment and Chris and his brand, Traveller and their excitement around it feels nice and genuine. They’re experiencing it for the first time, as well. So yeah, we’re all kind of going through that.”
Earnhardt Miller echoed her brother’s statements with heartfelt gratitude as she reflected on the journey that she walked alongside him as co-owners of the standout race team.
“I can’t really sum it up any better than Dale did,” Earnhardt Miller said. “You know, we talked about the opportunity. We’ve been talking about the opportunity to be in the Cup Series. And obviously, we’re a family of racers.
“This is our life. This is our passion. And so to be able to have a Cup entry at the Daytona 500, a place that’s really special to us, a place where the Earnhardt’s have had a lot of history and a lot of success with both my dad and Dale… it’s just really kind of full circle.
“This is the perfect situation, the right moment, as Chris said. So we’re just pretty thankful and glad to be here.”
JRM’s entry at Daytona isn’t guaranteed to see the track on race day as the No. 40 will be one of the numerous open entries — meaning Allgaier will have to either qualify on time or by racing his way into the field during his duel race.
However, Allgaier is focusing on the moment at hand and the significance of being a part of the team’s first foray in the Cup Series.
“I know that it’s going to be a stacked field at the race track,” Allgaier said. “There’s a lot of open cars trying to battle for a few spots.
“But, as somebody that’s been a part of the Cup Series, it’s great to get back. But this is a lot bigger than that for me.
“This is about seeing JR Motorsports make this transition for this race. Who knows if there will ever be another JR Motorsports Cup Series entry. But regardless, there will always be one ‘first’, and this is obviously something that’s really, really important to all of us.”
