Justin Allgaier

Justin Myrl Allgaier^[1][2] (born June 6, 1986) is an American professional stock car racing driver. He competes full-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, driving the No. 7 Chevrolet Camaro for JR Motorsports, and a substitute driver in the NASCAR Cup Series, for Hendrick Motorsports.

He is the 2008 ARCA Re/Max Series champion and the 2009 NASCAR Nationwide Series Rookie of the Year.

Racing career

Early career and ARCA

Allgaier was born in

Allgaier returned for another full season in ARCA in 2008, driving for his family team once again. He won six races, including the final three, and won the series championship by a slim margin. He broke Frank Kimmel's eight-year streak of winning the championship in that series. He also returned to NASCAR, finishing 21st in a Truck race at Kentucky Speedway.

2008–2013: Nationwide Series

In May 2008, Allgaier signed a contract with

Allgaier was then signed to drive the car full-time in 2009. Because of the acquisition of Penske Racing sponsor

During the 2009 NAPA 200 in Montreal, Allgaier had the fastest car early in the race and while running sixth, tried to make a pass on Canadian road ace Ron Fellows and Kyle Busch. Instead, he caused a wreck that took both him and Fellows out of the race and damaged Busch's hopes of winning. After this incident, Allgaier took some lessons at Fellows' road racing driving school to better his road course skills,^{[citation needed]} which turned out to come in handy in the following years when he won several Nationwide/Xfinity Series road course races.

In 2010, Allgaier had a similar season, but would win his first Nationwide Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway on March 20 and improve to fourth in the standings at the end of the year. He was the highest-finishing series regular in the series standings that year, as the top three finishers in points were all full-time Cup Series drivers.

Allgaier was rumored to be moving up to the

In August 2013, it was announced that Allgaier would make his NASCAR

In January 2014, it was announced that Allgaier would compete full-time for Rookie of the Year in the 2014 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, driving for the now-renamed HScott Motorsports in the No. 51 Chevrolet SS.^[11]

Allgaier led 4 laps in the 2014 Daytona 500 and crashed with 7 laps to go. He finished 27th. After consecutive top 20 finishes, Allgaier had a great finish in the Food City 500 avoiding several wrecks to finish 17th. At Talladega, Allgaier nearly won his first Cup series victory in the Aaron's 499, running in the top five and contending victory with 9 laps to go. He lost drafting help from Kurt Busch and as a result, lost multiple spots, finishing 27th.

Allgaier led 15 laps during the first Pocono race in early June. Taking the lead with less than 35 laps to go, Allgaier led until a yellow came out with 19 laps to go; forcing Allgaier to make a pit stop.

At Daytona in the Coke Zero 400, Allgaier ran in the top ten early in the race. He, unfortunately, was caught up in "

Allgaier missed the field for the 2014 GEICO 500, failing to qualify for the first time in his Cup career. The new restrictor-plate qualifying process became controversial amongst drivers and fans because many drivers complained that they barely managed to make the show because of the system. However, in the following race at Martinsville, Allgaier would take the lead late in the race, leading four laps and finishing 17th. Allgaier finished 29th in the Cup Series standings for 2014 and 3rd in the Rookie of the Year standings behind Austin Dillon and Kyle Larson.

2015

Allgaier began his season with a crash in the Daytona 500. He rebounded at Phoenix three weeks later, running in the top ten late. After contact with Tony Stewart, Allgaier faded in the waning laps finishing 18th. The next week at Auto Club Speedway, Allgaier ran as high as 8th and finished 12th-his career-best finish at the time. He scored his first top ten at Bristol in the No. 51, finishing 8th. He then finished 18th at Richmond after spending most of the race running as high as second, and while suffering from a stomach cramp. Allgaier had some good runs at short tracks such as the second Bristol race, and both Martinsville races but failed to record another top ten.

On October 2, 2015, it was announced that Allgaier parted ways with HScott Motorsports, and was replaced in 2016 by Clint Bowyer. On October 28, 2015, it was announced that Allgaier would take his sponsor Brandt to drive the No. 7 for JR Motorsports full-time in the Xfinity Series season in 2016, replacing Regan Smith.

Allgaier finished 30th in the Cup Series standings, one spot short of matching his career-best season result.

2016: Return to Xfinity Series and sports car debut

After talking to Dale Earnhardt Jr. during driver intros at Darlington Raceway in the same pickup truck, Allgaier formed a connection with Earnhardt and eventually signed to drive with JR Motorsports for the 2016 season.^[12] Allgaier started his season on a good note. While his teammate Chase Elliott won the season-opening PowerShares QQQ 300 at Daytona, Allgaier finished 12th. Allgaier picked up 2 top tens in the next 2 races at Atlanta and Las Vegas. He led 15 laps in Atlanta and finished 9th in Las Vegas. Allgaier had his best finish of the spring at Talladega during the Sparks Energy 300 in which he led 1 lap and took advantage of Joey Logano's final lap wreck to finish second behind his teammate Elliott Sadler, giving JRM a 1–2 finish.

Allgaier appeared to have won the July race in Daytona. After passing Aric Almirola on the final lap, Allgaier led to the yellow-and-checkered flags to finish first. NASCAR determined that the yellow had flown with Almirola leading, dropping Allgaier to a second-runner up of the season while giving the win to Almirola. Allgaier later finished second yet again at the Food City 300 after passing Kyle Larson on the final lap to place second to Austin Dillon, his third runner-up finish of the season.

On August 20, Allgaier returned to the Cup Series to drive the No. 46 Chevrolet at the Bass Pro Shops NRA Night Race, replacing former HScott teammate Michael Annett after he suffered from flu-like systems.^[13] Allgaier got into a crash with Kyle Busch when Allgaier wrecked at the same time as Busch. "^[14]

Allgaier made his

Even though he went winless throughout the whole season, he ended up finishing 3rd in the final standings behind Elliott Sadler and eventual champion Daniel Suárez.

2017

Allgaier continued with JR Motorsports for the

Allgaier returned in the No. 7 for the

Allgaier finished fifth in his sole Porsche GT3 Cup Brasil start, again at Interlagos, again teaming with Paludo.

2019

At Watkins Glen International in August, Ross Chastain sent Allgaier spinning off track in the bus stop section of the circuit. Allgaier, believing that the move was intentional, sent Chastain into the guardrail in that same portion of the track later in the race, forcing Chastain out of the event. Chastain said that his end of the incident was a mistake on his part while Allgaier cited instances at Daytona earlier in 2019 and Las Vegas in 2019 as proof that Chastain was a dirty driver.^[19]

Again, Allgaier made starts in the Porsche GT3 Cup Brasil Endurance rounds as Paludo's co-driver when dates do not conflict. In the 2019 season, the dates were the Goiânia and Interlagos rounds. At Goiânia, Allgaier led during his stint midway through the 300 km race, but after handing the car back to Paludo for the final stint, Confederação Brasileira de Automobilismo officials black-flagged the team for Allgaier violating track limits when only two tires were below the pit entrance line; series rules require all four tires below it.^[20]

Allgaier won the final race of the Round of 8 at Phoenix to advance to the Championship 4, his 3rd appearance in the last four years and 1st victory of the season after five 2nd-place finishes throughout the year. He finished the 2019 season fourth in points after finishing 14th at Homestead.^[21]

2020

The 2020 Xfinity season began at Daytona with a crash involving Allgaier and Jeremy Clements on lap 47.^[22] Although he recorded stage wins at Las Vegas,^[23] Phoenix,^[24] Bristol,^[25] and Pocono, he struggled with poor luck throughout the first half of the season.^[26]

On July 3,

Allgaier swept the Richmond Raceway doubleheader.^[30] He finished out the season 6th in points, but due to good runs in the final races and misfortunes of his competitors, he made the Championship 4 for the sixth time in his career.^[31] He finished 2nd of the Championship 4 drivers in the finale at Phoenix Raceway, with 3 wins on the season.^[32]

2021

Allgaier had only one top 20 finish, a 14th-place finish at Las Vegas, in the first four races of the 2021 Xfinity season. However, after an 8th-place finish at Phoenix, he picked up his first win at Atlanta Motor Speedway beating out Cup champion Martin Truex Jr. He then won three races later for the first time at Darlington Raceway.^[33]

In June, Allgaier joined the Stadium Super Trucks' practice and qualifying at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course (where they were supporting the Xfinity Series). He set the sixth-best time of eight drivers.^[34]

On June 27, Allgaier was called on again as a substitute replacement in a Cup Series race, this time for

Allgaier ended a 34-race winless streak at Darlington. Allgaier would also win at Nashville and New Hampshire. At Martinsville, Allgaier finished 5th and was able to advance to the Championship 4 Race at Phoenix after Ty Gibbs wrecked Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Brandon Jones on the final overtime-lap for the race win. Allgaier would finish 3rd at Phoenix, thereby finishing third in the points standings.

2023

Allgaier started the 2023 season with a third place finish at Daytona. He scored his first win of the season at Charlotte.^[36] Allgaier beat Sheldon Creed by 0.005 seconds in double overtime at the Daytona night race.^[37] During the playoffs, he won at Bristol and Martinsville to make the Championship 4.^[38][39] Allgaier finished third at Phoenix and second in the points standings.^[40]

2024

Allgaier started the 2024 season with an eighth-place finish at Daytona. On May 11, he dominated at Darlington, winning Stages 1 and 2 before taking the checkered flag.^[41]

On May 26, Allgaier was called on as a relief driver in the Cup Series again, starting the Coca-Cola 600 in place of Kyle Larson in the Hendrick Motorsports No. 5 after weather delayed the Indianapolis 500, which Larson had driven in earlier that day. Allgaier would remain in the car for the entirety of the rain-shortened event, finishing 13th.^[42]

Personal life

Allgaier went to Lincoln Land Community College where he majored in engineering from 2004 to 2006. He is married, to Ashley, and they have two daughters Harper and Willow.^[43]

Allgaier is nicknamed "Little Gator" as a play on his last name and his father being dubbed "Gator".^[44]

Motorsports career results

NASCAR

(key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)

Cup Series

Daytona 500

Xfinity Series

Craftsman Truck Series

^* Season still in progress
¹ Ineligible for series points

K&N Pro Series West

ARCA Menards Series

(key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Justin Allgaier.

• Official website
• Official profile at JR Motorsports
• Justin Allgaier driver statistics at Racing-Reference

Sporting positions
Preceded by Frank Kimmel	ARCA Re/MAX Series champion 2008	Succeeded by Justin Lofton
Achievements
Preceded by Landon Cassill	NASCAR Nationwide Series Rookie of the Year 2009	Succeeded by Ricky Stenhouse Jr.