2024 NASCAR Xfinity (O’Reilly Auto Parts) Series Justin Allgaier will attempt to make his second consecutive DAYTONA 500 in February, once again partnering with JR Motorsports to drive the No. 40 Chevrolet.
After a successful top 10 outing in ‘The Great American Race’ last February, the organization co-owned by NASCAR legend Dale Earnhardt, Jr. and Kelley Earnhardt-Miller is running it back and looking to make the second attempt at qualifying for the 500-mile event, just as special as the first.
Traveller Whiskey, the popular whiskey brand owned by country music superstar Chris Stapleton, will once again be serving as the primary sponsor of the No. 40 Chevrolet during Speedweek at the 2.5-mile superspeedway located in Daytona Beach, Florida.
JR Motorsports, whose operations primarily consist of entries in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series and the zMAX CARS Tour, does not hold a charter in the NASCAR Cup Series, and thus will have to go through the process of qualifying for the DAYTONA 500 – where the Riverton, Illinois-native will either need to post a fast enough time in single-vehicle qualifying on Wednesday, or race into the event by being the highest finishing open entry in the Duel.
Last year, in the team’s successful attempt at making the 500-mile contest, Allgaier was forced to secure a spot in the field courtesy of Duel 1, after not posting a time fast enough to guarantee the team a position in the event via qualifying. Despite that, the No. 40 Chevrolet ran towards the front of the pack at points during the evening and eventually finished ninth after a last-lap crash opened up the seas for the NASCAR Xfinity Series veteran to drive through the wreckage to record a ninth-place result.
With the off-season having started less than two weeks ago, JR Motorsports and Justin Allgaier are the first driver-team combination to confirm their intent of running the DAYTONA 500. It is unclear, at this point in the off-season, what the entry list will look like for the 2026 DAYTONA 500.
Allgaier is one of the best drivers to compete in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, with 28 wins throughout his 16-year career in the second-tier series, that includes 504 career starts, 168 career top-fives, and 302 top-10s, as well as 12 pole position.
Last year, with a victory at Indianapolis Motor Speedway by Connor Zilisch, JR Motorsports earned its 100th win in the second-tier series. From that point to the end of the year, the organization clinched five more victories, and had three drivers in the Championship 4 – but failed to win the title, with Jesse Love taking those honors.
The 2025 DAYTONA 500 is scheduled to take place on Sunday, February 15, at 2:30 PM ET on FOX.
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