NASCAR team co-owned by Dale Earnhardt Jr. to enter Justin Allgaier in Daytona 500

JR Motorsports will enter a car in the Daytona 500 for Justin Allgaier, marking the first time the organization has fielded a Cup car in a NASCAR race. The Associated Press reported the news first.

It comes in a race that JR Motorsports owner Dale Earnhardt Jr. won twice as a driver (2004 and 2014).

Allgaier’s car will be sponsored by 10-time Grammy winner Chris Stapleton’s Traveler Whiskey brand.

A look at some of the key elements to watch in the NASCAR Cup Series this season.

The Daytona 500 is scheduled for February 16 at Daytona International Speedway. Allgaier, the reigning Xfinity Series champion, will have to qualify for the Daytona 500 as the team does not have a charter.

Allgaier has 82 career Cup starts. He ran one Cup race last year, filling in for Kyle Larson in the Coca-Cola 600 while Larson competed in the Indianapolis 500.

The Xfinity team is owned by Earnhardt, sister Kelley Earnhardt Miller and Rick Hendrick. Earnhardt talked about expanding into the Cup Series, but the team did not purchase a charter.

JR Motorsports made its debut in 2005 with one Xfinity race. It has run the full Xfinity schedule since 2006 and won series titles with Chase Elliott (2014), William Byron (2017), Tyler Reddick (2018) and Justin Allgaier (2024).

JR Motorsports’ full-time Xfinity teams for 2025 will be Carson Kvapil, Sammy Smith, Connor Zilisch and Allgaier.