Page 202 - 2019_NPPG_digital copy

JUSTIN ALLGAIER

Birth Date: June 6, 1986 Hometown: Riverton, IL
Birth Date: August 12, 1993 Hometown: Bakersfield, CA
Team: No. 7 Chevy Camaro / JR Motorsports
Team: No. 16 Toyota Tundra/Roush Fenway Racing

Justin Allgaier had enough of NASCAR in 2015, and he was content with doing
something else.

He was wrapping up his time driving the No. 51 Chevy for HScott Motorsports
in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, knowing he was going to
be replaced by Clint Bowyer at the end of the season. With no offers,
Allgaier was ready to hang up his helmet.

Little did he know that qualifying 27th at the Darlington Raceway
would lead to the biggest break of his racing career.

FEATURED DRIVERS Since Dale Earnhardt Jr. qualified 26th, the two shared
a ride around the track in the bed of a pickup truck as
part of the pre-race ceremony. They both talked and
one lap later, Allgaier suddenly was on track to drive
one of Earnhardt’s Chevys on the NASCAR Xfinity
Series.

What started with a chance meeting has developed
into one of the premier teams in the series.

Since joining JR Motorsports in 2016, Allgaier has
seven victories, 40 top-fives and 68 top-10s. And he’s
finished third, third and seventh in the point standings.

There were persistent rumors last year Allgaier may
return to the Cup series to take care of unfinished
business, but he decided to stay with Earnhardt’s
championship-caliber organization.

“From my standpoint, I’ve got a great team behind me right
now and the folks at Brandt have obviously supported me for
a number of years now and where we’re at for them, whether it’s
with me or not, I think JR Motorsports is a great fit for them as well,”
Allgaier said.

“Don’t get me wrong – I still want redemption on the Cup side, I still want
to go drive Cup again in some point in my career, I still think that I have the
ability to go do it. But it’s going to have to be the perfect scenario.”

What could be more perfect than being with a race team that’s won three of

202 THE OFFICIAL NASCAR 2019 PREVIEW & PRESS GUIDE