DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Justin Allgaier and the No. 40 JR Motorsports crew should race their method into the 2025 Daytona 500 by the use of Thursday evening’s Duel at Daytona.
Allgaier’s single-car qualifying pace (180.495 mph) was thirty third quickest total on Wednesday, third of the 9 Open entries. Former champions Martin Truex Jr. and Jimmie Johnson have been the 2 quickest Open automobiles who have been beforehand not locked into the Daytona 500. Allgaier will begin seventeenth in Thursday’s first duel (7 p.m. ET, FS1, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
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The reigning NASCAR Xfinity Sequence champion is hoping to wheel the No. 40 Chevrolet into Sunday’s “Nice American Race” (2:30 p.m. ET, FOX, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) to earn JR Motorsports — co-owned by NASCAR Corridor of Famer Dale Earnhardt Jr. and sister Kelley Earnhardt Miller — its inaugural begin in a NASCAR Cup Sequence race.
If Johnson and/or Truex end first amongst Open groups of their respective duels, Allgaier and Corey LaJoie might lock into the occasion on time. The opposite 5 Open drivers should end first amongst Open groups of their duel — a 60-lap qualifying race — to advance.
“I imply, clearly you need to qualify your method in,” Allgaier mentioned Wednesday evening. “You need to be locked in. You need to have all of the pleasantries of figuring out that you just’re in, proper? However on the similar time, we knew that it was going to be an uphill battle. The blokes that you just’re racing in opposition to — I imply, Jimmie and Martin each laid down unimaginable laps and did precisely what they wanted to do.
“I take a look at the take a look at the lap. I imply, I’ll return and examine it and take a look at to determine what we would have liked to do to be higher, however we did one of the best job we thought we might do, and it simply got here up slightly bit brief.”
The Open contenders in Allgaier’s Duel embrace Truex (beginning twelfth), four-time Indianapolis 500 Hélio Castroneves (twentieth), Chandler Smith (twenty second) and J.J. Yeley (twenty third).
Together with various workforce members and representatives from sponsor Traveller Whiskey, Earnhardt Miller watched with nerves from pit street as Allgaier accomplished his lone lap of the night. A day that started by unloading the tan-and-orange Chevy at 6 a.m. with pleasure ended with a tinge of tension with no ensures but of a spot on the beginning grid.
“It’s bizarre as a result of we mentioned weren’t gonna be disillusioned — like we have been OK if we don’t make it or no matter. However I’m probably not OK about it,” Earnhardt Miller informed NASCAR.com with amusing. “Like, you get out right here and also you do it and also you simply see you’re simply off that a lot. However now we have one other shot tomorrow. We’re quick, we’re good. Now tomorrow will simply be as much as plenty of variables round different individuals and every little thing.
“I hate that now we have to undergo that half, however it’s what it’s, and we knew that coming down right here. However it’s been actually thrilling all day.”
Certainly, because the workforce pushed by means of technical inspection earlier than a ten:05 a.m. follow, there was a buzzing anticipation that surrounded the JRM celebration. At the moment, the excitement stemmed from enthusiasm and optimism. The optimism nonetheless exists, however it’s now accompanied by a nervous stress as a substitute.
“It positively modifications the race for tomorrow for us,” Allgaier mentioned. “In the event you get in on time, you generally is a little extra fluid within the duels and work on various things that I feel we’re most likely going to work on tomorrow, now. Now, now we have to be aggressive. We’ve got to race our method in, proper? So we’ve bought to be aggressive, however on the opposite facet of it, we don’t have a backup automotive. And when you wreck, it doesn’t actually matter when you’ve bought a backup or not as a result of when you wreck, you’re most likely not gonna make the race. These are the issues that I’ve to be aware of. …
“The explanation why followers and drivers and groups all love and hate this place is as a result of the worry of the unknown, proper?”
With that comes a fragile steadiness Earnhardt Miller and Co. will attempt to navigate: trusting Allgaier and the workforce round him to excel whereas understanding others on the race observe might dictate his destiny.
“That’s Daytona, proper?” mentioned Earnhardt Miller, who has helped head JRM because it debuted as an Xfinity workforce in 2005. “I say it yearly in regards to the Xfinity automobiles: You attempt to come right here with no expectations, after which that method, you’re not disillusioned whenever you go dwelling on a wrecker, otherwise you’re simply tremendous thrilled that you just made it by means of and otherwise you gained. And I feel now we have to take a look at this the identical method. We are able to’t management every little thing else, so will probably be what it’s.
“And anyone already is aware of. It’s already decided someplace, is the best way I really feel about it. So let’s see what occurs.”
