Whereas Bubba Wallace earned a victory within the first Duel race earlier than the 2025 Daytona 500, all eyes — notably Dale Earnhardt, Jr.’s — have been on the center of the sphere because the motion got here to a head.
That is as a result of Justin Allgaier, piloting the No. 40 Chevrolet co-owned by Earnhardt and his sister Kelley Earnhardt Miller, was working three-wide and driving the race of his life in opposition to the skin wall. For some time, the reigning Xfinity Collection champion had struggled to make up floor. However within the waning moments of the race, the third lane fashioned up and he pushed his means into NASCAR’s greatest race, ending ninth — forward of J.J. Yeley, the driving force he needed to beat to make it to Sunday’s race.
Watch: Dale Jr. talks relationship with Daytona: ‘May want a psychiatrist to elucidate it’
“This man proper right here [Earnhardt Jr.] — we get to race on Sunday,” stated Allgaier. “His lip was quivering and his arms have been shaking earlier than the race. I do not assume I’ve ever seen that out of Dale Jr. He advised me earlier than the race, he stated, ‘I am nervous. I do not wish to make you nervous, however I am actually nervous.'”
Dale Jr. “cannot consider it”
Earnhardt was simply as emotional after Allgaier’s drive, although in an entire completely different means. He brushed tears apart because the staff embraced. The NASCAR Corridor of Famer has been part of each facet of JR Motorsports’ Cup debut, even displaying up earlier than dawn to look at the staff unload the automobile.
“First off, I am so pleased with Justin, man,” stated Earnhardt Jr. “He put the entire staff on his again these final couple of laps. He obtained to the highest, and I didn’t assume that was attainable, however he obtained up there and made one thing work. It was his solely shot and he obtained some assist. So we obtained some folks to thank. Only a nice race automobile. Greg Ives [crew chief] has put a gaggle collectively that’s motivated. There’s some particular folks on this staff that I’ve labored with all the way in which again to 1998. However I will let you know, this sport is superb — the whole lot about it. I’ve seen it from so many various lenses and I really like the challenges. I would not need it every other means.
However extra to the purpose, Earnhardt Jr. continued:
“This was arduous, emotionally. I can not consider we obtained to race on Sunday. I simply can’t consider it.”
Justin Allgaier, JR Motorsports Chevrolet
Picture by: Jared C. Tilton/Getty Pictures
J.J. Yeley was left on the opposite aspect, reflecting on what might have been. “I simply wanted extra tempo, sadly,” he stated. Yeley has didn’t make the five hundred in his final 5 makes an attempt; he misplaced out final yr in a nailbiter with Jimmie Johnson, who made this yr’s Daytona yesterday.
“I simply did not have that pull to the place I might make one thing occur,” stated Yeley. “Seven to go, and I obtained by the 40 [Allgaier], and 56 [Truex] glided by us on the skin. I simply dedicated to the underside and put all my whiskey in a single glass, hoping that was the place I wanted to be. Three to go, it seemed like that was going to work out. I do know with two to go, it simply type of goes into full chaos … However I misplaced a little bit of my assist, and at that time I hoped there could be extra carnage off of 4. Did not get it.”
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