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Dale Earnhardt Jr. Fights Back Tears as JR Motorsports Secures First Daytona 500 Start

Carl Harrison by Carl Harrison
February 14, 2025
in Motorsports
Reading Time: 3 mins read
0
Dale Earnhardt Jr. Fights Back Tears as JR Motorsports Secures First Daytona 500 Start

Feb 12, 2025; Daytona Beach, Florida, USA; NASCAR team owner Dale Earnhardt Jr. talks with NASCAR Cup Series driver Jimmie Johnson (84) during qualifying for the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-Imagn Images

It may have been just a qualifying race, but for Dale Earnhardt Jr., it felt like a championship moment. Three months after Justin Allgaier delivered JR Motorsports its fourth Xfinity Series title, the duo celebrated another monumental milestone—securing a spot in the 2025 Daytona 500 with JRM’s first-ever Cup Series entry.

The odds were stacked against them. With Helio Castroneves locking in the controversial 41st spot, and Cup champions Jimmie Johnson and Martin Truex Jr. already locked in, only one open slot remained. Allgaier didn’t flinch. With a ninth-place finish in the Duels, he ensured JRM would be part of NASCAR’s biggest race—and that was enough to bring Dale Jr. to the brink of tears.

An Emotional Full-Circle Moment

For Allgaier, this wasn’t just another race—it was redemption. Reflecting on the moment, he recalled a pivotal conversation with Dale Jr. after JRM’s devastating loss in the 2022 Xfinity Series championship battle, where Ty Gibbs crushed the team’s hopes in Phoenix.

“In 2022, Dale and I kind of had this one-on-one moment when we didn’t win the championship,” Allgaier shared. “I’ve known Dale as a competitor, a boss, a dad, and a friend. But that moment changed our relationship. He genuinely felt bad when we didn’t win.”

Two years later, that unfinished business was settled. JRM’s first Cup Series entry is no longer just a dream.

“In 2024, when we won the Xfinity championship, you could see this ball of emotion in him,” Allgaier continued. “Tonight was different—I was so glad to give him that opportunity. It was like the inverse of that moment in 2022.”

Dale Jr.’s Daytona Passion Still Burns Bright

Few moments in Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s career match the raw passion of his 2014 Daytona 500 victory, where he famously declared: “We’re going to burn this (expletive) down!” But on Thursday night, the same energy was alive and well—this time, as a team owner.

“He told me before the race, ‘Man, I think about the championship all the time. I can’t believe it actually happened, it’s so cool.’”

For a two-time Daytona 500 winner, a Hall of Famer, and a NASCAR icon, you’d think there wouldn’t be many firsts left to accomplish. But this—JRM’s Cup Series debut—felt just as special.

The Road to Sunday’s Big Moment

While they haven’t hoisted the Harley J. Earl Trophy yet, the significance of this milestone wasn’t lost on anyone in the garage. From Jeff Gordon to Claire B. Lang, NASCAR insiders showered Dale Jr. and JRM with praise.

Sunday will be another battle. Allgaier starts 17th, deep in the hornet’s nest of the field. But for now? The emotions of the moment are enough.

“Tonight, I feel that,” Allgaier said. “And I know Dale does too.”

From heartbreak to history—JR Motorsports is ready for the Great American Race.

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