The 2025 United Rentals 250 at Daytona International Speedway was anything but smooth sailing for reigning Xfinity Series champion Justin Allgaier. The JR Motorsports veteran found himself in the middle of controversy twice, triggering a multi-car crash with nine laps to go before getting caught in another wreck just two laps from the finish.
It was a frustrating start to the season for Allgaier, who left Daytona with more wrecked cars than points in a race that saw rookies taken out, contenders eliminated, and tempers flare.
Wreck #1: Allgaier’s Risky Three-Wide Move Ends in Disaster
With just nine laps remaining, Allgaier tried to force his way to the inside lane, despite heavy traffic and a three-wide battle forming in front of him. It was an aggressive gamble—one that didn’t pay off.
The move set off a chain reaction, and Justin Bonsignore paid the price. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver got turned off the nose of Allgaier’s No. 7 Chevrolet, sending him into Sammy Smith.
As a result, Anthony Alfredo and Bonsignore were both spun off the track, their hopes of a season-opening victory erased in an instant.
Allgaier Frustrated, Team Responds
After the wreck, Allgaier’s team radioed in, seemingly placing some blame on Bonsignore for moving down:
“Man, you checked up and gave him an opportunity, but he moved down.”
But Allgaier wasn’t convinced. He redirected his frustration toward Carson Kvapil, venting about how he was being left hung out to dry in the draft.
“Just frustrating getting hung out. I was gonna cram it up the middle and try something. Like, am I doing something wrong?”
Wreck #2: Another Massive Pile-Up Takes Out Xfinity Rookies
If one wreck wasn’t enough, Allgaier found himself caught in yet another Daytona disaster just two laps from the finish—this time ruining the day for multiple rookies.
As the race neared its conclusion, Xfinity Series newcomers Connor Zilisch, William Sawalich, and Christian Eckes were all in strong positions. But Daytona had other plans.
With just two laps to go, Allgaier was helping push his JR Motorsports teammate forward when Sheldon Creed unexpectedly slowed down.
The result? Zilisch was sent hard into the outside wall, triggering another pile-up that saw him take multiple hits from incoming traffic.
After running inside the top five with just 15 laps left, Zilisch ended up limping to a brutal 27th-place finish—a gut-wrenching end to what could have been a breakout race.
Daytona Delivers More Carnage Than Points for Allgaier
By the time the dust settled, Allgaier’s season opener was a wreck-filled nightmare.
From triggering one wreck to getting caught in another, the reigning Xfinity champion left Daytona battered and frustrated—a reminder that at superspeedways, fortune can turn in an instant.
Now, with the wreck-filled madness of Daytona in the rearview mirror, Allgaier will look to regroup and reset as the Xfinity Series shifts to its next challenge.
