You’d think that Dale Earnhardt Jr. would’ve been most stressed about the racing action during the NASCAR Xfinity Series Championship finale at Phoenix Raceway. After all, his team, JR Motorsports, was right in the thick of the action, with their driver Justin Allgaier finally snagging that elusive championship. But surprisingly, the moment that had Dale Jr.’s nerves in a twist had absolutely nothing to do with what was happening on the track.

On his latest Dale Jr. Download podcast episode, NASCAR’s favorite son opened up about the real drama that went down after the race which involved a frantic search for something very near and dear to him.

The tale of Dale Jr.’s lost backpack

As Justin Allgaier clinched the NASCAR Xfinity Series championship in heroic fashion, you’d expect Dale Earnhardt Jr. to be on cloud nine, soaking in the victory celebrations. But as he revealed to co-host Andrew Kurland on his podcast, his night took an unexpected turn when he realized something was missing.

“The toughest part of the night, even more nerve-wracking than the two pit road penalties we had back-to-back, was when I lost my bag,” Dale Jr. confessed. Wait, his bag? Yes, that’s right — a simple backpack was the cause of all his stress.

“I had my backpack with me on the pit box because it had my NASCAR hoodie in it,” Dale explained. Of course, Kurland couldn’t resist sarcastically poking fun, saying, “Oh, you gotta find that!”. But for Dale, this was no laughing matter. “It had my iPad, a couple of snacks, my hoodie, and some charging cables. And yeah, it was just gone,” he added with a laugh.

So what happened? Well, in the chaos of celebrating Justin Allgaier’s big win, Dale Jr. got caught up in the moment. “You forget about your stuff when you’re in the race,” he said. The team celebrated, hit up Victory Lane, and then wrapped up the night at the Media Center. Hours later, as they were getting ready to leave, Dale Jr. had the “oh no” moment when he realized his backpack was missing.

“I kept bugging Kelly [Earnhardt Miller] and LW [Miller] to stay and help me look for it,” Dale Jr. said. “They were ready to go home, but I was like, ‘Nope, we’ve got to find my bag!’” So there they were, scouring the track, retracing their steps, and trying to use the ‘Find My Phone’ feature with no luck.

For about an hour, Dale Jr. and his crew were on a wild goose chase through Phoenix Raceway, thinking the bag might’ve been left near the tunnel on the inside of the track. Just when they were about to give up hope, a car pulled up. “These folks from Brandt, Justin’s sponsor, rolled up and were like, ‘We’ve got your bag, Junior!’ Man, I was so relieved,” he said with a grin.

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While Dale Earnhardt Jr. was stressing over his missing backpack, his driver, Justin Allgaier, was having a night he’ll never forget. After 471 races and nearly 15 years in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, Allgaier finally claimed his first championship, and it wasn’t without its fair share of drama.

Allgaier’s road to the championship was anything but smooth. The 38-year-old started the race from the back in a backup car after a crash in practice. Then came the real challenges: multiple penalties, a flat tire, and even a speeding penalty that set him back a lap. “It was a wild night. I mean, at one point, I thought it was over,” Allgaier admitted after the race.

But if there’s one thing Allgaier is known for, it’s his resilience. The JR Motorsports driver clawed his way back up in a dramatic double-overtime finish, crossing the line just behind Riley Herbst to secure the championship. It was a moment that brought immense pride to the JR Motorsports family.

“Justin’s given us everything. He’s never complained, never hesitated. He’s been our guy,” Dale Jr. said post-race, beaming with pride. “We’ve been so close so many times, but tonight, we finally got it done.”

The celebrations were heartfelt, with Allgaier almost in tears as he thanked the team that stood by him through thick and thin. “This team right here — Dale, Kelly, LW, my crew chief Jim Pohlman… they believed in me even when I didn’t believe in myself,” said a clearly emotional Allgaier.

The night ended with the team heading back to the garage for a final toast, celebrating their hard-fought victory. And yes, Dale Jr. had his backpack safely in hand, joining in on the festivities, probably clutching that hoodie a little tighter.

So there you have it — a night of high-speed drama, emotional victories, and yes, a missing backpack that nearly stole the show. But hey, if he can survive a wild championship night even without his prized possession, we can all find a way to keep our cool in life’s unexpected moments!