The ‘Great American Race’ will be extra special this year. Widely considered to be one of the most revered weekends on the Cup Series calendar, this year’s iteration of the Daytona 500 will feature Country singer Chris Stapleton in the stands. The 10-time Grammy award-winning artist has partnered with Dale Earnhardt Jr. to field JR Motorsports’ debut car in NASCAR’s premier series, which will be driven by 2024 Xfinity Series champ Justin Allgaier.

In a candid interview, Stapleton revealed his ‘selfish’ motives behind wanting to see the No. 40 Traveller Whiskey Chevy feature at the Daytona International Speedway. Junior’s team has teamed up with Buffalo Trace Distillery to run the beloved run for the first time in JRM’s history.

Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s partner expresses happiness at being involved

Justin Allgaier has his work cut out for him. The racing veteran will be representing Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s team as they attempt to make their Cup Series debut and will need all the experience he can muster to qualify for the Daytona 500. Junior Motorsports will be running in the ‘open’ category, which means the reigning Xfinity Series winner will need to compete for one of the four spots available to qualify for ‘The Great American Race’. The opportunity would not have been possible without Stapleton’s support, and the artist described the collaboration as a “natural partnership”.

Sharing the underlying motives behind his involvement, Chris Stapleton said on the Dale Jr. Download podcast, “Selfishly, just wanted to see the car. I just love the history of racing and whiskey. That’s kinda how it all started. I think I already feel like winning the Super Bowl or something. Like it feels like that. Just to get to make the thing, you know and I think I love creating things. As somebody who likes to create things, my part that I can contribute to is done. You guys obviously have a lot more real work to do in it than what I do but I’m thrilled to be just a tiny part.” 

Stapleton talks about the history of whiskey and racing and it is truly something that can’t be ignored. After all, that’s how NASCAR came to be. In the early 1900s, alcohol sale was banned in the United States, what was known as the ‘Prohibition Era’. Well, people still wanted a drink, and ‘moonshiners’ were people who distilled alcohol at night without getting detected. These people would then use modified faster cars to illegally distribute the liquor and evade the police. Once the ban was lifted in 1933, they started using these cars to race in an organized manner, and in 1947, the first official NASCAR race took place. Nearly a century later, JR Motorsports will use a whiskey brand to promote their car at the biggest race in the history of the sport. Truly a ‘full-circle’ moment.

JR Motorsports has enjoyed tremendous success in the Xfinity Series. As things stand, the team has secured 88 wins in NASCAR’s second tier, winning four championships in the process thanks to drivers Chase Elliott, William Byron, Tyler Reddick, and Justin Allgaier. The racing team is on the verge of finally achieving Dale Earnhardt Jr’s lifelong dream of seeing his side compete at NASCAR’s highest level, with Justin Allgaier saying, “We are going to have everything we need to go out and contend for the win.”

Thanks to Rick Hendrick’s co-ownership, the No. 40 Chevy will be using a Hendrick Motorsports engine, which means it’ll have the speed to post a fast time during qualifying. Allgaier has made two Daytona 500 appearances so far finishing outside the top-25 on both occasions. However, that was a decade ago, and the 38-year-old will look to use his experience since then to qualify for the race. Expectations will be high, especially from Chris Stapleton, whose brand is plastered on the car with the livery attempting to make the Chevy Camaro look like a whiskey bottle.

Chris Stapleton compliments the car’s design

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Dale Earnhardt Jr’s team has left no stone unturned ahead of their Cup Series debut attempt. The team has purchased a new car along with the parts needed to compete against NASCAR’s very best. With the best equipment already at hand, the team’s fate will rest on Justin Allgaier, who hasn’t competed at the Daytona 500 in a decade. However, the Illinois native is a much better driver than he was in 2015 and has momentum on his side, having won the Xfinity Series championship in his last NASCAR appearance at Phoenix Raceway.

Complimenting the car’s design while speaking with Justin Allgaier and Dale Earnhardt Jr., Chris Stapleton said, “But to get to see it in person it’s a very, I don’t know, like a reality check moment. I don’t know how you feel as long as you’ve been racing or you guys been in racing when you see the car that’s a new car or something like that where you’re like, ‘Oh this is cool, this is our thing now.'”

It seems like Stapleton is already feeling a sense of belonging with the No. 40 Chevy. The singer will be cheering on JR Motorsports at Daytona International Speedway, hoping for the best possible outcome for Justin Allgaier in the season-opener. While nothing is guaranteed at ‘The Great American Race’, especially for a team in the open category, Dale Earnhardt Jr. will be feeling quietly confident about their chances, hoping that this will be the start of many more opportunities in the Cup Series.