Justin Allgaier may have lost the battle but won the war. When the checkered flag was waved at Phoenix Raceway, Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s driver was forced to settle for a second-place finish in the final race of the Xfinity Series. However, the No. 7 Chevy racer couldn’t be happier, as he went on to lift the elusive trophy for the first time in his career, having come agonizingly close six times before.

Recalling the race, Kelley Earnhardt, chief executive officer at JR Motorsports shed light on how difficult it was to sacrifice the race’s outcome to focus on the bigger picture. In hindsight, the decision proved to be the correct one, even though Riley Herbst won the race at the 1-mile tri-oval.

Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s sister reflects on Phoenix race

The seventh time’s the charm for Justin Allgaier. When the Illinois native returned to the Xfinity Series in 2016, he went on to become a championship favorite in Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s team. However, he quickly discovered just how cutthroat the competition can be in NASCAR’s second tier, with the margin for error virtually nonexistent. Despite crashing in practice, starting the race in 37th place, incurring two penalties, and going a lap down in Phoenix, the 38-year-old showed great resilience to overcome his circumstances and win the championship for the first time in his career.

Reflecting on the championship race in Phoenix and the sacrifices that needed to be made, Kelley Earnhardt told Sirius XM NASCAR Radio, “While we were coming there for the checkered flag, obviously Riley (Herbst) was right there at it. The team was like, ‘Just let him go, let him go don’t make this an issue’ because we really wanted to win the race but we really wanted to win the championship more. It all worked out. It’s just really unbelievable. Truly happy for every single person that’s involved from day 1 for JR Motorsports and for Justin.”

Competing in his last race for Stewart-Haas Racing, Riley Herbst was eager to end his season on a high. Despite not challenging for the title, the No. 98 Ford Mustang dominated at Phoenix Raceway, winning both stages and leading 167 laps out of 213. Meanwhile, Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s driver needed to finish higher than fellow title contenders Cole Custer, A. J. Allmendinger, and Austin Hill and he did exactly that. Despite finishing runner-up, the Illinois native finished six places higher than his closest championship rival, which proved to be the difference maker in the end.

The No. 7 Chevy team’s decision to pick their battles wisely at Phoenix Raceway, especially after going through their fair share of drama was the wisest decision they could have made. With the laps ticking down and the stakes being higher than ever, the last thing Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s team needed was a late incident with a championship on the line. By settling for a second-place finish, the crew ensured JR Motorsports ended up with their first title since 2018, as well as Justin Allgaier’s only Xfinity Series triumph.

Justin Allgaier credits the team for making the right call

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Against all odds. That’s the best way to describe Justin Allgaier’s championship win at Phoenix Raceway. Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s driver was forced to begin the race at the back of the grid but showed lightning-fast pace in his No. 7 Chevy as the race progressed, finishing sixth at the end of Stage 1 and seventh in Stage 2. In many ways, whatever could go wrong did, as he incurred consecutive pass-through penalties, one for a restart violation and the other for speeding on the pit road. Despite it all, the 38-year-old emerged victorious in the biggest race of the season, showing great persistence in the face of adversity.

Reflecting on his team’s decision to not challenge Riley Herbst for the win towards the end, Justin Allgaier said, “I crossed the white flag, trying to be as calm and calculated as possible. Riley had a run and my team was on me that the race win didn’t matter. As much as I wanted to win and have the walk-off, if we made contact, you could lose the championship. The emotion of being in this moment so many times — racing for this opportunity so many times — that’s your dream. We walked out of there as champions.”

Having tasted success in the Xfinity Series this year, will Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s driver be able to defend his championship during the 2025 season? Time will tell. It seems like Justin Allgaier has finally turned a corner, and after six heartbreaks in Championship 4, there will be a renewed sense of optimism and confidence going into the offseason. The 38-year-old has been through his fair share of struggles, particularly in NASCAR’s second tier, and will hope consistent results at JR Motorsports will eventually help him progress to the Cup Series in the foreseeable future.