The last time Tyler Reddick competed in a NASCAR championship race, he was in the Xfinity Series, driving the No. 9 JR Motorsports Chevy. It was 2018, and Reddick helped Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s team in clinching their third Xfinity Series title. Since then, the team has come oh so close to bagging their fourth title, but for some reason, they’ve fallen short of crossing the finish line.

Justin Allgaier has led the charge for the team in the hunt for another championship trophy. But three times he was denied to etch his name in NASCAR history books. 2020, 2022, and 2023 were the years Allgaier made it to the championship 4; this year, he is making his fourth appearance in five years, somehow still hunting for that elusive title. For some, these streaks of near misses can dampen their spirits and morale, yet the JRM driver is feeling the best he’s ever been going into this weekend’s race at Phoenix Raceway.

Justin Allgaier is looking to add more silverware to JRM’s trophy cabinet

The dynamics of a championship race are indeed different from what drivers have endured throughout the playoffs. In the current playoff format, it is indeed tough even for the consistent drivers to make the cut for the final 4. Take a look at the Cup Series; the likes of Kyle Larson and Christopher Bell missed out. Luckily, the Xfinity Series has a good mix of talented race car drivers who will battle it out for the ultimate glory.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. invited all four championship contenders—Cole Custer, A.J. Allmendinger, Austin Hill, and Allgaier under one roof at his podcast studio. The obvious question the JRM owner had for all the drivers was about their preparation and their feelings heading into the big weekend. The low-banked oval track in Phoenix seems to have been jinxed, especially for Allgaier and the #7 team; this is evident from their track record. But, despite history being at odds with him, the driver feels optimistic about his chances to win this weekend.

“I don’t know, maybe it’s the age right; it’s just being in a different place in my career, but honestly, I’m more prepared. I’m in a better place than I’ve ever been. Like the nerves aren’t there, probably should be I don’t know in a lot of ways, but this one feels different, and to be honest, this is the most excited I’ve been to go to Phoenix because I just feel like I’m more prepared.” Justin Allgaier said this while speaking on the Dale Jr. Download.

He even highlighted what was amiss in his efforts to claim the championship last year when Cole Custer won. “I feel like as a team that was kind of my first year together with the 7 group that we have now, and I feel like we just mismanaged the weekend. And I know that sounds really crazy, and these are the two that have felt it and experienced it. Austin will get to experience that this year,” he added.

One of the big topics of discussion on the podcast was the new trend of racing, where drivers have adopted a take-all approach. While it does suit the aggressive drivers, often the line between hard racing and wrecking is blurred out. That has been the case this season. Not only at the Truck Series level but also at the Cup level, and Dale Earnhardt Jr. had an interesting take on this new style of racing.

Dale Jr. surprised by the change in racing etiquette across NASCAR

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You might have heard that track position is the king in the era of spec cars and parity racing. Gone are the days when teams and drivers rolled out with unique race setups and played to their strengths. The difference between the race cars is now mere milliseconds, and that, in turn, has fueled more aggressive racing. The format, on the other hand, doesn’t help the cause. The playoffs being designed as a ‘win, and you’re in’ format often forces drivers to push the boundaries. This was the case with Austin Dillon dumping Joey Logano in the fence at Richmond for the win.

Meanwhile, the Truck Series race at Martinsville was another example of how drivers have just lost their way of racing clean. Although Dale Jr. has pretty much seen everything in his racing career, this shift in driving style isn’t something he appreciates. “Across the board, I don’t care what series you’re talking about. It’s like the etiquette has changed; it’s evolved; it always has. Mark Martin made it very cordial, a lot of give and take. You go ahead; I’ll pass you later.”

“Now we’re swung back toward it’s pretty much anything goes and everybody’s racing the sh-t out of everybody got every position. Nobody lets anybody pass; you don’t, you can’t, and the truckers, the younger kids, are racing aggressively over the line, and it’s bleeding into y’all series.” Dale Jr. said this on the podcast. On the flip side, even he lost his cool with the way racing has turned into and asked his driver, Sam Mayer, to plow through the field at Roval. Fortunately, the calmer heads prevailed, and he got the win the right way.

Now with the championship weekend looming on the horizon, it is hard to say if drivers in either of the series will be banking on racing clean. Rather, they will go out all guns blazing with the sheer motive of winning the title. Even if that means ruffling up some feathers or denting the bumper of their rivals.