Would a driver like to be honored with a Hall of Fame recognition without winning a championship? Now that’s a tough question that probably only a handful of NASCAR drivers can face. For starters, you’ve got to be worthy to be labeled as a HOF inductee, and the next is you need to have the worst luck in the sport. This is something both Denny Hamlin and Justin Allgaier share.

Arguably the best drivers in their series, but they have yet to conquer the final peak by snagging a title. Oh, so close, yet so far has been the storyline for these two drivers when it comes to championship glory. For Justin Allgaier, the championship-less streak has now stretched to 14 years. And ironically, one of his favorite racetracks has now proved to be his Achilles heels in his hunt for the title.

Justin Allgaier needs to overcome his Phoenix curse

After competing for two years at the Cup level in 2014 and 2015, Allgaier dropped to the Xfinity Series and joined JR Motorsports. And since then, he’s become the most consistent-performing driver in the division. Call it a curse or sheer racing prowess, the 38-year-old, during his time with the team, has made six championship race appearances.

However, despite being the contender almost every year, he’s yet to add the championship trophy to his name. And Phoenix Raceway seemed to have caused real trouble for him ever since it started hosting the final race. Despite winning the regular season championship in 2023, he just fell short of his objectives on a late-race restart in Phoenix.

Having snagged two wins already this season and entering the playoffs, Allgaier is in a position to test himself again. But he couldn’t help but bring up his streak of missed opportunities that has haunted him every year. “You know the sad part is both of us run good at Phoenix. Like we both run great at Phoenix, actually, and neither one of us have won a title since they moved it to Phoenix.”

“I couldn’t wait for it to get to Phoenix as the championship round, and now I’m like, maybe it’s just not Phoenix, maybe it’s just that final race.” He also confessed that the demands of trying something new to overcome past disappointments are something that he shares with Hamlin. “You try to become a Chameleon and figure out what you need to do best to our yourself in that final four and have a shot at the championship.”

At 38, Justin Allgaier is indeed in his prime years of racing. But given the rise of young talents like Connor Zilisch and Carson Kvapil, he is against the clock to make his championship dreams come true.

Allgaier feels that 2024 could finally be his year

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The 2024 regular season has been good for the #7 team. A win at Darlington and Michigan secured Allgaier’s spot in the playoffs, whereas five top 5 results further backed his credibility as a genuine contender to win races. He’s always been a driver who has raced well throughout the year, not just in phases. In fact, he’s never finished worse than 7 in the championship standings. This goes to show how dominant Allgaier and his team have been over the years.

While there is a looming threat and nervousness of falling prey to the same old mistakes, he is ready to tackle the playoffs. Not only that, he feels that 2024 is going to be his crowning moment that will heal his past heartbreaks. “Obviously I’m gonna have to do something to figure out how to close one of these out. I’ll know it when I feel it right? I think for us we’re gonna have to find that, and if there’s ever a year that I feel like we have the team to be able to do it. I feel like 2024 is the year.”

However, this is going to be a tough ask given that his rivals are catching up to him. Cole Custer stole the regular season title from Allgaier with his win at Bristol, and the SHR driver himself is looking to go for back-to-back championship wins.