Justin Allgaier doesn’t make it easy for himself, does he? The Illinois native has been plying his trade in the NASCAR Xfinity Series since 2009, but despite coming agonizingly close to lifting the championship, the silverware had been eluding him. Until now. The JR Motorsports driver finally broke his winless streak at Phoenix Raceway, but it didn’t come with a fair share of hardships. The 38-year-old overcame a crash in practice, 37th place in qualifying, two penalties, and a slow pitstop when the stakes were higher than ever.

During the race, NASCAR fans took to social media to draw parallels between Allgaier and Denny Hamlin, even though the JR Motorsports star had the last laugh when the checkered flag was waved at Phoenix.

Justin Allgaier overcame all odds at Phoenix Raceway

The stage was set and the stakes were high. Justin Allgaier’s start to the weekend left much to be desired. The No. 7 Chevy driver had a poor practice session, made worse after he qualified in 37th place ahead of the biggest race of the season. Having made it to Championship 4 six times before, the veteran driver was hoping for a different outcome this time around. Keeping his eye on the prize, Allgaier quickly climbed up the grid as the race progressed, finishing sixth at the end of Stage 1 and ending the second stage in seventh place.

However, that’s when disaster struck. Justin Allgaier received a restart violation for pulling out before the start-finish line, forcing a pass-through. Just when things couldn’t get any worse, he was found guilty of speeding on the pit road, resulting in another penalty. For a driver of Allgaier’s experience, multiple self-inflicted mistakes with a championship on the line cast some serious doubts about his chances at the 1-mile tri-oval, even though the JR Motorsports racer prevailed at the end.

Despite the many setbacks they faced, Allgaier gave credit to the No. 8 Chevy team during the post-race interview. He said, “This team never gave up. We tried to give it away every which way we could. I just wanted to make it exciting for the fans I guess, I don’t know. I’m at a loss for words, it’s unbelievable. I cannot say thank you enough to everybody who’s helped me.” The JR Motorsports driver was also forced to deal with a slow pit stop during the race, but all was forgiven when the checkered flag was waved, as the 38-year-old managed to fulfill a lifelong ambition.

However, that didn’t stop fans from criticizing Dale Earnhardt Jr’s driver. Drawing parallels with Denny Hamlin, motorsports enthusiasts took to social media, expressing their cynicism towards Justin Allgaier’s mistakes at Phoenix Raceway. While plenty expressed their apprehension at the 38-year-old’s inability to produce a clutch performance, others likened him to the Joe Gibbs Racing veteran because of his inability to clinch the silverware despite coming close to winning for years.

Allgaier unfairly criticized by NASCAR fans

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As expected, it didn’t take long for fans to make their voices heard after Justin Allgaier made multiple mistakes in two minutes at Phoenix Raceway. In hindsight, the fans’ opinions can be described as reactionary, especially because the JR Motorsports driver proved them all wrong in the end. However, he did bear the brunt from motorsports enthusiasts on X (formerly known as Twitter), with one fan saying, “LMAO when is Jr gonna fire this talentless losers a–? Dude is 20 years older than everyone else in the series and has the composure of a 7 year old.”

Likening him to Denny Hamlin for not being able to secure a result when it matters the most, one fan uploaded a picture of the Joe Gibbs Racing veteran wearing the JR Motorsports firesuit, and wrote the caption, “Allgaier clutch genes.” Echoing that sentiment, another fan wrote, “What a Choke job LMFAOOOO” after the JR Motorsports driver was forced to undertake two pass-throughs after being found guilty of a restart violation and was then caught speeding on the pit road.

Denny Hamlin, who has been competing in the Cup Series for nearly 20 years has failed to win the championship, despite coming close on several occasions. With Justin Allgaier making his seventh playoff appearance, one fan likened the two experienced drivers and their inability to perform when the stakes are high. The fan wrote, “Oh he is DEFINITELY now the Hamlin of the Xfinity series 🤣”. He wasn’t the only one to draw parallels between the two veterans, as another fan said, “Justin Allgaier is the Denny Hamlin in Xfinity bro”, even though the 38-year-old managed to prove all his doubters wrong when the checkered flag was waved at Phoenix Raceway.