At long last, Dale Earnhardt Jr. will finally realize his dream. His JR Motorsports team has been tearing up the Xfinity Series field, and it was time for an upgrade for so long. A step-up to the NASCAR Cup Series had to be on the cards and inevitable. Unfortunately, the promotion never quite materialized for the team, largely thanks to the charter system.

Things have changed a little in 2025, and JR Motorsports is making its NASCAR Cup debut. Driver Justin Allgaier worked hard for it, finishing ninth in the first Duel at Daytona Thursday night. He did his part but, just being the team owner will not make Dale Jr. a part of the winning team (if JRM wins). He has to be involved in the processes of team curation. But, how?

Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s plan of  involvement in the Daytona 500

Dale Earnhardt Jr. plans to be alongside his driver via radio on track. It will be great to see him bring his expertise of Daytona to Justin Allgaier. After winning the Daytona 500 twice as a racer, the only thing Dale Jr, could work towards was adding a third trophy to his cabinet, but as an owner this time. However, something does not add up. As the owner of JR Motorsports, which has competed in the Xfinity Cup since 2006, fans have never seen him on the radio with his drivers. But, what makes this so special?

Addressing this, Dale Earnhardt Jr. said in a press conference, “I feel totally uncomfortable doing that (talking to the racer) on the Xfinity radios. I’m around that group so closely, I don’t like to get in their way. The crew chiefs and so forth, they have a plan. We spend the whole year planning, game planning, and it’s like ‘Who’s this guy talking? We got a plan, okay!’ This has been ours, this thing felt like I could just jump right in there.” This looks like a fair assumption to make.

When other people are involved in making something work, it could be perceived as quite rude to barge in, even if you are the owner. That being said, the ex-NASCAR driver confessed that he would be open to chipping in, here and there. All this just goes to show that he is nervous because of a lot riding on this. As a team owner fielding his cars in the Cup Series for the first time, it has to be nerve-wracking. But, he feels a lot more confident about the upcoming ‘Great American Race’.

“I felt like what I had to say on the radio would be helpful. Thought he (Justin Allgaier) knew it too, ‘Hey man! I’m thinking this way.’ He may have more confidence in his thoughts. We’re racing drivers so we kind of see the same thing… I’ll talk for sure, a lot,” Dale Jr. said, reflecting on the matching mindsets of racers. No matter what the owner has to suggest as a racer, he cannot get behind the wheel! Allgaier has to do a lot on his own to stay on the track. And, that’s exactly why his real-time perspective would matter more than Junior’s experience. Justin was the one who bagged this opportunity, and it is going to be his moment.

Justin Allgaier’s JR Motorsports Cup debut is off to a good start

JR Motorsports was one of the open cars to qualify for the Daytona 500. However, credit where it’s due, country singer Chris Stapleton wanted to sponsor a Daytona 500 car to promote his Traveller Whiskey. But, fielding a car for the weekend is one thing, and it could have so easily ended too early if Justin Allgaier had failed to qualify! Fortunately, that did not come to pass and Allgaier will line up 19th on the grid.

The way qualifying for the Great American Race works, is that there are 36 full-time charters, who automatically make it. From there, there are four more grid slots available, as well as a 41st slot for the Open Exemption Provisional, should they need it. Many racers and fans thought that newly-turned NASCAR driver, Helio Castroneves would qualify for the race on merit! Here’s what Ryan Blaney thought about it. But, the battle is on now, players have put on their gloves.

Allgaier, Corey LaJoie, Jimmie Johnson, and Martin Truex Jr. made it through on merit. Meanwhile, Helio Castroneves failed to make it on merit and took the 41st slot. After qualifying, LaJoie is 12th, with Allgaier 19th, Truex Jr 39th, Johnson 40th, and Castroneves bringing up the rear. With a few hours remaining, all we can expect is chaos, classy racing and, maybe some unpleasant sights.