“Trying Not to Cry”- Dale Earnhardt Jr Dissects Painful Emotions on Justin Allgaier’s Back-to-Back Championship Fail

JR Motorsports had to endure another instance of agony. The Xfinity Series Championship 4 race provided the team a chance to redeem itself after a close miss in the 2022 edition. However, fate had other plans. The driver of the N0.1, Sam Mayer, and the #7 Chevy driver, Justin Allgaier, making it to the final 4 raised the hopes of team owner Dale Earnhardt Jr by a level. Well, having half of the drivers in contention for the title from a single team is a huge boost for any team owner.

Stewart-Haas Racing’s Cole Custer eventually ended up winning the championship in what was a great display of nail-biting racing. Even after the late overtime restart, the four title contenders were moving side by side with three laps to go. While John Hunter Nemechek missed Turn 1 led to Allgaier leading for a brief moment in the last laps, Custer fought his way back into the lead.

A second successive heartbreak for Dale Earnhardt Jr and JR Motorsports

Justin Allgaier faced initial hiccups in the most important race of the season with an early spin. The difficulties for the #7 team were visible in the qualifying race, as they ended up in P8. The 37-year-old driver tried to find an opening on the inside of Nemechek in the beginning laps of the race but had nowhere to go and slid through Turns 1 and 2.

However, he put this miscalculation behind him and battled back to contend for the lead. Allgaier finished third, and that was a repeat of last year’s championship race result as well. Reflecting upon a painful deja vu, team owner Dale Earnhardt Jr said, “I saw Allgaier at the end of this race last year.”

“I walked up to him, and man, we were both heartbroken, right? I told him, let’s not do that again. We’re going to win this year. We are standing there there on the pit road, trying not to cry. We don’t win.”

Congratulating the champion Cole Custer on a well-deserved championship win after a return to full-time racing in Xfinity after three years in the top flight, Junior then added, “Cole Custer wins a deserving championship. Cole is back down in the Xfinity Series after a little short stint in the Cup Series, trying to prove that he belongs in the Cup Series. He goes out there and gets it done.”

The #00 driver had a relatively unrewarding stay in the Cup Series, with just one win in three years. This year, he has been a revelation on the road and used the opportunity at hand to the best of his abilities. Tony Stewart has also confirmed that Custer will be retaining his seat on the team next year.

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Junior and Allgaier were proud of their efforts.

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In 2022, Allgaier finished third behind eventual Cup Series debutants Ty Gibbs and Noah Gragson. As for JR Motorsports, their last Xfinity title came five years ago, in 2018. Following two consecutive championship wins by William Byron in 2017 and Tyler Reddick in 2018, the drought has continued ever since. However, this year’s loss didn’t hurt Dale Earnhardt Jr and Co. as much as last season.

“I walked up to Allgaier and said, ‘Man, I tell you, I don’t really, I don’t feel as heartbroken as I did last year.’ He goes, ‘I don’t either.’ We’re not going to stand here and pout. I said you know, I feel like we put up a good fight for it. We weren’t good enough.”

One can sense some honesty and humility behind Dale Jr’s words. As much as they would have liked to end their winless streak, the day wasn’t theirs. Allgaier also expressed his disappointment after the race but jotted down some positives from their effort.

Junior continued the consolation as he revealed, “He goes, yep, I feel the same way. We raced them hard, we had a shot, and we just didn’t get it done. Looking ahead to 2024, man, we’ve got a lot to be excited about.”

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2024 holds a horde of opportunities for the team. With the continuously floating rumors of the team transitioning into the Cup Series, there is always a hope of seeing Dale Earnhardt Jr return as an owner to the top flight. Close losses have certainly built character and mentality within the team, and that could be instrumental for them should a move take place.