$300M worth Dale Earnhardt Jr. “very conflicted” after rollercoaster Michigan race for JR Motorsports

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AUTO: OCT 16 NASCAR Cup Series Playoff South Point 400 - Source: Getty
Dale Earnhardt Jr. feels mixed emotions from JRM's Michigan outing (Image: Getty)

Dale Earnhardt Jr. has shared the experience of encountering a roller coaster of emotions after JR Motorsports' Xfinity Series outing at the Michigan International Speedway. The team entered with five drivers to battle for the highest spot but only two made it to the end, with Justin Allgaier securing the win. However, three of their drivers were unable to finish the race.

Earnhardt Jr., who has a net worth of $300 million (via Celebrity Net Worth), spoke on his mixed emotions about how JRM's weekend at Michigan turned out. Taking his sentiments to X (formerly Twitter), he wrote.

"You enter 5. Wreck 3. A top 6 and a win. I'm happy, sad, mad, glad. Very conflicted. 😂😂."

Justin Allgaier bagged his second NXS win of the season as late-race fuel strategy paid a huge dividend to the #7 Chevy driver. Despite starting from 16th place, the JRM driver posted a fourth-place finish in Stage 1, followed by seventh in the second.

But after his last pitstop under caution on Lap 69, Allgaier's Chevy had fewer laps to go on fuel than the leaders, and, thus, the Illinois native gunned to retake the lead on Lap 108.

Sammy Smith initiated his 128-lap dash from 14th place but stooped to a 28th-place finish in the first stage. However, he soared to fifth in Stage 2 and posted his fourth top-5 of the season finishing in P5.

On the other hand, Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s remaining three drivers, Carson Kvapil, Brandon Jones, and Sam Mayer, couldn't complete their race as they crashed out. Kvapil was one of the late-race leaders but on the final lap, he hit the wall and created a domino effect collecting multiple drivers.

On Lap 50, Jones steered to save himself from Riley Herbst and Ryan Sieg's wreck but got spun and collected his teammate Mayer, and Stewart-Haas Racing's Cole Custer.

Justin Allgaier outlines his "incredible week" at Michigan after surpassing Dale Earnhardt Jr. on the all-time Xfinity series win list

With just 16 laps until the checkered flag dropped, Allgaier benefitted from the pit strategy that gave him the late lead in the race. After taking the white flag as the leader, the #7 driver registered his sixth consecutive top-10 finish, in addition to his second win.

After his first 2024 triumph at Darlington Raceway, Allgaier boasted 24 Xfinity Series wins and came at par with Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s record. But with his Michigan win, the 38-year-old has surpassed his team owner and the NASCAR Hall of Famer. The #7 Chevy driver has 25 wins now and thus, is placed 10th on the Xfinity Series all-time win list

Allgaier outlined his run and praised his team's "tireless" efforts during the mid-season break. He said (via NASCAR).

“Just cannot say thank you enough to this team and all these guys standing right here. It’s been an incredible week. We did not show up at [the last race in] Indianapolis like we wanted to and these guys have worked tirelessly through this break. It’s truly special, winning at Michigan.”

Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s drivers, Sam Mayer and Justin Allgaier, have already secured their playoff seats. Meanwhile, Sammy Smith and Brandon Jones are just below the playoff cutline at 13th and 14th, respectively.

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Edited by Neelabhra Roy
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