Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s NASCAR driver receives ‘well-deserved surprise’ for championship-winning exploits

Justin Allgaier, who won the 2024 NASCAR Xfinity Series championship for Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s team, has recently been conferred a unique honor. The mayor of Springfield showed up at a recent event to hand it over to the 38-year-old JR Motorsports driver.

Allgaier won his first-ever NASCAR championship at Phoenix Raceway on November 9 and with that, wrapped his 14th full-time season in the Xfinity Series. His No. 7 Chevy flaunted the colors of his longtime partner BRANDT, with who he is expected to run 20 races in 2025 as well as 2026.

To make his achievement even more memorable, Mayor Misty Buscher announced that December 14th would forever be observed as Justin Allgaier and BRANDT Day.

“Justin Allgaier, a proud native of Riverton, Illinois has risen to prominence as a distinguished figure in the world of motorsports, achieving remarkable success in NASCAR and other racing circuits and representing the state of Ilinois with unparalleled dedication, skill and integrity, under the leadership of the BRANDT family,” Buscher said. “Therefore, I, Misty Buscher, the Mayor of the city of Springfield along with our city council proclaim that December 14th, 2024 shall forever be Justin Allgaier and BRANDT day.”

Winning this year’s series title was a big moment for Allgaier. He entered the championship race with 25 victories at the Xfinity level. However, despite making seven final four appearances in the past nine seasons, the titular win had always eluded the Springfield, Illinois native.

Allgaier closed the season with two wins, 10 top-5s, and 20 top-10s in 33 starts. He is the current record-holder for most top-10 finishes (275) in the history of the Xfinity Series and has never ended up lower than seventh in points.

Justin Allgaier hopes to jump-start renewal with Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s team

On October 25, JR Motorsports announced that Justin Allgaier will remain with JR Motorsports through the 2026 season. Expressing his thoughts on the same, Allgaier stated,

“It feels great to be returning to JRM and to continue our partnership with BRANDT Professional Agriculture.”

Allgaier and BRANDT Professional Agriculture joined forces for the first time in 2011 when he used to drive the No. 31 Impala for Turner Motorsports. Allgaier joined JR Motorsports in 2016 and won 22 of his Xfinity wins under the banner of the North Carolina-based outfit.

“I’m honored to be able to continue to drive this No. 7 Chevrolet for Dale (Earnhardt Jr.) and Kelley and compete for race wins and championships. Hopefully we can get this renewal jump started on a strong note,” he added (as quoted by Frontstretch).

Allgaier’s first race of the upcoming season is on February 15 at Daytona International Speedway. The 120-lap event will stream live on CW from 5 pm ET onwards. Fans can also listen to radio updates on MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.