“I don’t want to do it any more than I want to do it now”: Dale Earnhardt Jr. makes his feelings known on JR Motorsports’ unprecedented move

JR Motorsports, a NASCAR Xfinity Series team owned by Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt Jr., will run the crown jewel Daytona 500 for the first time this year. Although it’s unknown whether JR Motorsports will be switching to a full-time Cup Series schedule soon, Dale Jr. wants this for his team more than anything else.

Driven by drivers like Pete Hamilton, Sterling Marlin, Bobby Hamilton, Steve Park, Joe Nemechek, and Kenny Wallace in the past, the No. 40 Chevy Camaro will now have Justin Allgaier behind its wheel. Allgaier, the reigning series champion, will attempt to qualify in one of the four open spots.

“I don’t want to do it any more than I want to do it now," Dale Earnhardt Jr. said (via FOX) of his team’s upcoming Daytona debut. "I’ve always wanted to do it."

However, this doesn’t translate into a full season in the Cup Series for JR Motorsports. Their entry only became possible because American singer and songwriter Chris Stapleton wanted to promote Traveller Whiskey, which he co-owns.

“There’s no conversation or plan beyond the Daytona race, but as we always have been, we have been open to opportunity and possibility. It’s got to make sense,” Dale Earnhardt Jr. explained.

The 500-mile event is scheduled for Sunday, February 16. Fans can watch it on FOX from 2:30 pm ET or listen to live radio updates on MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

“I didn’t expect to be the one”- Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s Xfinity driver reflects on his upcoming Daytona 500 bid

Justin Allgaier has competed in the Daytona 500 twice before but never with JR Motorsports. According to FOX, this will be his 83rd career start in the Cup Series.

According to Dale Jr., the upcoming Daytona feat is a continuation of the celebration that began with Allgaier winning the 2024 Xfinity Series championship. However, the 38-year-old Spaulding native wasn’t expecting a call to run what the racing aficionados call the “Great American Race”.

On that note, Allgaier said,

“When we sat down in the office, and they started describing what the plan was and what they were going to do, I didn’t expect to be the one they asked to drive it.”

"I felt like, because I had been there for so long, they were just telling me what they were going to do before they announced it,” he added.

For Dale Jr.’s sister and team co-owner Kelley Earnhardt Miller, a Daytona outing will only help them consider if they would like to do more Cup races like these in the future, or perhaps seek a full-time stint at the Cup level. After all, JR Motorsports has expressed interest in moving the ladder before. However, they backed out every time, considering how expensive charters are these days.