"I'm not going to be satisfied":Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s top driver unveils his ultimate '80 points' goal after recovering from disappointing six-week run

Aneesh
NASCAR Xfinity: Drive for the Cure 250 - Source: Imagn
Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s driver Justin Allgaier unveils his ultimate playoff goal (Image: Imagn)

After redeeming his form at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s top-ranked Xfinity Series driver Justin Allgaier revealed his big goal. The #7 JR Motorsports Chevy driver suffered from disappointing "six weeks" but managed to keep himself in the title fight.

The Ambetter Health 302 saw AJ Allmendinger register his maiden 2024 Xfinity Series win, while Allgaier winded a podium finish in P3. The latter posted two victories this season before and comfortably punched his playoff ticket. However, the downfall began a few races before the title fight began.

Allgaier succumbed to a DNF at Atlanta Motor Speedway and his string of disappointing outcomes followed. He finished 17th at Watkins Glen, 30th in Bristol, another DNF in Kansas, and a 25th place finish at the Talladega Superspeedway. The #7 Chevy driver saved himself from getting stripped of the playoffs by placing his machined 7th at Charlotte Roval.

Since his last win at the Michigan International Speedway, the JRM driver took nine race weekends to register another top-5 under his name, at the recently wrapped Las Vegas race.

But the third-place finish on the 1.5-mile tri-oval didn't come easily. On Lap 117, the #7 Chevy's front grill was covered by debris, impacting the airflow and reducing the thrust potential. Though Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s top dog got it off his car, power issues persisted and plagued his race.

After redeeming his form, Allgaier commented on his thirst that only a lead as big as "80 points" could quench. He said (via Bob Pockrass on X).

"Until I have about 80 points going into the next round, I’m not going to be satisfied. This team has worked really hard, and we gave a lot of points away over those six weeks that we were really bad. And I’m proud of the effort. I’m proud of the drive we had today. I’m proud of all the things we did right,” Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s driver said (0:16).

The 38-year-old brimmed with confidence for the upcoming race at Homestead-Miami Speedway, as his team has been working on something that could benefit the #7 Chevy driver.


Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s team's Las Vegas Motor Speedway performance in a nutshell

Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s JRM has four Xfinity drivers on its roster- Justin Allgaier, Sam Mayer, Sammy Smith, and Brandon Jones. While Jones is out of the title fight, the rest are at odds of clinching a title for Junior's venture.

Jones locked the front row with his fourth pole of the season and led 11 laps, but fell to a 17th-place finish. Mayer kicked off the 201 lapper from fourth place but couldn't maintain the pace required to compete with the frontrunners, plummeting to a 14th-place finish.

Smith was the worst finisher for Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s team. Despite starting from fifth, the #8 Chevy driver succumbed to a P32 finish. Much of his disappointing weekend was because of his hard contact with Taylor Gray on the Lap 98 restart.

Justin Allgaier is the sole JRM driver above the elimination line with a 32-point cushion, while Sam Mayer and Sammy Smith are in the playoff bubble. The former is shy of 23 points while the latter has a 53-point deficit.

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Edited by Shirsh
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