Jeff Gordon hails former Hendrick Motorsports teammate for historic achievement at Daytona 500 Qualifying

Hendrick Motorsports vice chairman Jeff Gordon shared words of encouragement for Dale Earnhardt Jr. after JR Motorsport's Justin Allgaier secured the team's first-ever spot in a NASCAR Cup Series race. Allgaier finished ninth during the final laps of the first Daytona 500 Duel on Thursday night.

Earnhardt Jr. and Gordon, who competed in the NASCAR Cup Series for Hendrick Motorsports during the 2000s and 2010s, celebrated the result together. Gordon later posted a picture with him on Instagram.

"So proud of this guy!! What a job by everyone at @jrmotorsports and @teamhendrick," Jeff Gordon wrote.

Earnhardt Jr. co-owns JR Motorsports with his sister Kelley Earnhardt Miller. The team debuted in the Xfinity Series two decades ago and has won 88 races and four championships. Its latest title came when Allgaier won the 2024 NASCAR Xfinity Series championship.

Allgaier will race from the 18th starting position in the No. 40 car, which is sponsored by Traveller Whiskey. The Daytona 500 is scheduled to begin at 2:30 pm on Sunday, February 16.

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"There was pressure" - Jeff Gordon on JR Motorsports' NASCAR Cup entry

JR Motorsports also partnered with Hendrick Motorsports for its NASCAR Cup Series debut. Traveller Whiskey is owned by country music star Chris Stapleton, who is friends with Hendrick Motorsports owner Rick Hendrick.

Jeff Gordon, who retired from full-time racing in the Cup Series after the 2015 season, is the Hendrick Motorsports vice chairman and manages the team's competition department. The four-time Cup champion talked about the JR Motorsports' open entry for the 67th running of the Daytona 500.

"With him (Stapleton) wanting to promote his brand now, he reached out to Mr. Hendrick. The next thing you know, here we are," Jeff Gordon said (via NASCAR.com).

"Pressure. There was pressure. I mean, you don’t want to disappoint. We take a lot of pride in the relationship that we have with JR Motorsports. We think of them as family, and they’ve done a lot for us, developing people and drivers and things along the way. But this has been different."

Four other open teams will race at the Daytona 500 including Rick Ware Racing's Corey Lajoie (No. 01), Legacy Motor Club's Jimmie Johnson (No. 84), Tricon Garage's Martin Truex Jr. (No. 56), and Trackhouse Racing's Helio Castroneves (No. 91).

While other teams competed for the four open spots, Trackhouse Racing opted for the new rule, open exemption provisional which allows successful drivers from other racing series get a guaranteed entry to NASCAR Cup races. Four-time Indy 500 winner Castroneves will start the race from the 41st position.

JR Motorsports does not plan to run other Cup races this year after the Daytona 500.