Justin Allgaier wept on the frontstretch with his family last November when he was crowned Xfinity Series Champion for the first time in his career. It was a moment filled with emotion, as Allgaier had faced numerous heartbreaks, 6 to be precise, and fought through it all to reach the pinnacle for JR Motorsports. Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s veteran star was finally vindicated. These raw emotions after a championship are rarely replicated, but the only other thing that can bring out such heartfelt feelings is family.
Recently, Justin Allgaier was asked why he always took the time to head to central Illinois, as he was spotted at a Prospect League All-Star baseball game. Allgaier seems to be a bit of a celebrity in Springfield because he got a chance to throw the first pitch of the game. In a candid interview, Allgaier reflected on his relationship with Illinois and why he loves visiting.
Justin Allgaier’s deep love for Springfield, Illinois
Born in Springfield, Illinois, 39-year-old Justin Allgaier started stock car racing at 13 years old. He competed in the UMP Late Model Series before making his ARCA debut in Illinois. His father used to supply tires to race teams and eventually saved up enough money to give Justin that ARCA start. So, for Justin, coming back to Illinois not only meant seeing his childhood tracks again but also visiting most of his family, who all still reside there.
Allgaier reflected on what it means to come to Illinois this time in an interview with WRSP FOX Illinois. Allgaier said, “My parents, in-laws, all of my family still all live in the area. I think for me, it is ultra important to get back home, see everybody, but also support the community. This city and the surrounding areas is just different, it’s special. It’s a different pace of life, completely different living in Charlotte now and being on the East Coast. The longer I’m gone, the more I miss home, and I think that for me is what draws me back in time over time.”
Aside from his family, Justin Allgaier‘s primary sponsor, Brandt Professional Agriculture, is also based in Illinois. However, what makes him the happiest is coming back to see the fans who have supported him from day one. In 2006, he got his first career ARCA win at Illinois State Fairgrounds Racetrack and created history by becoming the first Springfield native to win there in the track’s 72-year history.
Allgaier continued, “Coming back to central Illinois, I’ve been so lucky to have a great childhood here. So many fans have not only supported my racing crew when I was racing around central Illinois, but now that we’ve had the opportunity to go on and race in NASCAR for a number of years, the fans have shown up and shown out year over year. With having Brandt’s offices right here in Springfield, that hometown connection. It’s a big deal, and it’s something that is very important to me. We still have our family business here in Springfield.”
So whenever Dale Earnhardt Jr.‘s veteran goes back to Chicago, he always looks forward to those occasions, and to be fair, who wouldn’t miss home?
Allgaier shines with JRM at Sonoma
After a bit of a dry spell, Justin Allgaier was hoping to get back to Victory Lane. He already has three wins in 2025, namely at Las Vegas, Homestead-Miami, and Nashville, so he is comfortably in the playoffs. However, it would not have hurt to add another race win under his belt, and a road course at that. Allgaier has triumphed at 3 road courses during his Xfinity tenure. His first win was at the Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve in Canada, back in 2012. The #7 driver followed it up with wins at Mid-Ohio and Road America in 2018.
However, there was one major obstacle standing in his way at Sonoma, and his name is Shane van Gisbergen. The road course whiz was coming off a weekend sweep at Chicago and was the clear favorite on Saturday. However, if you thought that they would just roll over and let the Kiwi dominate, then what’s the point of racing? It wasn’t Allgaier who triumphed over the Kiwi, though; it was JRM #88 Connor Zilisch.
It was a stellar battle between the two as Connor Zilisch triumphed by over 1 second in the end. However, JR Motorsports as a whole had a banner day, having 5 cars, including SVG’s part-time #9 entry, in the top-10! Justin Allgaier bounced back from his Chicago slump to finish sixth, while Carson Kvapil and Sammy Smith finished 8th and 9th, respectively. JRM looks the most dominant team in the series right now, with Allgaier leading the points and Zilisch creeping up in 4th place while Kvapil sits in sixth. Do you think JRM can win back-to-back Xfinity Championships in 2025? Let us know in the comments!
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