What a season Justin Allgaier is having. After just 14 races in, the reigning Xfinity Series champ has already secured three wins, more than his entire tally last year. It’s almost like winning the championship after years of disappointment has finally given him that much-needed confidence to unlock his real potential. The veteran is currently first in the standings and is looking well on his way to defending his crown in Phoenix later this year. But not everyone is excited about his dominance on the racetrack.
Prominent NASCAR insider Doug Rice had a knee-jerk reaction after Allgaier was on the verge of winning the Tennessee Lottery 250. However, the co-anchor of Performance Racing Network felt ashamed of his impulsive response, which led to some deep introspection.
Dale Earnhardt Jr’s driver turns up the heat in Nashville
To say that Justin Allgaier has been dominant this season would be an understatement. As things stand, the JR Motorsports driver has ten top-five and top-ten finishes, as well as 638 laps led so far. The No. 7 Chevy is looking like a real force to be reckoned with, and the veteran is driving like a man possessed, determined to defend his crown after his historic win last season. But nobody wants a one-horse race when the stakes are so high, and that’s exactly what led to Doug Rice’s reaction at Nashville Superspeedway.
Revealing his feelings of shame, Doug Rice candidly said on PRN Live, “You know, quickly referring there to Justin Allgaier. I’ve realized what a horrible person I am now. I’ve always pulled for Justin Allgaier. Here’s a guy, needs a championship; he needs to win. He’s in Cup, now he’s back. And then the other day, I found myself, cause he just dominated the race, ‘Oh well, he’s going to win again. Look at that.’ Then I caught myself and said, ‘You’re a horrible person.’”
Dale Earnhardt Jr’s driver had been competing with JR Motorsports full-time since 2016. During the majority of that timeframe, the Illinois native struggled to get over the line on more than one occasion, finishing runner-up in 2020 and 2023. But now that the weight of lifting the championship is finally off his shoulders, Allgaier is driving fearlessly, pushing his limits on the racetrack in what could potentially be the twilight of his career. And that could be the underlying reason behind his dominance in the Xfinity Series.
Echoing that sentiment, Lee Spencer said on PRN Live, “Dale Earnhardt Jr. really believes the championship will be a game-changer for Justin Allgaier, and I have to agree with him. You get that kind of confidence from finally breaking through, and it’s paying off dividends.” After the checkered flag was waved at Nashville Superspeedway, Allgaier was seen lifting his second Gibson guitar trophy, and now his one for each of his daughters, Harper and Willow. The 38-year-old is enjoying life at the moment, driving with a sense of freedom that he has nothing to prove anymore.
Justin Allgaier reflects on career challenges
While it might seem like smooth sailing for Justin Allgaier right now, it wasn’t always like this before. The veteran has been a part of the NASCAR circle for almost two decades, and spent two unsuccessful years with HScott Motorsports in the Cup Series. His time with Dale Earnhardt Jr’s team in the second-tier hasn’t been much easier either, having spent eight full seasons without silverware despite showing great consistency year after year.
When asked about challenges in his career, Allgaier said, “Can I just put my whole career in there? We laugh all the time like, ‘If you want it easy, don’t come to the 7 car.’ If you think it’s going to be easy, the 7 car is not the path you want to go down. In my Cup career, I didn’t handle it well. I didn’t handle the adversity well, I didn’t handle not running good. It’s shifted in my post-Cup career. Even when we don’t have good days, I’m able to be more grateful of the job I get to do and less miserable I didn’t get the good finish I wanted.”
Perhaps that’s why Dale Earnhardt Jr’s driver is not resting on his laurels just yet. Having struggled for years to win the Xfinity Series, he can’t kick back and take it easy now that he has one. If anything, it has only made Justin Allgaier hungry to get that feeling of being a champion once again, which may go on to explain his unparalleled dominance on the racetrack. The journey may have been far from smooth, but all that matters is a happy ending.
The post “You’re a Horrible Person”- Insider Admits Shame as Dale Jr’s NASCAR Driver Sparks Brutal Self-Check appeared first on EssentiallySports.
