Justin Allgaier Bio
Justin Myrl Allgaier (born June 6, 1986) is an American professional stock car racing driver. He competes full-time in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, driving the No. 7 Chevrolet Camaro SS for JR Motorsports, and runs part-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, driving the No. 40 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for JRM. He is the 2008 ARCA Re/Max Series champion, the 2024 NASCAR Xfinity Series champion, and the 2009 NASCAR Nationwide Series Rookie of the Year. He stands 5 feet 6 inches tall and weighs about 146 pounds.
Early Life and Background
Justin Myrl Allgaier was born on June 6, 1986, in Springfield, Illinois, and raised in the nearby community of Riverton. His father, Mike Allgaier, was a longtime racer nicknamed “Gator,” and the family built their own racing operation out of their home state. Young Justin grew up around short tracks and shop work, which shaped his early ambitions.
He began his racing career at age five in quarter midgets, where he won more than one hundred feature races and five championships. At thirteen, Allgaier moved into the UMP Late Model Series and spent three seasons learning the heavier stock cars. From 2004 to 2006, he studied engineering at Lincoln Land Community College while continuing to race.
Path to NASCAR
Allgaier made his ARCA Re/Max Series debut at sixteen at the Illinois State Fairgrounds Racetrack, driving for Ken Schrader. Over the next several seasons he split time between family-owned equipment and established ARCA teams, winning his first ARCA race in 2006 at the Illinois State Fairgrounds and a second at Salem in 2007.
In 2008, he won six ARCA races, including the final three events, and captured the ARCA Re/Max Series championship, ending Frank Kimmel’s eight-year reign. That same year, Allgaier signed with Penske Racing to run a partial NASCAR Nationwide Series schedule. The deal led to a full-time Nationwide ride in 2009, when he was named NASCAR Nationwide Series Rookie of the Year. He has since built a reputation as a steady veteran of NASCAR’s national touring divisions.
Justin Allgaier Career
Early Career (2005–2009)
Allgaier made his NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series debut in 2005, running four events for MB Motorsports in the No. 63 Ford, while continuing to race ARCA cars on weekends. He spent 2006 and 2007 balancing ARCA starts with additional Truck Series efforts, sharpening his skills on ovals of every size.
After winning the 2008 ARCA championship, he joined Penske Racing for a partial Nationwide Series schedule in late 2008. Promoted to the No. 12 Dodge full-time in 2009 with Verizon sponsorship, he earned his first career NASCAR pole at Memphis Motorsports Park and was voted NASCAR Nationwide Series Rookie of the Year.
NASCAR Nationwide Series Breakthrough (2010–2013)
In 2010, Allgaier captured his first Nationwide Series victory at Bristol Motor Speedway and finished the year fourth in points, the highest of any series regular. When Penske shut down the No. 12 Cup car, he moved to Turner Motorsports for 2011 and won the inaugural STP 300 at Chicagoland Speedway after leader Carl Edwards ran dry on the final lap.
In 2012, Allgaier won the NAPA Auto Parts 200 at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal, passing Jacques Villeneuve on the final lap. He also made his Sprint Cup Series debut in 2013 at Chicagoland Speedway in Phoenix Racing’s No. 51 Chevrolet, adding three more Cup starts that fall at Kansas, Talladega, and Phoenix.
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (2014–2015)
Allgaier ran a full 2014 Sprint Cup schedule with HScott Motorsports in the No. 51 Chevrolet SS, finishing 29th in points and third in Rookie of the Year behind Austin Dillon and Kyle Larson. Highlights included leading four laps in the Daytona 500 and contending for the win late in the Aaron’s 499 at Talladega.
In 2015, he ran his first top-ten at Bristol, finishing eighth in the No. 51. After parting ways with HScott Motorsports in October 2015, Allgaier was announced as the full-time driver of the No. 7 for JR Motorsports in the Xfinity Series beginning in 2016, bringing his longtime sponsor Brandt with him.
JR Motorsports Era (2016–Present)
Allgaier joined JR Motorsports in 2016 after connecting with team owner Dale Earnhardt Jr. during driver introductions at Darlington. Although he went winless that year, he finished third in the final standings behind teammate Elliott Sadler and champion Daniel Suárez.
He broke through in 2017, winning the DC Solar 200 at Phoenix for his first victory in five years and adding a second win at Chicagoland Speedway, then earned the 2018 NASCAR Xfinity Series Regular Season Championship with five victories that year. Allgaier returned to the Championship 4 round in 2020 and won at Phoenix in 2019 and 2020, and again in 2023, when he finished second in points.
His defining season came in 2024, when he dominated at Darlington, swept stages, and won the race, then added a Michigan victory. Although he did not win during the playoffs, he advanced on points to the Championship 4 and finished second to Riley Herbst at Phoenix to clinch his first NASCAR Xfinity Series championship after fourteen seasons. On October 25, 2024, Allgaier signed a contract extension with JR Motorsports running through 2026.
Driving Style and Strengths
Allgaier is widely respected for his patience on long runs and his calm approach to late-race restarts. He has earned multiple wins on road courses and short tracks, an outgrowth of road racing lessons he sought early in his career. His longtime partnership with the Brandt sponsor and the JR Motorsports engineering group has produced consistent playoff runs.
Notable Races and Milestones
Signature moments include his first NASCAR win at Bristol in 2010, his victory in the inaugural STP 300 at Chicagoland in 2011, his road course wins at Montreal and Mid-Ohio, and his first career Cup top-ten in the 2015 Bristol night race. The 2024 Xfinity Series championship at Phoenix ranks as the defining milestone of his career.
Justin Allgaier Career Wins
Justin Allgaier has built one of the most consistent résumés in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, highlighted by the 2024 series championship and multiple Most Popular Driver awards from 2019 through 2021 and 2023 through 2025. He has also recorded victories in the ARCA Re/Max Series and has earned wins across ovals, road courses, and short tracks.
NASCAR Xfinity Series Highlights
Allgaier has won numerous Xfinity Series races, including the 2010 Bristol event, the 2011 Chicagoland race, the 2012 Montreal road course race, the 2017 Phoenix and Chicagoland races, multiple wins in 2018, and several playoff victories from 2019 through 2024. His most recent wins came during the 2024 championship run and the 2025 stretch at Las Vegas, Homestead, and Nashville. He was the 2018 NASCAR Xfinity Series Regular Season Champion and the 2024 NASCAR Xfinity Series champion.
Other Wins and Performances
Earlier in his career, Allgaier won the 2008 ARCA Re/Max Series championship with six victories, including the final three races of that season. He also earned a Chili Bowl feature win in his development years and has competed in selected sports car events, including Porsche GT3 Cup Brasil endurance rounds with co-driver Miguel Paludo.
| Series | Wins | Top Tens | Poles |
|---|---|---|---|
| NASCAR Xfinity Series | Multiple (16+ supported) | Multiple | Multiple |
| ARCA Re/Max Series | Multiple (8 supported) | Multiple | 1 supported |
Justin Allgaier Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Allgaier’s father, Mike Allgaier, was a stock car racer known by the nickname “Gator,” and the family operated their own racing team out of Illinois. Justin carries the playful nickname “Little Gator,” a nod to his last name and his father’s reputation. Many of his early ARCA and Truck Series starts came in cars owned or prepared by his father.
Personal Life
Allgaier is married to his wife, Ashley, and the couple has two daughters, Harper and Willow. He attended Lincoln Land Community College, where he studied engineering from 2004 to 2006. After his 2024 Xfinity Series championship, December 14 was proclaimed “Justin Allgaier Day” in Springfield, Illinois, and December 9, 2025, was recognized as “Justin Allgaier Day” across the state of Illinois.
2025 Season Performance
Allgaier opened 2025 with a strong Cup Series moment at the Daytona 500, racing his way into the field through Duel 1 and finishing ninth in JRM’s No. 40 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1. The result marked his first Cup Series top-ten since Bristol in 2015 and JRM’s first top-ten in the Cup Series.
Back in the Xfinity Series, an eighteenth-place finish at Daytona was quickly followed by back-to-back wins at Las Vegas and Homestead, then a third victory at Nashville. The early-season surge kept him near the top of the standings and set the tone for another deep playoff run with JR Motorsports.
Allgaier also continued making selected Cup starts for JRM, including the announced entry for the 2026 Daytona 500 with Traveller Whiskey returning as sponsor. Heading into the heart of 2025, he remained a fixture in the Xfinity Series playoff conversation and a steady presence in JRM’s growing Cup program.
