NASCAR Veteran crew chief and former Xfinity Series driver Rodney Childers has reacted to Dale Jr. and JRM’s announcement regarding Justin Allgaier’s 2026 Daytona 500 attempt. The 39-year-old will make his second consecutive attempt at the elusive Daytona 500 after finishing inside the top-10 in the 2025 edition of the race.
Allgaier has been with Dale Jr.’s team since 2016. The driver-team partnership has amassed numerous race wins and even an Xfinity Series championship, which they won in 2024.
With the pair going strongly together, they decided to take part in the 2025 Daytona 500. He started 19th for the fabled race and slowly made his way up the field to eventually finish ninth on the road.
This was the 39-year-old’s best finish ever at the Daytona 500, and after having a stellar outing, JRM and Allgaier have again joined hands to take on the event as the team announced on its social media:
“How about another round in Daytona? 🥃”
With Rodney Childers being one of the key figures for JRM in the 2026 season, he was stoked by the announcement and wrote on X:
“👊🏼👊🏼 So excited for everyone @JRMotorsports!”
Meanwhile, the 2026 Daytona 500 attempt will mark JRM’s second start in the Cup Series, as its maiden start came alongside the 2025 race.
Dale Jr. wants NASCAR to succeed in the long run
While JRM is flourishing in the Xfinity Series (O’Reilly Auto Parts Series as it would be called in 2026) and slowly expanding into the Cup Series, NASCAR is often at the center of scrutiny by many people within the racing sphere. The playoff format, the governing of the races, and other issues often drive the racing series to the center of debate.
Dale Jr. represents a large voice in NASCAR, so when asked about how he moderates his words and how it could leave an impact on the racing scene altogether, he told The Athletic:
“If NASCAR failed, or if NASCAR was to diminish, all the things that I ever accomplished — or more importantly, that my dad accomplished — are less valuable, less important. I want NASCAR to succeed and be the greatest thing ever. We’ve all got our own version of NASCAR, and what we think NASCAR could be and should be. I believe in its success. But it’s hard sometimes to keep your mouth shut.”
“But I have a format that I love better than the one we use today. So I can tell you both things, and they both can be true.”
Meanwhile, Dale Jr. made his last race start in the NASCAR national series in 2024 and has since only raced Late Models as he continues his racing career.
Edited by Geetansh Pasricha
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