NASCAR XFINITY SERIES: CHAMPIONSHIP

November 9, 2024

Justin Allgaier

Dale Earnhardt

Steve O'Donnell

Victory Lane Interview

STEVE O'DONNELL: JR Motorsports, Dale, Kelley, Justin, couldn't ask for a better champion. I've never seen a guy persevere year in and year out, stay after it.

I know this was a tough weekend, but this describes everything about you. You stayed with it. You won. You represent this sport. You are NASCAR.

We thought it was only appropriate that a guy who's retiring for us, who's a legend in the sport, gives it to the next legend of the Xfinity Series. So congratulations, buddy.

Q. 14 years, was it worth the wait?

JUSTIN ALLGAIER: Understated, yeah. This race team right here, Dale, Kelly, L.W., every man and woman that works in this race shop, Jim Pohlman, this gentleman right here, Rick Brandt, the guy stuck through me through thin and thick.

We've had a lot of bad years. Two years ago I sat down to dinner, and on Friday night I told him if I won the championship I was retiring on the spot. My wife said, You can't do that.

I signed a two-year contract a couple of months ago, and I'll be honest with you, I thought I'd have different emotions up here and I thought I'd be ready to be done. But man, it makes me fired up to do it next year and try to win it again. I cannot say enough thank you to Wayne, to everybody that's a part of this group, all of the competitors.

I mean, there's just no words, man. I don't have a voice. I lost it because I was yelling going around the racetrack. That's how excited I was.

I wanted to win the race and the championship. But man, I'll take a championship all day and run second.

The fans are amazing. The industry folks, all the media, it's unbelievable, man. It truly is.

We moved to the CW on broadcast and you fans pay a premium for these tickets. I just wanted to give you all a show tonight and speed on pit road and restart violations and all that fun stuff. I'd have been okay with it being a little easier than it was.

Q. Dale, I know you wanted this for him personally maybe more than anyone who's ever given for you because he has put in so much.

DALE EARNHARDT JR.: Yeah, he has. He's worked so hard. He's gave so much to our team. He's just done so much for us. If there's an image in a dictionary of the model race car driver, it's him. He's been incredible for our partners. Anyone that's worked with him on the partner side loves him. He goes above and beyond there.

And he drives hard. Sometimes too hard. But I'd rather have a driver like that going for it all the time and pushing as hard as he can. He's a lot of fun. We've had a lot of fun over the years, but I've badly wanted him to get this championship because he's a champion. He deserves it.

Q. You were funny because when he mentioned the retirement word, you pulled me aside, like, what?

DALE EARNHARDT JR.: I wouldn't blame him if he did. What a way to go out. But I know he's got a little bit left in the tank and we're going to have some more fun. We're going to win some more races. This is going to be a great celebration. I can't wait to see the rest of the company. Everybody works so hard at JR Motorsports to be competitive and this is a tough, tough series.