NASCAR CUP SERIES: DUEL 1 AT DAYTONA

February 13, 2025

Justin Allgaier

Dale Earnhardt

Victory Lane Interview

Q. So much emotion. I heard you on the radio. You have tears in your eyes. Take me through that race and what you were thinking and feeling to the very end.

JUSTIN ALLGAIER: The emotions right now are really just because of how much everybody here has wanted it, Dale and Kelley and L.W. and everybody at JR Motorsports. This guy right here, his hands -- his hands -- we get to race on Sunday. His lip was quivering and his hands were shaking before the race. I don't think I've ever seen that out of Dale Jr. He told me before the race, he said, I'm nervous. I don't want to make you nervous, but I'm really nervous.

It's the truth. This means a lot to our team, this little team of JR Motorsports. Dale Jr. is an amazing race car driver. He's an amazing dad, car owner. You can tell how much he wanted this and our whole shop wanted this.

To see this happen, everybody at Traveller Whiskey, Chris Stapleton will be here on Sunday. I'm excited to see him here and debut this car in the Daytona 500 and JR Motorsports in the Daytona 500. There were so many faces on this car that it worked to make this car happen that this is the first-ever real experience in the Cup Series. We had a lot of veterans as well. Greg Ives was pretty hard on himself last night after qualifying was over.

Just really proud of everybody on this Team Chevy and Hendrick engine shop, everybody that's a part of this. We get to go race the Daytona 500. It's pretty special. I've been here before, Xfinity Series champion, all this stuff. This one means more than I could ever imagine. It's going to be really fun.

Q. Junior, you did it. You have been pacing and nervous. What is this moment like? You finally have a car in the Daytona 500.

DALE EARNHARDT JR.: I'm so proud of Justin. He put the whole team on his back those last couple of laps, and he got to the top. I did not think that was possible, but he got up there and made something work. It was his only shot. Got some help. We got some people to thank.

Just a great race car, great guys. He has put a group together that's motivated. Some special people on this team that I have worked with all the way back to 1998.

But I'm going to tell you, man, this sport is amazing, everything about it. I've seen it from so many different lenses. And I love the challenges. I wouldn't want it any other way. This was hard emotionally, but I can't believe that we get to race on Sunday. I just can't believe it.