Pit This Time may earn a commission when you buy through links on this page. It never affects our coverage. Learn more.
Justin Allgaier planned for 2026 to be his last season. Instead, it became one of the best of his career, ending with his second NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series championship. He says the decision to walk away is what made it possible.
Allgaier told JR Motorsports in December 2025 that he would not return after 2026. Speaking on SPEED with Kevin Harvick and Will Buxton, he said the choice lifted a weight off him.
“When I decided I was quitting, it made me realize why I love the sport way more. You get so caught up in the day-to-day and wanting simulator time, and you know, study time and being in the gym and doing all these things,” Allgaier said. “When I said I was retiring, it took a pressure off of my shoulders that I was like, this is the best thing that’s ever happened to my career.”
https://x.com/SPEEDonFOX/status/2120664167325536531
‘House Money’
Allgaier said people around him noticed he seemed different, even with a title on the line.
“And everybody kept saying, hey, I don’t understand. You do realize you have a championship to go win this weekend, right? Like you were not nervous. You’re not, you know, you just seem free,” he said. “I’m like, yeah, I mean, I was retiring. This is money in the bank. This is house money right here. So I get to go have fun and enjoy it. And I think that that’s been the catalyst for what’s made this year so much fun.”
A Farewell Season That Wasn’t
Allgaier and his family had bought a home in Illinois, and taking over the family business, D&M Speed Shop, was part of the plan. He quietly treated 2026 as a farewell, with throwback helmet designs from different stages of his career.
As the season went on, JRM co-owners Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Kelley Earnhardt Miller talked with him about staying in the No. 7 Chevrolet. Allgaier agreed to a multiyear deal starting in 2027. Read more.
A Championship Season
Allgaier won a career-best six regular-season races and entered the nine-race Chase as the top seed. He went into the Homestead finale with a 22-point lead over Jesse Love, finished seventh and collected 11 stage points to win his second title in three seasons. It was the fifth drivers’ championship in JR Motorsports history.
The 40-year-old also won the O’Reilly Series Most Popular Driver award again this year. Read about his title-clinching race.
Leave a Reply