Someone let the cat out of the bag early, and it was definitely Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s JR Motorsports team. JRM, a team that has a chokehold on the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, just revealed something exciting about their return to the Cup Series next year. For a team that doesn’t exactly see itself competing full-time in the Cup Series, as per Dale Jr., due to financial restraints, this is surely a step forward.

This year, Justin Allgaier, the 2024 NASCAR Xfinity champion, made JR Motorsports’ first-ever Cup Series appearance at the Daytona 500, driving the No. 40 car. And amid leaked emails and hurried announcements, will the NASCAR community see a repeat in 2026?

Justin Allgaier is set to make his second Daytona 500 run

A bunch of leaked messages circulated by JR Motorsports this afternoon strongly suggested that the team will once again team up with Traveller Whiskey to field a Daytona 500 entry for Justin Allgaier in 2026. Consider this an early Christmas present. The email even included a link to the merchandise page, which was taken down almost immediately.

Allgaier, the longtime Xfinity Series driver, would still need to qualify his way into the Daytona 500 because the entry would be an open car without a charter guaranteeing a spot. But how the news surfaced remains unclear, and it definitely seemed like the team hadn’t intended to reveal his Daytona 500 plans just yet. And the quest to run at the esteemed track for the second straight year is definitely on. Last season, JR Motorsports teamed up with Chris Stapleton’s Traveller whiskey to field entries sponsored by the country star’s brand.

Junior was visibly moved when the open entry successfully made its way into the field, and Justin delivered a strong performance in the Daytona 500 itself, finishing ninth after starting 19th, a result that outperformed the full season stats of two Cup drivers in all 36 races of 2025.  After his powerful performance, Justin Allgaier said, “I’ll remember this race for a long time. Regardless of the finish or any of the other stuff, just the emotions of the whole week. I’ll remember this experience for a long time.”

Afterward, Junior mentioned that he would be open to running more events with Traveller if the partnership continued. He said, “It really was good for me, I think, to come here and experience this to see if it was truly something that I felt like I wanted. […] I think this helped me understand that I do want to be here personally. I do feel like it’s what I should be striving for.” And now Dale Jr. gets to relive that moment once more.

This is definitely a bounce back after the disappointing 2025 season. With three of JRM’s top drivers in the Championship 4, many put their money on Xfinity ace Connor Zilisch and veteran Justin Allgaier to walk away with the title this year. But then the NASCAR playoff system was cruel, and Zilsich’s dominant season all year round didn’t stand a chance against it. The 19-year-old phenom was captured fighting back tears while slumping up against his car as he saw his best friend, Jesse Love, rise to the occasion to claim the 2025 Xfinity title.

Moreover, Allgaier’s pit stop gamble derailed his chances of clinching his second Xfinity title, too. However, JRM is more determined than ever, and it can be said with much certainty that the team will be putting its best foot forward for the Daytona 500 race in February. While all this sounds complete and nice, one long-standing question still looms over.

Why is JRM not ready to field a Cup Series team yet?

For years, fans have wondered if JR Motorsports would finally move up to the NASCAR Cup Series. Co-owners and siblings Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Kelley Earnhardt Miller built a powerhouse in the Xfinity series, but as Kelley recently made clear, the jump to Cup isn’t just ambitious; it’s about timing, money, and stability.

Early in August, speaking on NASCAR life, she explained that the biggest obstacle is the massive cost of a charter, which has skyrocketed and left only a few realistic options on the market. With a pending lawsuit, role changes for open cars, and uncertainty surrounding assets like the Rick Ware charter, the financial picture is more complicated than most fans realize.

There’s also the personal side. Kelley is 53, Dale Jr. is close behind, and they are weighing family and long-term sustainability just as much as competition. As she put it, “Neither Dale nor I really feel solid about the opportunities that have been in front of him. We’ve, you know, I’ve had conversations this year with people and opportunities…You know, we love our relationship with Chevrolet. We would not want to do anything that would really hurt that relationship. They’ve been a part of all of our wins, and it’s just been a part of our life since, you know, my dad’s days, and our partners, and we got a great thing going with JRM.”

For now, their priority remains the Xfinity program that has produced wins, stability, and talent for decades. Kelley reaffirms this by saying, “So you know, if the Xfinity Series can stay healthy and we can provide the opportunity that we’ve been providing for…So it’s just still all up in the air, nothing on the horizon that’s gonna send us in that direction right now.” Until a financially sound, partner-aligned opportunity emerges, JRM’s Cup ambitions will stay on hold while their Xfinity success continues, and with these one-off runs, the team isn’t closing the door on the Cup Series entirely.