With maturity comes wisdom. In NASCAR, drivers know when they are crossing their prime and stepping into the retirement zone. But sometimes, they might confuse that time with fulfilling an evasive ambition. The same can be said about one of Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s champion drivers. He went through an up-and-down journey en route to his NASCAR Xfinity Series championship, filled with doubts and apprehensions. However, this driver harnessed quite a bit of his confidence from his better half.

Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s star’s source of conviction

“Actually, like three years ago, I guess almost four now, we sat at a dinner, Friday night before Phoenix,” Justin Allgaier said. “I told my wife, I said, If I win the championship tonight, I’m standing on that stage, I’m dropping the mic, and I’m out. I mean, this is in front of like 25 people at dinner. She was like, ‘No, you’re not.'” He continued, “And now I was like ‘Yeah, I am.’ And she said, ‘No.’ But I realized that moment how much I still love the sport, and there’s still value to give, there’s things to do.”

For 14 full-time NASCAR Xfinity Series seasons, Justin Allgaier waited for his moment of glory. The last time he clinched a championship was in the ARCA Menards Series in 2008. So this arduous period had Allgaier focusing solely on the championship trophy. However, Dale Earnhardt Jr.‘s star, who clinched the 2024 Xfinity Series title, had his wife bring him back to reality.

That has instilled the 39-year-old father of two to push on even after winning the title. In 2025, Justin Allgaier clinched a berth in the Championship 4 alongside some fierce competitors. They included JR Motorsports teammates Connor Zilisch, who fetched 10 wins, and Carson Kvapil, and Richard Childress Racing’s Jesse Love. And the 28-time Xfinity race-winner did not exhibit any level of stress or concern whatsoever.

Now, Justin Allgaier is preparing for a second attempt at the Daytona 500 race. Last year, he wheeled the JR Motorsports No. 40 Cup car, which debuted in the NASCAR Cup Series in 2025, to an impressive 9th-place finish. And Dale Earnhardt Jr. is ready for the 2026 race, with a snazzy orange-and-black old-school paint scheme.

While Justin Allgaier reaches for the stars, he stays true to his roots as well.

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Continuing a family nickname

While preparing for his 16th season in NASCAR, Justin Allgaier has a strong sense of his identity. His nickname, “Lil Gator”, is a familiar part of who he is in the NASCAR garage, but it goes a long way back. Justin’as father, Mike Allgaier, who used to work in the ARCA Menards Series, was instrumental in his son’s success in motorsports. The family business he created, Allgaier Performance, was involved with Hoosier Tire and was a key supplier to the ARCA series. And Mike had a nickname – Gator.

In a 2019 interview with Frontstretch, Justin Allgaier explained how that moniker came into being. “Nobody likes to be called ‘lil’ anything, right? But when my father was born, they told my grandfather, “Mr. Alligator, you can come in and see your son now.” So my dad is always ‘Gator.'” So, when Mike Allgaier took his own son to the garage, people found another name. “Oh, this must be the little gator you always talk about racing.”

Justin Allgair’s family has guided him profoundly on his path to success in NASCAR. Let’s wait and see how he fares in 2026.