Justin Allgaier has seen been there and done that. But as of today, the defending Xfinity Series champion has found himself among a sea of young and talented drivers. As he marked his spot in the Championship 4 at Talladega, the 39-year-old is set to race his JR Motorsports teammates and rookies, Connor Zilisch and Carson Kvapil.

Add Richard Childress Racing’s 20-year-old driver, Jesse Love, who has also been dominant this season, and the title fight is set to be extremely intense. With a lot of young blood in the mix, the rookies and sophomores have the burning desire to come up the ranks and have a lot to prove. But before they get ahead of themselves, Justin Allagier, ever the kind veteran, has a few gospel truths to live by.

Justin Allgaier gets real about pre-race pressure at season finale

Speaking on the Dale Jr. Download, the 39-year-old had a few words of advice to share. He said, “When you really stand on that stage, and you go through all the media stuff, you said it earlier. You’re going to answer the same questions 37 times. So what? So what? Enjoy it. Because someday, they’re not going to ask you the questions. Look, I’m to the point where my end of the road is a lot closer than the beginning, right? I didn’t enjoy a lot of these moments.” He went on to say, “Just enjoy it this week, it’s really easy to get caught up and be nervous and all the stuff.”

Allgaier is going against Connor Zilisch, Jesse Love, and Carson Kvapil, all drivers who are either already in their early 20s or catching up to 20. But Justin has one thing the rookies do not have, and that is experience. And the Illinois native knows this all too well. Last year, ahead of the Championship 4 race, Allgaier was trying out a slightly different approach to Phoenix.

In the media availability last year, he said, “I’m just looking at this [Championship Race] a lot differently than I have in years past. I don’t feel the pressure of the championship like I have in years past…being here as many times as I have and it’s not worked out, you get this sense of peace of like, ‘I’ve been here before and not been able to accomplish it.’ So, with a different mindset, we’ll see what happens.”

And that is exactly when he got his first-ever Xfinity championship after more than a decade of coming close. He finished second behind race winner Riley Herbst by doing enough in the finale to outpoint the other contenders. Herbst dominated the race, leading a whopping 167 of 213 laps, and took the checkered flag in overtime. But Justin Allgaier recovered from mid-race setbacks, including penalties and a brief lap-down situation, to charge back through the field and cross the line in second, securing the championship on points.

Now it is extremely easy to get lost in the pressure and the anxiety of being a playoff contender. But that is exactly what Justin is trying to eliminate from the minds of the young drivers.

And as it stands, the other three drivers have been nothing short of dominant. Connor Zilsch’s 2025 season has been phenomenal, as he scored 10 wins, led laps in 20 consecutive races, and set an Xfinity record with 18 straight top-five finishes, posting a historic 2.1 average finish in that span. He also became the first-ever driver to win eight races in an 11-race stretch. And this weekend marks his final shot at the Xfinity title before moving to the Cup Series with Trackhouse Racing next year.

Jesse Love, on the other hand, has been the picture of consistency for RCR with 21 top tens, second to his 19-year-old best friend, Zilisch’s 22 top tens. However, the elephant in the room remains Phoenix. Though he hasn’t dominated a Phoenix race yet, he has proven to be fast at the track, leading in double overtime at last year’s finale before being passed by Justin Allgaier and finishing sixth.

Last but not least, we have Carson Kvapil, who is entering Phoenix as the underdog. He is winless but steady. The JRM rookie has seven top fives and 14 top tens this year, though he trails the Championship 4 in every major start. Still, this short-track specialist is optimistic heading into a track that suits his style. However, he has just one Phoenix attempt on his resume, where he finished 26th in the spring after being marred with mechanical woes. Regardless of the result, the 22-year-old’s seat remains, as Junior just promoted him to full-time racing in 2026.

But with Justin’s approach to enjoying every moment of it, the 39-year-old is more than ready to reclaim his Xfinity title. And with Denny Hamlin backing the veteran, Allgaier is ready to take on the rookies on track.

Justin Allgaier gets real about his chances on a back-to-back title

As the NASCAR championship weekend is on its cusp, Justin Allgaier also shared his own thoughts about his chances of conquering back-to-back titles. The 39-year-old will be defending the trophy against his two JR Motorsports teammates and one Richard Childress Racing driver.

Allgaier brings his 16+ years of racing in stock car series to Phoenix Raceway, and the No. 7 driver has claimed victory twice at the ‘desert oddball.’ Moreover, in the spring race, the Illinois native led a race-high of 130 laps but settled for a fifth-place finish.

And now, speaking on the Dale Jr. Download podcast, Allgaier is making his feelings known about the upcoming finale in Arizona. As he reflected on his spring race, he said, “We had a great car here in the spring, and I feel like we have a really strong notebook for what we will need when we unload on Friday. If we can just go out and execute to the best of our abilities, I think we are going to have a strong chance to accomplish something great on Saturday night.”

But with 3 out of 4 JR Motorsports drivers fighting for the title, Jesse Love remains one of the major threats as the field closes up and tensions rise. But it’s only a matter of time before the Xfinity champion gets crowned, and with all the buzz, the eyes are on Phoenix, and all contenders are more than ready to do whatever it takes.