The 2025 Pennzoil 250 at Indy had everything you’d want from a wild summer Xfinity race. There was intensity, chaos, and a dramatic finish that kept fans on edge. With playoff pressure heating up, drivers were going full send on every restart. In the middle of all the madness? Connor Zilisch pulled off a jaw-dropping third win in a row and gave JR Motorsports its 100th career victory. But the biggest buzz wasn’t just about the win.

Rather, it was the gut-wrenching way it unfolded. Justin Allgaier was this close to locking down that historic win for JRM, until contact with Kyle Larson spoiled the party. Larson’s Cup Series cameo added star power to the race, but also sparked controversy in the closing laps. And yeah, what went down between him and Allgaier? That’s what everyone’s talking about.

Kyle Larson ends Justin Allgaier’s shot at history

With just 14 laps to go at the Pennzoil 250, Justin Allgaier was in prime position to make JR Motorsports history. The veteran lined up on the outside as the control car on a late restart, poised to claim the team’s 100th Xfinity Series win. It was also supposed to be Allgaier’s second at the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

But on the inside was Kyle Larson, making one of his signature Xfinity cameos, and what looked like a fair fight for the lead quickly turned into disaster. As the two raced door-to-door into Turn 2, Larson got loose off the corner. “He drove by me pretty quick,” Larson said. “Just took enough air off my right side, where I was just kind of along the right there was trying to miss him. But of course, we got into him.”

The contact sent Allgaier hard into the outside wall, ending his day in heartbreak. Larson, who rebounded to finish fourth, was visibly remorseful. “Honestly, I don’t know what I could have done differently yet,” he said post-race. “He’s just there on my door, but I am the one in control of my car. Still in my hands. So yeah, you need not have that happen.”

For Allgaier, the crash robbed him not only of a possible win but of a historic moment with the team he’s been loyal to for a decade. However, Dale Jr. did achieve that milestone as Connor Zilisch won the race. And for Larson, it was an unfortunate consequence of racing hard in a series he doesn’t run full-time. The incident quickly stole the spotlight, even from Connor Zilisch’s impressive win. It even prompted an unexpected midrace text exchange between team owners.

Rick Hendrick’s midrace text to Dale Jr.

The wreck didn’t just shake up the race, it hit nerves across the NASCAR world. Moments after the crash, Rick Hendrick himself, Kyle Larson’s Cup Series boss, reportedly texted Dale Earnhardt Jr. during the broadcast. Yeah, midrace. That’s how big this moment was. Hendrick, understanding the emotional weight of what just happened, wanted to let Dale Earnhardt Jr. know he felt bad about the whole thing.

And Junior? He didn’t hold back. Speaking on-air, he said what a lot of people were probably thinking: “You put good race car drivers in good cars, they’re going to run together and sometimes wreck together. Larson’s a guy that’s going to lay it out on the line. I know it wasn’t intentional, and it hurts.” Then came the gut-punch tribute.

He called out how much Allgaier’s done for JR Motorsports over the years. It wasn’t just about this race. It was about loyalty, longevity, and how this win could’ve been a crowning moment. “I hate it for Justin because he wants to do it. He’s been our, he’s kind of our cornerstone of our company for so many years. Just very dependable and reliant and so great to our partners over the years, and he wants to do these things for us,” Dale Jr. said.

Larson, for his part, was clearly shaken too. He owned it, saying he didn’t mean to make contact and planned to go back and study what happened. “I wish I would’ve gotten clear there off of (turn) 1. He (Allgaier) didn’t really pack air on my door there. He just got enough where I got a little bit loose. My angle was bad because I was trying to short cut my entry,” Larson told CW Sports.

It wasn’t a hard shot. Instead, it was just one of those awkward moments where aero and aggression mix into something no one wants to see. As for Allgaier, he didn’t need to say much. The disappointment was all over his face. So close to a historic win. So close to giving JRM its 100th victory. And instead? Just a busted-up car and a what-if that’ll sting for a while.