BRISTOL, TN - SEPTEMBER 20: Dale Earnhardt, Jr 88 JR Motorsports Hellmann s Chevrolet looks on during qualifying for the running of the NASCAR, Motorsport, USA Xfinity Series Food City 300 on September 20, 2024, at Bristol Motor Speedway in Bristol, TN. Photo by Jeffrey Vest/Icon Sportswire AUTO: SEP 20 NASCAR Xfinity Series Food City 300 EDITORIAL USE ONLY Icon240920557
BRISTOL, TN - SEPTEMBER 20: Dale Earnhardt, Jr 88 JR Motorsports Hellmann s Chevrolet looks on during qualifying for the running of the NASCAR, Motorsport, USA Xfinity Series Food City 300 on September 20, 2024, at Bristol Motor Speedway in Bristol, TN. Photo by Jeffrey Vest/Icon Sportswire AUTO: SEP 20 NASCAR Xfinity Series Food City 300 EDITORIAL USE ONLY Icon240920557
Jul 17, 2026, 4:02 AM CUT
Dale Jr's JRM confirms return of NASCAR champion amidst retirement rumors
Entering the 2026 season, Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s JRM driver, Justin Allgaier, had admitted to his plans of stepping away from the sport at the end of the season. However, those plans seem to have changed.
Earlier this year, during his media availability in Nashville, the 2024 O’Reilly champion spoke candidly about his future in the sport. He admitted that he considered leaving the sport at the end of the season when his contract ended, saying, "I can't promise you anything."
However, co-owner of JR Motorsports, Kelley Earnhardt, has put these rumors to rest. During her recent appearance on SiriusXM NASCAR radio, while talking to Larry McReynolds, Kelley revealed that Allgaier will be back with the team for the next couple of seasons in the O’Reilly series.
"Justin is just – he's been on fire, and I'm so glad that we talked him into coming back for a couple more years and not retiring yet and continuing to see what they can rack up," she said in the interview posted on X on Thursday.
DAYTONA BEACH, FL - FEBRUARY 12: Chief Executive Officer of JR Motorsports Kelley Earnhardt Miller takes a picture with Justin Allgaier 40 JR Motorsports Traveller Whiskey Chevrolet and her brother Dale Earnhardt Jr. prior to qualifying for the NASCAR, Motorsport, USA Cup Series Daytona 500 on February 12, 2025 at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, FL. Photo by Jeff Robinson/Icon Sportswire AUTO: FEB 12 NASCAR Cup Series Daytona 500 EDITORIAL USE ONLY Icon2502125864500
DAYTONA BEACH, FL - FEBRUARY 12: Chief Executive Officer of JR Motorsports Kelley Earnhardt Miller takes a picture with Justin Allgaier 40 JR Motorsports Traveller Whiskey Chevrolet and her brother Dale Earnhardt Jr. prior to qualifying for the NASCAR, Motorsport, USA Cup Series Daytona 500 on February 12, 2025 at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, FL. Photo by Jeff Robinson/Icon Sportswire AUTO: FEB 12 NASCAR Cup Series Daytona 500 EDITORIAL USE ONLY Icon2502125864500
While she stopped short of making a formal announcement, Earnhardt revealed that the fans will continue to see the 40-year-old behind the wheel of the No. 7 car.
"We might have him sticking around. I think you can count on him being with us and seeing him here at Junior Motorsports in the future, for sure," she added.
The Earnhardts’ faith in Justin Allgaier is a given, as he has continued to deliver impressive results in 2026. With three races to go in the regular season, he leads the driver's championship with 966 points, 240 more than second-placed Jesse Love. He also has six wins under his belt.
As of now, there has been no official announcement of the contract extension from Dale Jr’s team or Allgaier himself. However, this is not the only big news for Earnhardt Jr this week.
Dale Jr strikes a deal with Speedway Motorsports
On Wednesday, July 15, Dale Earnhardt Jr., alongside Kevin Harvick, Jeff Burton, and Justin Marks, announced Speedway Motorsports CEO Marcus Smith as the new co-owner of the zMAX CARS Tour. This marks a milestone in the series as they continue to grow.
In light of this, Dale Jr. made a post on his X account sharing his thoughts about the deal. He wrote,
"Marcus and I have been friends for a long time. He’s been able to see what we are building as a sponsor of the Cars Tour for a few years now," Earnhardt Jr. posted. "There are thousands of Legends car racers across the country that could potentially choose a path through the Cars Tour on their journey to becoming NASCAR champions. This is us all working together to provide those opportunities for current and future racers."
Under this deal, the zMAX CARS Tour will have access to all of SMI-owned tracks that host NASCAR races. This includes North Wilkesboro, Bristol Motor Speedway, Charlotte Motor Speedway, and Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
It will be interesting to see what this new partnership can do for the Dale Earnhardt Jr. co-owned zMAX CARS Tour.
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Written by
Chionia Libania Colaco
Edited by
Yash Kotak