When Justin Allgaier arrived at Sonoma Raceway for the latest Xfinity Series round, the pressure was quietly mounting. Despite being one of the most experienced drivers in the field, Allgaier’s 2025 season on road courses had been anything but smooth. Mechanical failures and setup struggles had plagued his earlier efforts, leaving him and his No. 7 JR Motorsports (JRM) team searching for answers.
As the green flag dropped, the first stage didn’t go his way, and it looked like another tough day on a road course was in store. Yet, through a combination of pit strategy, relentless adjustments, and a bit of luck, Allgaier clawed his way forward. While Connor Zilisch and SVG finishing 1-2 was a huge win for JRM, the #7 team made massive strides and overturned their misfortunes on road courses with a sixth-place finish.
Allgaier gets candid: inside JRM’s Sonoma surge
Allgaier’s statements came after the race, where he had to battle an ill-handling car early, requiring multiple strategy tweaks and setup changes. Although his teammates Zilisch and SVG captured the attention of the cameras throughout the race, the #7 Chevy was slowly making sizeable gains. Thanks to his sixth-place finish, Allgaier bumped his lead in the regular season standings to 59 points. Yet, he felt that a top 5 finish would’ve been a better overall result.
“Eventful day. I felt like that first stage, we were off more than I wanted to be, and this team just never quit. We got super lucky that things worked out in our favor. We were able to manage the end of the race and get by a bunch of cars and ultimately bring home a sixth place. I was hoping to get that top five, but for us to be in the top six, all five of our Junior Motorsport Chevrolets in the top 10, those are great days, right?” Allgaier said in the post-race interview.
Referring to the mechanical issues and setup mismatches that derailed his runs at previous road courses like Mexico City and highlighting how his driving style differs from teammates like van Gisbergen and Zilisch, Allgaier added, “They drive in a significantly different way than I do. To get me comfortable, even this week, we made a lot of changes from the last road course. Each race, we’ve been creeping up on it, making the car better.”
Feb 27, 2021; Miami, FL, USA; NASCAR Xfinity Series driver Justin Allgaier (7) races ahead of Tyler Reddick (23) during the Contender Boats 250 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports
Justin Allgaier also acknowledged the standout performances of his teammates and the overall strength of the JRM organization, “Connor getting into victory lane and SVG running second, two of the best road racers in our industry. Proud of the effort we put in today.” Not just Allgaier, the entire JRM driver line-up scored big at Sonoma. Carson Kvapil finished in eighth place, followed by Sammy Smith in 9th spot. JRM cars made the half of the top field after the checkered flag dropped in the Wine Country.
Dale Jr. on the JRM effect
Things looked great for Dale Earnhardt Jr. once again this week. For the second race in a row, His drivers finished 1-2. JR Motorsports had all five cars in the top 10 today at Sonoma. Just a fantastic overall performance from that entire organization. Zilisch and SVG took the spotlight. After the race, Dale Earnhardt Jr. spoke with The CW on TV, and He seemed very happy with how the race finished.
“Well, I just hope we finished one, two. And you know, it didn’t matter who it was that crossed the finish line first, but you know, you gotta race hard and try to get the win,” Earnhardt said. “SVG wanted to win the race, but he’s gotta take care of Connor at the same time.” He didn’t just thank SVG and Zilisch but also the whole team.
Expressing his gratitude and acknowledging JRM’S back-to-back incredible performances, Dale Jr. said, “So, we’ve really just kind of got everything in the right place, and it’s hard to do, and we might not be there forever. Or for somebody will supplant us and it ebbs and flows in terms of performance in this series, we’ve been up and we’ve been down. Right now, we’re taking advantage of being on top or being one of the better teams, and hopefully we can sustain that all the way through the playoffs. And you know, win the championship. Be good when it matters.”
As the series leaves Sonoma, the message is clear: JRM’s dominance is the product of relentless teamwork, adaptability, and a willingness to learn from every challenge. It will be interesting to see if JRM manages to defend the championship when they head into the playoffs.
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