Justin Allgaier says he hasn’t had much time recently to catch up with former teammate Tyler Reddick, given the pace of their hectic schedules. But the two drivers have something in common beyond their past and current ties to the JR Motorsports organization and their superlative starts to the 2026 season.
“This is a win for the short guys right now, because we’re the same height,” says the diminutive Allgaier, sharing a laugh after his most recent victory Saturday at Martinsville Speedway. “So maybe we’ve got really good, low center of gravity in these race cars. That’s what the difference is.”
Like Reddick in the NASCAR Cup Series, Allgaier has proven to be a difference-maker in his own right in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series this season. The 39-year-old veteran added his latest win over the weekend at Martinsville and carries that momentum into Saturday’s North Carolina Education Lottery 250 Presented by Black’s Tire (2:30 p.m. ET, The CW, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) at Rockingham Speedway.
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With the Cup Series idle this weekend, Reddick will take a break from his torrid tear, which has included four wins through the first seven races and a corresponding 82-point advantage atop the series standings. Allgaier’s rapid start is worthy of its own applause, with a peerless three victories in the last four O’Reilly Series events — a streak that’s propelled him to his own 92-point lead over the next-closest contender, defending series champion Jesse Love.
While Allgaier can laugh about their shared but figurative boost in stature, he’s also quick to earnestly tip his cap to Reddick, who netted the first of his two O’Reilly championships with JR Motorsports in 2018.
“What they’ve done on the Cup side? I mean, look, not taking anything away from the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, but to do what they’re doing on the Cup side is mind-blowing to me,” Allgaier says. “And you know, I’m sure that some would say the same about what we’re doing in our series.”
Allgaier has led the charge this year for the Dale Earnhardt-owned organization, which enters Rockingham with full-time JRM drivers Carson Kvapil fifth in the series points and Sammy Smith sixth to round out that next five behind Allgaier. The group’s fourth full-time entry — which has been shared by Rajah Caruth and Cup Series regulars William Byron and Kyle Larson so far this year — ranks third in the team owner standings.
While Allgaier has broken out this season, Earnhardt said the performance of his No. 7 Chevrolet team was among JRM’s biggest question marks heading into 2026. When Jim Pohlman, Allgaier’s crew chief for the last three seasons including his championship march in 2024, departed to join Richard Childress Racing’s Cup Series operation this year, Earnhardt filled the vacancy by shifting Andrew Overstreet over from JRM’s No. 1 Chevy team. Veteran Rodney Childers replaced Overstreet, pairing with Kvapil. Even Earnhardt expressed pleasant surprise at how well the personnel moves have worked thus far.
“We changed a lot of folks, and all our teams got better. I wasn’t really sure if that was even possible and achievable,” Earnhardt said after Sunday’s win. “… I mean, I believe in Overstreet because I put him in that position, but shoot, I don’t think anybody would have guessed they’d have won these races and run as well as they are. Yeah, I’m happy for Justin. He deserves it. When Jim was leaving, we were worried, right, about Justin’s ability to go out there and us to give him the cars that we know he deserves. He’s in, I don’t know, the last couple of years of his career. I don’t know how long he wants to run. Another five years, we’ll do it, but I don’t know if he’s running one or two more years. I want to be able to give him winning cars all the way to the very end, and so that was a bit of concern for me personally was, was I going to be able to give him the cars in these final few years for him to go out there and continue to win?”
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Pinpointing when that “very end” might arrive is a tricky thing to firm up, even by Allgaier’s own admission. He explains that he considered making his championship run in 2024 a triumphant farewell, with an abrupt “mic drop” retirement to go out on top. “I guess now looking back on it, I’m glad I didn’t,” Allgaier says. He’s netted a half-dozen wins since, three in 2025 and three more already in the early going this year.
Though Allgaier carries a measure of uncertainty about his career’s endpoint, he says he’s still “highly motivated” to keep the ride going in his 16th full season of competition in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series and his 11th driving the JR Motorsports No. 7. Savoring the moment, he maintains, is a top priority.
“If I’m also being frank, I’m probably in the spot of my career where I’m having the most fun,” Allgaier says. “I know that sounds dumb, but you know, I know that the days are coming closer to an end than they are to starting, and I’m watching these young kids figure it out in what seems like minutes. What used to take us years, it seems like they’re figuring out in minutes, right? And so, I’m proud of what we’re able to still accomplish.”