Justin Allgaier
Encyclopedia
Justin Allgaier is an American
stock car driver. He drives the No. 31 Brandt Chevrolet Impala
for Turner Motorsports
in the NASCAR
Nationwide Series. He was the 2008 ARCA RE/MAX Series
Champion and the 2009 Nationwide Series Rookie of the Year. Justin is nicknamed 'Little Gator'. He is so named for his size and ferociousness behind the wheel.
at the Illinois State Fairgrounds Racetrack
, driving the #99 Hoosier Tire Midwest/Law Automotive Chevrolet for Ken Schrader
; he qualified twenty-ninth and finished seventeenth. He ran two additional races for Kerry Scherer and Bob Schacht
, with a best finish of eleventh.
, and later a best finish of third at Salem Speedway
. The next season, he made only five starts but had a second-place at Toledo. In addition, he was a representative of the United States
in the South Pacific Saloon Car Championship, where had two top-fives. In 2005, Allgaier ran seven races in ARCA, splitting time between cars owned by Wayne Hixson and Bobby Gerhart
. He won his first career pole at Springfield, setting a new track record, and had four top-five finishes. He also made his NASCAR
debut in the Craftsman Truck Series
, making four starts in the #63 MB Motorsports
/Dave Porter Truck Series Ford. He failed to make five races and did not finish higher 26th. That year, he appeared on the Discovery Channel
program, "Driver X: The Race For The Ride." The show's premise was Jack Roush
searching for new talent to drive Roush Racing
prepared vehicles in NASCAR
's top 3 series.
In 2006, Allgaier made his first full-time run in ARCA, ending 10th. He got his first career win at the Illinois State Fairgrounds Racetrack, becoming the first Springfield area resident to win in the 72 year history of championship auto racing at the fairgrounds. He made three more Truck races for MB and had a twenty-first place finish at Kansas Speedway
. In 2007, he won his second career ARCA race at Salem and finished fourth in points. He also won two features in a midget car
at Angell Park Speedway
and placed 3rd in the Chili Bowl behind Tony Stewart
and J. J. Yeley
.
's eight-year streak of winning the championship in that series. He also returned to NASCAR, finishing 21st in a Truck race at Kentucky Speedway
. Later that year, Allgaier signed a contract with Roger Penske
's #12 Nationwide team to run four races in the final part of the year. His best finish in the Penske Truck Rental Dodge was eleventh at Phoenix.
Allgaier was then signed to drive the car full-time in 2009. Because of the acquisition of Penske Racing sponsor Alltel
by Cellco Partners, a joint venture of Verizon and Vodafone
, their Sprint Cup sponsorship was legislated out of the sport by NASCAR's agreement with Sprint in that series to prohibit sponsorship by wireless telephone companies. This allowed Cellco to move the sponsorship to the Nationwide Series, where it is not prohibited, and Allgaier will race a full season with Cellco sponsorship for what will now be known as Penske Championship Racing (the name change was made to accommodate Verizon Wireless' sponsorship of the team, which is referred as Verizon Championship Racing, which encompasses all series of Penske). Allgaier won his first career pole in NASCAR at Memphis Motorsports Park
. He won his first Nationwide Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway
on March 20, 2010.
Allgaier was rumored to drive the Sprint Cup Series #12 Penske Racing Dodge in 2011, as Penske Racing
has not acquired a driver for its fourth car yet. With Verizon leaving the #12 Nationwide team, Allgaier will join Turner Motorsports
for 2011 and is driving their #31 Chevrolet Impala sponsored by BRANDT full time for 2011, as well as running part-time in the Camping World Truck Series. In the inaugural STP 300 at Chicagoland Speedway
after passing Carl Edwards
who ran out of fuel on the last lap. Even though Allgaier ran out of fuel himself after, he was able to cross the finish line before third place Trevor Bayne to finish first. He almost won at Road America but ran out of fuel on the caution on the final lap and finished 19th.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
stock car driver. He drives the No. 31 Brandt Chevrolet Impala
Chevrolet Impala
The Chevrolet Impala is a full-size automobile built by the Chevrolet division of General Motors introduced for the 1958 model year. Deriving its name from the southern African antelope, Chevrolet's most expensive passenger model through 1965 had become the best-selling automobile in the United...
for Turner Motorsports
Turner Motorsports (NASCAR)
Turner Motorsports, LLC is a NASCAR racing team based in Mooresville, North Carolina. The team currently fields cars in the NASCAR Nationwide Series and Camping World Truck Series...
in the NASCAR
NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is a family-owned and -operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. It was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947–48. As of 2009, the CEO for the company is Brian France, grandson of the late Bill France Sr...
Nationwide Series. He was the 2008 ARCA RE/MAX Series
ARCA RE/MAX Series
-History:The series started as a local touring group. Led by John Marcum, the Midwest Association for Race Cars was formed with drivers like Iggy Katona and Nelson Stacy being early drivers.The series became a part of the Daytona Speedweeks in 1964...
Champion and the 2009 Nationwide Series Rookie of the Year. Justin is nicknamed 'Little Gator'. He is so named for his size and ferociousness behind the wheel.
Early career
Allgaier began his racing career at the age of five in quarter midgets, and won over one hundred races and five championships. He began stock car racing at thirteen in the UMP Late Model Series, where he competed for three seasons. At the age of sixteen, he made his debut in the ARCA RE/MAX SeriesARCA RE/MAX Series
-History:The series started as a local touring group. Led by John Marcum, the Midwest Association for Race Cars was formed with drivers like Iggy Katona and Nelson Stacy being early drivers.The series became a part of the Daytona Speedweeks in 1964...
at the Illinois State Fairgrounds Racetrack
Illinois State Fairgrounds Racetrack
Illinois State Fairgrounds Racetrack is a one mile long clay oval motor racetrack on the grounds of the Illinois State Fair in Springfield, the state capital. Constructed in the late 19th century and reconstructed in 1927, the "Springfield Mile" as it is known has hosted competitive auto racing...
, driving the #99 Hoosier Tire Midwest/Law Automotive Chevrolet for Ken Schrader
Ken Schrader
Kenneth Schrader is a second-generation race car driver. He currently races on local dirt and asphalt tracks around the country while driving part-time in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and the ARCA Racing Series for his own Ken Schrader Racing. He also runs part time in the NASCAR Camping...
; he qualified twenty-ninth and finished seventeenth. He ran two additional races for Kerry Scherer and Bob Schacht
Bob Schacht
Bob Schacht Bob Schacht Bob Schacht (born January 24, 1950 is a former racecar driver from Lombard, Illinois. He competed in 26 NASCAR events between 1981 and 1997 in the Winston Cup, Busch Series, and Craftsman Truck Series. He had no Top 10 finishes in NASCAR; he is best known for his ARCA career...
, with a best finish of eleventh.
2003-2006
Allgaier ran additional ARCA races in 2003, making six starts in the #86 owned by his father. He had a sixth-place finish in his second start at Toledo SpeedwayToledo Speedway
Toledo Speedway is a racetrack located in Toledo, Ohio. It is owned jointly by Roy Mott and ARCA President Ron Drager. It is operated by ARCA and run as the sister track to Flat Rock Speedway in Flat Rock, Michigan.-Weekly program:...
, and later a best finish of third at Salem Speedway
Salem Speedway
Salem Speedway is a .555 mile long paved oval motor racetrack in Washington Township, Washington County, near Salem, Indiana, approximately south of Indianapolis. It opened in 1947. Major auto racing series that run at Salem are ARCA, USAR and the USAC...
. The next season, he made only five starts but had a second-place at Toledo. In addition, he was a representative of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in the South Pacific Saloon Car Championship, where had two top-fives. In 2005, Allgaier ran seven races in ARCA, splitting time between cars owned by Wayne Hixson and Bobby Gerhart
Bobby Gerhart
Bobby Gerhart is a driver on the ARCA Re/Max Series. He has won eight times on the circuit, seven of those victories coming in the season-opening ARCA Daytona 200 at Daytona International Speedway . Presently, he drives the #5 Lucas Oil Chevrolet owned by his brother on a part-time basis...
. He won his first career pole at Springfield, setting a new track record, and had four top-five finishes. He also made his NASCAR
NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is a family-owned and -operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. It was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947–48. As of 2009, the CEO for the company is Brian France, grandson of the late Bill France Sr...
debut in the Craftsman Truck Series
Craftsman Truck Series
The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series is a pickup truck racing series owned and operated by the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing...
, making four starts in the #63 MB Motorsports
MB Motorsports
MB Motorsports is a NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series team based in Foristell, Missouri owned by Mike Mittler. The team is one of few to field entries every year since the Series' inception in 1995...
/Dave Porter Truck Series Ford. He failed to make five races and did not finish higher 26th. That year, he appeared on the Discovery Channel
Discovery Channel
Discovery Channel is an American satellite and cable specialty channel , founded by John Hendricks and distributed by Discovery Communications. It is a publicly traded company run by CEO David Zaslav...
program, "Driver X: The Race For The Ride." The show's premise was Jack Roush
Jack Roush
Jack Roush is the founder, CEO, and co-owner along with John Henry of Roush Fenway Racing, a NASCAR team headquartered in Concord, North Carolina, and is Chairman of the Board of Roush Enterprises....
searching for new talent to drive Roush Racing
Roush Racing
Roush Fenway Racing is a racing team competing in NASCAR racing. As one of NASCAR's largest premier racing teams, Roush runs teams in the Sprint and Nationwide Series, and formerly in the Camping World Truck Series and ARCA RE/MAX Series.Roush first entered NASCAR competition in 1988, but had...
prepared vehicles in NASCAR
NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is a family-owned and -operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. It was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947–48. As of 2009, the CEO for the company is Brian France, grandson of the late Bill France Sr...
's top 3 series.
In 2006, Allgaier made his first full-time run in ARCA, ending 10th. He got his first career win at the Illinois State Fairgrounds Racetrack, becoming the first Springfield area resident to win in the 72 year history of championship auto racing at the fairgrounds. He made three more Truck races for MB and had a twenty-first place finish at Kansas Speedway
Kansas Speedway
Kansas Speedway is a tri-oval race track in Kansas City, Kansas. The speedway was built in 2001 and currently hosts two annual NASCAR race weekends. The IndyCar Series also raced at the speedway until 2011...
. In 2007, he won his second career ARCA race at Salem and finished fourth in points. He also won two features in a midget car
Midget car racing
Midget cars, also Speedcars in Australia, are very small race cars with a very high power-to-weight ratio and typically use four-cylinder engines.-Cars:Typically, these cars have 300 to 400 horsepower and weigh...
at Angell Park Speedway
Angell Park Speedway
Angell Park Speedway has a 1/3 mile dirt racetrack located in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin. The track has been run by the city's fire department since 1903. Racing occurs every Sunday approximately Memorial Day until Labor Day. Special racing events and the weather may alter the schedule...
and placed 3rd in the Chili Bowl behind Tony Stewart
Tony Stewart
Anthony Wayne "Tony" Stewart is an American auto racing driver and owner. Throughout his racing career, Stewart has won titles in Indy cars and stock cars as well as midget, sprint and USAC Silver Crown cars, giving him the recognition of "one of the finest racers of his generation."Stewart...
and J. J. Yeley
J. J. Yeley
Christopher Beltram Hernandez Yeley is a NASCAR driver. Nicknamed "J. J." , he is currently a competitor in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, driving for Front Row Motorsports.-Open wheel:Yeley initially made a mark for himself in the world of auto racing when he took the Hoosier state by...
.
2008-Present
Allgaier returned for another full season in ARCA in 2008, driving for his family once again. He won six races, including the final three, and won the series championship by a slim margin. He broke Frank KimmelFrank Kimmel
Franklin James Kimmel is an American stock car driver/owner. He drives the #44 Ansell Gloves/Menards Ford in the ARCA RE/MAX Series. Kimmel has won the ARCA championship nine times, including eight consecutive...
's eight-year streak of winning the championship in that series. He also returned to NASCAR, finishing 21st in a Truck race at Kentucky Speedway
Kentucky Speedway
Kentucky Speedway is a tri-oval speedway in Sparta, Kentucky, which has hosted ARCA, NASCAR and Indy Racing League racing annually since it opened in 2000. The track is currently owned and operated by Speedway Motorsports, Inc. and Jerry Carroll, who, along with four other investors, owned...
. Later that year, Allgaier signed a contract with Roger Penske
Roger Penske
Roger S. Penske is the owner of the automobile racing team Penske Racing, the Penske Corporation, and other automotive related businesses. A winning racer in the late 1950s, Penske was named 1961's Sports Car Club of America Driver of the Year by Sports Illustrated...
's #12 Nationwide team to run four races in the final part of the year. His best finish in the Penske Truck Rental Dodge was eleventh at Phoenix.
Allgaier was then signed to drive the car full-time in 2009. Because of the acquisition of Penske Racing sponsor Alltel
Alltel
Alltel Corporation is a wireless service provider, primarily based in the United States. Before an acquisition by Verizon Wireless, it served 34 states. After the merger, Alltel continues to serve six states, mostly in rural areas...
by Cellco Partners, a joint venture of Verizon and Vodafone
Vodafone
Vodafone Group Plc is a global telecommunications company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the world's largest mobile telecommunications company measured by revenues and the world's second-largest measured by subscribers , with around 341 million proportionate subscribers as of...
, their Sprint Cup sponsorship was legislated out of the sport by NASCAR's agreement with Sprint in that series to prohibit sponsorship by wireless telephone companies. This allowed Cellco to move the sponsorship to the Nationwide Series, where it is not prohibited, and Allgaier will race a full season with Cellco sponsorship for what will now be known as Penske Championship Racing (the name change was made to accommodate Verizon Wireless' sponsorship of the team, which is referred as Verizon Championship Racing, which encompasses all series of Penske). Allgaier won his first career pole in NASCAR at Memphis Motorsports Park
Memphis Motorsports Park
Memphis International Raceway is an auto racing park located across the Loosahatchie River from Memphis, Tennessee, approximately ten miles south of Millington, Tennessee. The facility opened in 1987 with a drag strip and 1.8-mile road course...
. He won his first Nationwide Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway
Bristol Motor Speedway
Bristol Motor Speedway, formerly known as Bristol International Raceway and Bristol Raceway is a NASCAR short track venue located in Bristol, Tennessee. Constructed in 1960, it held its first NASCAR race on July 30, 1961...
on March 20, 2010.
Allgaier was rumored to drive the Sprint Cup Series #12 Penske Racing Dodge in 2011, as Penske Racing
Penske Racing
Penske Racing is a racing team that competes in the IndyCar Series and NASCAR. They also previously competed in road racing, and Formula One. Penske Racing is a division of Penske Corporation, and is owned and chaired by Roger Penske...
has not acquired a driver for its fourth car yet. With Verizon leaving the #12 Nationwide team, Allgaier will join Turner Motorsports
Turner Motorsports (NASCAR)
Turner Motorsports, LLC is a NASCAR racing team based in Mooresville, North Carolina. The team currently fields cars in the NASCAR Nationwide Series and Camping World Truck Series...
for 2011 and is driving their #31 Chevrolet Impala sponsored by BRANDT full time for 2011, as well as running part-time in the Camping World Truck Series. In the inaugural STP 300 at Chicagoland Speedway
Chicagoland Speedway
Chicagoland Speedway is a tri-oval speedway in Joliet, Illinois, USA, southwest of Chicago. The speedway opened in 2001 and currently hosts NASCAR racing including the opening event in the 2011 Chase for the Sprint Cup. Until 2011, the speedway also hosted the IZOD IndyCar Series, recording...
after passing Carl Edwards
Carl Edwards
Carl Michael Edwards, II is a NASCAR driver. He currently drives the #99 Fastenal/Aflac Ford Fusion in the Sprint Cup Series and the #60 Ford in the Nationwide Series for Roush Fenway Racing...
who ran out of fuel on the last lap. Even though Allgaier ran out of fuel himself after, he was able to cross the finish line before third place Trevor Bayne to finish first. He almost won at Road America but ran out of fuel on the caution on the final lap and finished 19th.