Allgaier Confirms NASCAR Return for 2027

JR Motorsports driver Justin Allgaier will race in NASCAR next season after initially planning to stop after 2026.

Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in Motorsports

Allgaier Confirms NASCAR Return for 2027

JR Motorsports and Justin Allgaier announced Monday night that he will compete in NASCAR in 2027. The move also sends Carson Kvapil to the No. 8 car full-time and returns Sam Mayer to the No. 1 car.

Why it matters

Allgaier's initial plans did not extend beyond the 2026 season, so the announcement changes the driver lineup for JR Motorsports heading into the next campaign. It also keeps a veteran driver with a strong recent record in the series.

Allgaier has won 31 races and a championship since joining JR Motorsports in 2016, and this season he posted career highs of six wins and 19 top-five finishes. He holds a 22-point lead heading into the Homestead-Miami finale, where the title outcome is still undecided.

The players

Justin Allgaier

A NASCAR driver who has spent his career with JR Motorsports and has won 31 races and a championship since 2016.

JR Motorsports

A NASCAR team that fields Xfinity Series cars and has developed multiple championship-caliber drivers in recent seasons.

Kelley Earnhardt Miller

Co-owner of JR Motorsports and a member of the Earnhardt family, who publicly confirmed in July that Allgaier had agreed to return.

The details

JR Motorsports and Allgaier announced the decision with a short video of highlights from his career, following the penultimate race of the season. Allgaier said he had second thoughts about retiring after a win at Nashville Superspeedway, and co-owner Kelley Earnhardt Miller said in July that he had been persuaded to return for multiple years.

May 2026: Allgaier acknowledged second thoughts about retiring at JR Motorsports Fan Day.
July 2026: Kelley Earnhardt Miller said Allgaier had been talked into returning for multiple years.
Monday night, before Martinsville finale week: JR Motorsports announced his 2027 return.

Season Trajectory

Allgaier's return follows a career-best 2026 campaign of six wins and 19 top-five finishes, extending a run with JR Motorsports that began in 2016. Entering the finale with a 22-point lead, he has a chance to win a second championship before his 2027 plans take effect.

Allgaier's return keeps the No. 1 car in JR Motorsports' lineup with Sam Mayer and places Carson Kvapil in the No. 8 car full-time. Fantasy and team-roster followers should note the shuffled driver assignments for 2027.

The takeaway

Allgaier's 2027 return underscores that a driver who briefly considered retiring can still post career-best results late in his tenure. Watching how the Homestead finale unfolds will show whether that momentum carries into the next season.

What happens next

Allgaier heads into the Homestead-Miami season finale with a 22-point lead and a chance to win his second championship before his 2027 plans take effect.