As Cup Teams Evolve, JR Motorsports Thrives by Staying Old School

gettyimages-2224693169 — SONOMA, CALIFORNIA - JULY 11: Justin Allgaier, driver of the #7 BRANDT Chevrolet, drives during qualifying for the NASCAR Xfinity Series Pit Boss/FoodMaxx 250 at Sonoma Raceway on July 11, 2025 in Sonoma, California. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)

When NASCAR introduced the Next Gen car into the Cup Series in 2022, the sanctioning body did so with the knowledge that the gap between the Cup and Xfinity Series platforms would widen considerably.

From 18-inch aluminum wheels with a single lug to a 5-speed sequential transmission versus a 4-speed manual “H” pattern transmission on Xfinity cars, the Cup race cars are more advanced technologically than their counterparts in NASCAR’s lower series.

The difference between the two race cars, however, has been beneficial to stand-alone Xfinity teams, with JR Motorsports being the prime example.

“I think we’re seeing kind of a unique scenario play out for us,” said reigning Xfinity Series champion Justin Allgaier, who drives the No. 7 Chevrolet for JRM. “With the Cup Series running the Next Gen car for the last couple of years, one of the things I think we’ve done really well at JR Motorsports—while we do have a great relationship with Hendrick Motorsports—we do the majority of what we do in-house.

“On the engineering side of it, the suspension side of it, we do have Hendrick engines, but we do so much in-house—all the aerodynamics. We’re at the wind tunnel doing all that internally… I don’t think people realize how really independent our small team is.”

“I think that’s a great point that Justin makes,” added team co-owner Dale Earnhardt Jr. during an announcement of an expanded partnership with sponsor Roto-Rooter “I hadn’t even thought of it like that, how all the work we’ve done over the years have put us in this position, as the Cup teams have moved away from the technology we use toward the Next Gen technology.

“Those big Cup teams can’t be quite as big of a resource to their Xfinity teams, and it’s actually elevated our ability to compete.”

That’s an understatement. Six different JRM drivers have combined to win nine of the 18 Xfinity races so far this season.