The team made it official Friday evening on social media and confirmed the news on Monday: after shocking the sport with a top-10 finish in their debut this past February, JRM and 11-time Grammy winner Chris Stapleton will return to “The Great American Race” in 2026. And yes, the Traveller Whiskey Chevrolet is back for a second round, thanks again to Buffalo Trace Distillery.
In honor of Stapleton’s signature Blend No. 40, the car will once again wear the No. 40, with 2024 NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Champion Justin Allgaier climbing back in for another run at Daytona glory.
“Getting the opportunity to enter a second DAYTONA 500 is something that is extremely special to everyone at JR Motorsports,” said JRM CEO Kelley Earnhardt Miller. “Last year was an amazing moment and I’m very proud to be able to see this group come back together with the support of Chris Stapleton and Traveller Whiskey to go after it again in February.”
Traveller Whiskey returns with a trophy case that looks like it fell out of a fantasy novel. Blended and bottled at Buffalo Trace under Master Distiller Harlen Wheatley, it was recently named “Best of Class American Blended Whiskey” at the New York World Spirits Competition — a fresh medal to hang next to its “Most Awarded Super Premium Whiskey of 2024” crown. Apparently the only thing this whiskey can’t do is sing harmonies with Stapleton… although it probably tries.
Allgaier, meanwhile, brings the stats. The Riverton, Illinois native is JRM’s most decorated driver: 2024 champion, six-time Most Popular Driver, all-time top-10 finisher, and the team’s all-time wins leader. BRANDT Professional Agriculture, his longtime partner, returns in a supporting role on the No. 40.
Last season, Allgaier muscled the car through Daytona traffic and scraped out a dramatic ninth-place finish in JRM’s maiden attempt — the kind of run that makes you wonder whether “rookie luck” is real or whether Allgaier’s just built differently.
“I’m honored to be able to have the chance to drive this Traveller Whiskey Chevrolet again for Dale, Kelley and all of JR Motorsports,” Allgaier said. “Last year was such an incredible opportunity and experience and I am really thankful that Chris Stapleton and Traveller wanted to come back and be a part of this again. We had the speed last year and I know that we will again to make it into the DAYTONA 500. It’s going to be an unbelievable time.”
For JRM, this will be only the second time Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Kelley Earnhardt Miller have fielded a Cup car as owners. Their Xfinity program has been a factory of success — 105 wins, a staggering 17 of those in 2025, and four championships earned by Chase Elliott, William Byron, Tyler Reddick, and Allgaier.
Now they’re taking another shot at the one race that seems to pull every NASCAR dreamer back to the beach at least once in their life.
And if round one was any indication, round two won’t be quiet.
Greg was a writer for DriveTribe supporting Amazon's The Grand Tour and has been published in major publications across the country including the Los Angeles Times, the Cleveland Plain Dealer and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He was also a contributor to Chicken Soup for the NASCAR Soul, published in 2010, and the Christmas edition in 2016. He wrote as the NASCAR, Formula 1, Auto Reviews and National Veterans Affairs Examiner for Examiner.com and has appeared on Fox News. He holds a BS degree in communications, and a Masters degree in psychology. He is currently the weekend Motorsports Editor for Autoweek and a regular contributor to Forbes.
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