JOLIET, Il. – Don’t be surprised if there’s a little extra good-natured, down-home ribbing this weekend between NASCAR Nationwide Series drivers Justin Allgaier and Danica Patrick.
Both drivers are Illinois natives: Allgaier hails from Riverton, just outside of the state capital of Springfield, while Patrick was born and raised in Roscoe, on the outskirts of the state’s second-largest city, Rockford.
Allgaier said Friday that both drivers have looked forward to returning to race in their home state, but also to continue their off-track rivalry of sorts, especially when it comes to talking about sports, particularly baseball.
“The only thing we disagree on is sports teams, which is a good thing,” Allgaier said. “(Danica) likes the White Sox, while I like the St. Louis Cardinals.”
Allgaier currently leads in the bragging rights category with Patrick for two reasons: First, his Cardinals won last year’s Major League World Series.
And then there’s the second one: “I can hold it over her head that I won at Chicago before she did, so we’ll just stick with that,”
Allgaier said with a smile, referencing his NASCAR Nationwide Series win at Chicagoland Speedway last June.
Greg is the author of "The Nuts and Bolts of NASCAR: The Definitive Viewers' Guide to Big-Time Stock Car Auto Racing" 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, a Masters degree in psychology and is currently a PhD candidate majoring in psychology. He is currently the weekend Motorsports Editor for Autoweek.
- NASCAR to debut new short track package at Phoenix - February 28, 2023
- The Wrench Who Stole Racing - December 16, 2022
- Matt DiBenedetto’s excellent run comes to abrupt, violent end - February 17, 2019
