Bio
Like most modern-day NASCAR stars, Justin Allgaier’s race-car beginnings came early in life. Well before he joined Penske Racing as the driver of the team’s No. 12 Verizon Wireless Dodge in the Nationwide Series for 2009, Allgaier planted his racing roots at the tender age of five, behind the wheel of a quarter midget roadster. The Riverton, Ill. native and son of Mike and Dorothy Allgaier, Hoosier Tire Distributors and racers, Allgaier was around racing since before he was born.
From 1991 to 2002, the kid dubbed “Little Gator” – named for his size and ferociousness behind the wheel – made his way up through the motorsports ranks, collecting trophies and accolades along the way. By age 12, he was a five time quarter midget champion with more than 100 wins to his credit. He then went into the midget and micro-sprint car ranks, and in the micros chalked up five more wins. At 13, he started his “fendered” car career in the UMP Late Model Series, while continuing his successful midget runs.
For Allgaier, moving into stock cars was a bit of a challenge in comparison to the lightweight sprinters he was used to. “The biggest thing was the slower steering of the stock cars,” said Allgaier. “Initially it was like driving a truck, but after a few races, I got used to it. One thing that was tougher to get used to was not being able to see the front tires.”
It was in 2001, as a 14-year old, where Allgaier made his name as the youngest driver to ever advance to the A Main event at the famed Chili Bowl midget event in Tulsa, Okla. He continued on that year in late model stock cars, running 51 dirt track races with two wins and 24 top-10 finishes.
When Allgaier turned 16, he debuted in the challenging ARCA RE/MAX Series. In three starts for family friend and racing legend Ken Schrader, he finished 11th. His career continued as a part-time ARCA pilot for the next two years, scoring three top-five and five top-10 finishes in 11 starts, as well as continuing running Late Models and midgets. His talents took him to New Zealand in 2004, where he represented the U.S.A. in the South Pacific Saloon Car Championship, with two top-five finishes.
Allgaier’s career went in many different directions in 2005, first with seven ARCA starts, with four top-five and five top-10 finishes, as well as his first “Pork Pole” award, earned by setting a new track record at Illinois State Fairgrounds dirt track. Of note, Justin’s then-ARCA sponsor, the United States Air Force, presented Allgaier and Allgaier Motorsports the highly-coveted American Spirit Award. This award is the Air Force Recruiting Service’s highest form of recognition, designed to recognize civilians or civilian organizations that have consistently displayed obvious and continual support and exhibition of patriotism and service to the country. Past recipients included Bob Hope, the St. Louis Cardinals, the Green Bay Packers and Gateway International Raceway.
The 2005 season also marked Allgaier’s entry into NASCAR competition, in the Craftsman Truck Series. Driving for Mike Mittler, Allgaier made four of nine NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series events entered – Milwaukee (started 34th, finished 26th), Kansas (started 35th, finished 36th), Las Vegas (started 34th, finished 27th) and Texas (started 22nd, finished 27th).
ARCA competition became a full-time affair for Allgaier in 2006, and he ran 21 of the 23 events that year with a 10th-place championship finish. His one win of the year, a dirt-track victory at the Illinois State Fairgrounds, marked the first time in the track’s long history that a local driver won a championship points race at the venue. Of course that wasn’t all for Allgaier, as he ran three Craftsman Truck Series races, as well as the 2006 Chili Bowl, where he advanced to the A-Main.
The ever-busy Allgaier started 2007 with an impressive Chili Bowl run – third in the A Main – sharing the podium with NASCAR stars and midget racer legends Tony Stewart and J.J. Yeley. He followed that run up with 23 ARCA races that ended with him fourth in the championship standings, racking up one win, four top-five and 11 top-10 finishes. In his spare time, Allgaier ran 18 UMP Late Model races (five wins) and 10 midget events (three wins).
But it wasn’t until 2008, at the age of 22, that Allgaier had his true racing breakthrough. In 21 ARCA races, Allgaier won six – including a road-course race and a thrilling superspeedway win at Talladega. His last win, at the season finale in Toledo, catapulted him to his first ARCA championship after the top two drivers took each other out. He also scored 14 top-five and 16 top-10 finishes.
The 2008 season also marked the beginning of Allgaier’s relationship with Penske Racing. With the team he’s made four NASCAR Nationwide Series starts – at Lowe’s Motor Speedway (Concord, N.C.) in October (started 14th, finished 34th), Texas Motor Speedway (started 13th, finished 21st), Phoenix International Raceway (started 20th, finished 11th) and Homestead-Miami Speedway (started 26th, finished 28th).
“We’d had our eye on Justin for some time, and Penske Racing was fortunate to be in a position to bring him on board,” said Tim Cindric, president of Penske Racing. “Roger always enjoys the opportunity to grow people within our system and we are looking forward to helping him achieve his career goals.”
For 2009, Allgaier will be running a full-season NASCAR Nationwide Series schedule behind the wheel of the No. 12 Verizon Wireless Dodge, along with new crew chief Chad Walter. Verizon Wireless joins Penske Racing as a new sponsor for the 2009 season.
“What a great opportunity to join Penske Racing and the Verizon Wireless team to show what we are capable of together in the Nationwide Series,” said Allgaier. “I enjoyed running in the Nationwide car for four races this past season, and look forward to even more in 2009.”
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