NASCAR: 5 possible replacements for Chase Elliott
By Asher Fair
Possible Chase Elliott replacements: No. 2 – Justin Allgaier
The last time Hendrick Motorsports needed a replacement driver was in July 2020 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, after Jimmie Johnson tested positive for COVID-19. Johnson later stated that he believes he returned a false negative test, which ultimately kept him out of the playoffs.
Allgaier, who hadn’t competed in the Cup Series since 2016 at the time, ended up being involved in a big crash in the pits, knocking him out of the race.
Allgaier also competes full-time for the Hendrick Motorsports-affiliated JR Motorsports in the Xfinity Series, driving the No. 7 Chevrolet, so it would make sense for the team to turn to him again to replace Chase Elliott during his absence.
Perhaps most notably, Allgaier has now made Cup Series starts in each of the last three years, beginning with his relief start for Johnson, and that stretch includes two races in 2022 behind the wheel of the Next Gen car at Bristol Motor Speedway (dirt) and Talladega Superspeedway.
The Xfinity Series veteran, who also has plenty of Cup Series experience, has been with JR Motorsports since 2016 and has reeled off three straight top three finishes to open up the Xfinity Series season, so giving him another opportunity in top-tier Cup Series equipment could prove beneficial for everybody.