There’s an unmistakable tension that lingers whenever the Indianapolis Motor Speedway becomes the stage for NASCAR. The eyes aren’t just on the speed, but on history, heartbreak, and high stakes. This year’s Indy weekend brought together the familiar and the unpredictable: Cup stars chasing double-duty, reigning champions spanning disciplines, and beloved veterans from Junior Motorsports daring to disrupt. In the middle of it all were Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s Xfinity champion and Kyle Larson, battling tooth and nail for the lead.

As the race drew its final breaths, chaos continued to erupt, from Austin Hill egregiously taking out Aric Almirola to numerous late-race cautions. However, one incident involving Cup Series driver Kyle Larson that derailed Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s driver’s day took the spotlight, and the veteran team owner was candid about how he felt towards the incident.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. had his hopes high

Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s reaction after Kyle Larson’s miscalculation at Indianapolis was both immediate and deeply emotional, especially given the involvement of veteran JR Motorsports driver Justin Allgaier. During a high-stakes battle for the lead after a restart with 11 laps to go, Larson got loose behind Allgaier’s No. 7 Chevrolet and clipped him, sending Allgaier hard into the outside wall. The incident not only dashed Allgaier’s momentum in the race but also shocked the team and fans alike.

Justin Allgaier, the defending Xfinity Series Champion for JRM, was visibly impacted by the wreck. Allgaier finished top 2 in both stages and was poised to clinch JRM’s 100th win as their most successful driver ever. However, that was not to be, and Dale Earnhardt Jr. couldn’t help but feel sorry for his veteran’s bright day ending on such a gloomy note.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. said, as reported by PRNlive on X: “Hate to see Justin wrecked out like that, but racing hard for the win, I really feel for Justin. We just had this cell pop up on top of us, but hopefully it’s out of here and we get back to racing.” Unfortunately, the damage was too much for Allgaier, as that incident ended his day, having to settle for a 36th-place finish.

“I got a lot of damage,” admitted a distraught Justin Allgaier. Meanwhile, Connor Zilisch took advantage of Justin Allgaier and Kyle Larson making contact on the restart to take the lead. And in doing so, Zilisch landed himself at the center of history.

Connor Zilisch marks milestone JRM

Indianapolis Motor Speedway is now home to JR Motorsports’ 100th Xfinity Series win, courtesy of 18-year-old Connor Zilisch! Starting fifth, Zilisch held his position throughout the race, finishing fifth in stage 1 and moving up to 2nd in stage 2. After late restarts bunched up the field, Zilisch was waiting for his moment to pounce, and Allgaier’s collision with Larson provided exactly that.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. was filled with joy after the result, saying, “It feels very good. It’s a big deal for our company, proud of our employees, proud of Hendrick for the engines.” This win marked Zilisch’s 5th this season! He is now tied for fourth place in all-time wins for JR Motorsports with 6 overall, including his debut win at Watkins Glen in 2024.

JRM’s 100th win comes after entering the season on 88 wins, and they have stormed through 2025 with 12 wins, 5 from Zilisch, 3 for Justin Allgaier, 1 each for Sammy Smith, Shane van Gisbergen, Daniel Suárez, and Kyle Larson. However, the clear standout this season has been the rookie Connor, who said after the race, “Man, this is awesome. Those bricks look really kissable, and I’m ready to kiss ’em.” 

The Championship is still a far way to go, but as of now, it looks like no one can stop the JRM juggernaut. Be it Justin Allgaier’s veteran consistency, Connor Zilisch’s hot streak of finishing every race inside the top-5 since his back injury, or part-timers who enter and add to the team’s ever-growing tally. What did you think of JRM’s performance at Indianapolis Motor Speedway? Let us know in the comments!