Dale Earnhardt Jr was emotional after Justin Allgaier raced the JR Motorsports car into the Daytona 500 for the first time on Feb. 13. The NASCAR legend tells why.

Where else do you go and barely make the field and cry tears of joy?” The answer is Daytona, the place that means so much to the Earnhardt family.

Also locking into the field was 2017 Cup champion Martin Truex Jr., who is racing the No. 56 Toyota for TRICON Garage after stepping back from racing full time in 2025. He turned the fastest lap of the open cars at 181.302 mph, ensuring TRICON’s Cup debut.