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Justin Allgaier is the backup driver for Kyle Larson's number 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet for this year's Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Allgaier recently revealed how he has been preparing for the ride lest Larson fails to make it back to Concord, North Carolina, after running Sunday's Indy 500 race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Justin Allgaier has 24 wins in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, with the latest one coming at Darlington Raceway this May. He won the 2018 Xfinity Series championship and has more top-10 finishes (267) than any driver in the history of the NASCAR Xfinity Series. He also earned the Sunoco Rookie of the Year title back in 2009.
The reason Allgaier might need to cover for Kyle Larson is that Larson might be late to show up for this year's Coca-Cola 600 which starts at 6 p.m. ET on Sunday, after running the Indy 500, which starts at 12:45 p.m. ET on the same day.
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Reflecting on his preparations, the #7 driver said in a recent interview,
"I already have a driver's suit just in case of a standby situation. I did have to go pick up some Hendrickcars.com gear in their shop. Those guys... the dedication and the work that they put in the race cars... I was there late at night, trying to make sure that we fit in the car and had it all ready to go."
Allgaier then explained why Kyle Larson's double duty is a difficult feat to pull off.
"Just even to drive the two cars is incredibly hard," Allgaier said. "My goal is just to make it easier on Kyle. I really hope that it works out, and he is not late for anything and then he is able to run both taces seamlessly."
On the IndyCar side, Larson's mentor and 2004 NTT INDYCAR SERIES champion, Tony Kanaan, could reportedly fill in for the American if the Indy 500 gets delayed due to weather, and he has to fly back to Charlotte. If Kyle Larson manages to finish both races on Sunday, he will be the second driver in the history of motorsports to have ever done so.
Justin Allgaier reveals his biggest advantage as Kyle Larson's replacement
Allgaier noted that the way Kyle Larson adjusts his seat is quite different from how he does it. He also revealed his biggest advantage while filling the shoes of the former Cup Series champion.
"Being Kyle's height is probably the biggest advantage and being able to sit in his seat is a little different than how I would normally sit," Allgaier said during the aforesaid conversation. "But still, a lot of similarities between the two of us."
"Probably the biggest difference that we have is kind of the way we look at the seat belts, how do we fit both of us comfortably and to a safe ride. I think that the most important piece for both of us is being safe in the car," he added.
Justin Allgaier also stood as a backup driver for Kyle Larson at last week's All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway. As reported by Bob Pockrass, Allgaier will not run the practice laps at Charlotte.
Allgaier has previously driven in the Cup Series and earned a career-best top-10 finish. Currently, he stands fifth in the NASCAR Xfinity Series standings with 373 points.
