Dale Earnhardt Jr. is back in the Daytona 500.
This time, as a team owner. And he has a big-name partnership coming along to help fund the effort.
Earnhardt Jr., a two-time Daytona 500 champ and NASCAR Hall of Famer, will field a car for Justin Allgaier, one of his Xfinity Series drivers and that circuit’s reigning champion.
The 67th running of the Great American Race is scheduled for Feb. 16.
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The JR Motorsports car will feature sponsorship from Traveller Whiskey, a collaboration between Buffalo Trace Distillery and Grammy-winning singer Chris Stapleton.
As is the case with the Earnhardt Xfinity team, this one-off effort will include a level of partnership with Rick Hendrick Motorsports. Stapleton and Hendrick are friends.
The JR Motorsports team completed its 20th season in Xfinity Series racing last year. The team is co-owned by Dale Jr. and his sister, Kelly Earnhardt Miller. If Allgaier qualifies for the Daytona 500, it will be the first Cup Series race for JR Motorsports.
Allgaier will have shots at making the Daytona 500 through pole qualifying Feb. 12, and/or a 150-mile qualifying race Feb. 13.
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Dale Earnhardt Jr., Chris Stapleton team up for Daytona 500
