Allgaier to Serve as All-Star/Coke 600 Reserve Driver for Larson

Kyle Larson is once again set to attempt the Indianapolis 500/Coca-Cola 600 double, a feat that was snuffed out due to weather delays in the Indianapolis 500 a season ago.

On Wednesday, Hendrick Motorsports officially announced that Justin Allgaier will serve as the reserve driver for the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports team this weekend in the NASCAR All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway and next weekend in the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

In addition to being on standby in case Larson is unable to compete in either event, Allgaier is set to practice and qualify Larson's No. 5 car ahead of Sunday's NASCAR All-Star Race as Larson will be busy testing and qualifying his No. 17 Arrow McLaren IndyCar for the 109th Indianapolis 500.

Allgaier filled in for Larson a season ago, and when Larson was unable to make it to Charlotte Motor Speedway in time for the start of the Coca-Cola 600, it was Allgaier who got the start. The 2024 NASCAR Xfinity Series champion, started from the rear of the field in the Coca-Cola 600, but was able to make it up to the 13th position before lightning and rain put an early end to the Coca-Cola 600 after just 259 laps were completed of the scheduled 400-lap distance.

In a Hendrick Motorsports release, Larson's crew chief, Cliff Daniels, explains that the decision to bring Allgaier back as the reserve driver for Larson made sense on several levels. For one, Larson and Allgaier are of similar stature, which makes transitioning the drivers in and out of Larson's fitted driver seat simple.

“We’re fortunate to have Justin, and we appreciate him stepping in to help,” said Cliff Daniels, crew chief for the No. 5 team. “He and Kyle are very similar in size, so there’s a lot in the cockpit that’s common between the two.”

Secondly, Allgaier already serves as the Chevrolet test driver for the manufacturer's NASCAR Cup Series Wheel-Force car, which collects data on-track to help improve the simulator setup at the GM Performance Center.

Allgaier's familiarity with the Next Gen car through the Wheel Force testing makes him a great candidate to fill-in for Larson in the NASCAR Cup Series if need be.

It should be noted that if Larson is unable to make it to Charlotte Motor Speedway for the start of the Coca-Cola 600, as was the case last year, the driver will experience a much stiffer penalty this time around. NASCAR changed the rules around Playoff Waivers in the offseason, and if Larson needs a Playoff Waiver to remain eligible for the NASCAR Cup Series championship, the Hendrick Motorsports driver will have to forfeit all current and future Playoff Points earned, which would put a huge wrench in Larson's quest for a second NASCAR Cup Series championship.

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