Dale Earnhardt Jr. reacts to latest Justin Allgaier, Connor Zilisch showdown at Nashville

Another battle between Justin Allgaier and Connor Zilisch left Dale Earnhardt Jr. a very happy team owner tonight in Nashville. The NASCAR Xfinity Series season is heating up, and the veteran and the young rookie have been giving fans a show lately.

Justin Allgaier is the defending champ. Connor Zilisch is the hottest thing in racing since Joey Logano when he was known as Sliced Bread. Tonight was another example of how these two are sharpening iron on iron.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. has an embarrassment of riches when it comes to young talent. Zilisch, Carson Kvapil, and Sammy Smith are all potentially future Cup Series stars. Then he has his veteran, Allgaier, who is more than happy to keep doing what he does best in Xfinity.

After the race, Dale Jr. spoke to the media in Nashville. When asked about Allgaier and Zilisch making each other better, he reflected on what it means to have that kind of competition on a weekly basis.

“That’s a really good point,” Earnhard said. “You know, it’s obviously great for Connor to have somebody like Justin around that’s running as well as he is, as well as the other competition, of course. Connor’s being challenged at every turn. But it’s good for Justin to be tested, too, especially at that age. You need something to continue to challenge you, and it wasn’t an easy win. He had a little pressure there late.”

Justin Allgaier showed the rookie, Connor Zilisch, what dirty air felt like at Nashville. He likely showed him a few other things as he drove away with the win tonight.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. enjoys watching his drivers push each other

Continuing to talk about his drivers, Dale Earnhardt Jr. was clearly proud. He knows the quality of drivers that he puts in his JRM cars each week. After winning his Xfinity championship, this is exactly what Allgaier needs to keep his edge.

“Yeah, that’s definitely good for Justin, especially as we’re trying to build momentum towards the playoffs. You want to peak at the right time, and if you’re really successful, in the early part of the middle part of the season, you can tend to nose over a little bit, and while other teams are working to get better, they swing right past you at the wrong point, right? When the playoffs are starting, and you’ve lost a little bit of your advantage, if not all of it.

“So, we definitely love to be challenged and this series humbles you really quick. We’re lucky to have success tonight, but next week’s a new challenge.”

Connor Zilisch is going to win one of these battles against Justin Allgaier. But Allgaier is not going to make it easy. At Mexico City, the next Xfinity race on the schedule, it will likely be Zilisch showing Allgaier a thing or two on the track. Dale Earnhardt Jr. has to be very happy and looking forward to that race.