Dale Earnhardt Jr. stretched out his hand to Justin Allgaier on pit road after Allgaier finished ninth in Sunday’s Daytona 500 in the first race for Earnhardt as a Cup car owner. “Good job,” Earnhardt said as he slapped hands with Allgaier.

Justin Allgaier qualified for the Daytona 500 in a car owned by Dale Earnardt Jr. on Thursday's Daytona Duels.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. spoke candidly after the Daytona 500 about the possibility of JR Motorsports going full-time NASCAR Cup Series racing.

Man, we got here, and we got a taste of it,” Dale Earnhardt Jr. said about Justin Allgaier qualifying for the Daytona 500.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. was nervous at Daytona International Speedway, where JR Motorsports driver Justin Allgaier qualified for the Daytona 500.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. will race in the Daytona 500. This time, as a car owner. Last year, JR Motorsports celebrated the long-awaited NASCAR Xfinity Series championship for Justin Allgaier.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. blinked back tears as the moment socked him at Daytona International Speedway — a track bursting with triumph and tragedy for his family — that he was, with a country star and a NASCAR champ in tow,