Kevin Harvick makes prediction on Dale Earnhardt Jr.-Chris Stapleton Traveller Whiskey car at Daytona 500

Dale Earnhardt Jr. is back at the Daytona 500 in 2025, but this time he’s at The Great American Race as a car owner, not a driver, broadcaster or simply a fan.

To a great amount of fanfare, JR Motorsports entered the team’s longtime flag bearer and reigning Xfinity Series champion Justin Allgaier into the Daytona 500, giving Earndhardt’s team a shot on the big stage. The entry is in partnership with 10-time Grammy Award-winning artist Chris Stapleton, whose whiskey label Traveller Whiskey will sponsor the No. 40 Chevrolet this week.

Ahead of NASCAR’s premier week at Daytona International Speedway getting underway, Kevin Harvick predicted how it’ll all turn out for Earnhardt’s first foray into the Cup Series with JR Motorsports, believing qualifying could be especially important to Allgaier and the team as a whole.

“Well, I expect them to be strong in qualifying at Daytona. Especially when you have the purpose of trying to get that car into the field and make the race,” Harvick said, regarding the No. 40 Chevrolet via Kevin Harvick’s Happy Hour. “I’d love to see JR Motorsports on the Cup side and being able to be there week-in and week-out. I think having Dale and his team as part of the Cup field would be fantastic. But, you know, it’s got to be right for them, from a business standpoint. So I’m excited about that.

“It kind of shocked me when I saw the Junior Motorsports entry on the announcement and everything that they did as a part of the Daytona 500, so I hope this leads to them headed towards the Cup Series a little bit more. The one thing I didn’t understand, I love it, obviously. I just didn’t understand the number selection.”

All told, it’ll be a landmark moment regardless when the No. 40 takes the track. The deal came together when Stapleton reached out to Hendrick Motorsports owner Rick Hendrick about a collaboration with Traveller Whiskey, and Hendrick put the White Horse singer in touch with Earnhardt, as he also has an ownership stake with JR Motorsports.

Earnhardt, a two-time Daytona 500 champion, has long had a dream of entering The Great American Race as a car owner. Thanks to Hendrick and Stapleton, that dream will become a reality on Sunday, Feb. 16, and Allgaier was the full-circle pick as the wheelman.

All told, Justin Allgaier may have more fans than ever when he gets behind the No. 40 in the Daytona 500. Wherever Dale Earnhardt Jr. goes, his loyal fan base follows, and that’s especially true when you head to Daytona International Speedway.

— On3’s Thomas Goldkamp contributed to this article.