It’s crunch time for #51-Justin Allgaier. With only eight races left to qualify for this year’s NASCAR Chase for the Sprint Cup, the Central Illinois native is languishing in 29th place in the points standings and desperately needing a victory in one of the remaining outings to make the Chase field. There’s also another matter where time is running out and a speedy performance is of the essence. “My contract is up at the end of this year, so we’re still trying to figure all of the pieces out, still kind of working through all that,” said Allgaier. Allgaier’s Sprint Cup effort is sponsored by Brandt, a giant multi-national agribusiness concern headquartered in Springfield. Allgaier is hoping to see that arrangement continue beyond this season. “Obviously the ultimate goal would be to do what we’re doing again and I have a great relationship with Brandt,” he said. “I’ve been very fortunate to have them behind me, so I would hope we could keep putting something together. Their goal would be to have an entirely ag-based car. I know they haven’t given up on that dream and they’ve been actively seeking partners to come in and be a part of the program.” With Allgaier competing in the high-pressure, ultra-competitive world of multi-million dollar racing teams at NASCAR’s elite level, it’s vital that the pieces fall into place sooner than later.(Bloomington Pantagraph)(7-18-2015)
