It's not normal procedure for Open Wheel magazine to honor an early-teen open wheel driver, but in the case of 15-year-old Justin Allgaier, it is definitely justified.
Thus far in this fledgling career, he's successfully run Quarter Midgets, Junior Sprint Cars, Mini-Sprints, Bandolero cars, Kenyon Midgets, and full-up Midgets. Oh yeah, also throw in that he's also currently wheeling a dirt Late Model stock car.
It's always been a racing environment for Justin, whose dad (Mike) is head of Hoosier Tire Midwest. Dad, obviously, is his son's biggest booster.
But being almost a full-time racer, along with being a ninth grader, is not an easy deal. For example, take the Kenyon Midgets. Hey, the racing is on Thursday nights, and the season started when school was still in session. "I have to leave school early, but my principal is a nice guy and has worked it out for me," Justin says.
Since three more years of high school lie ahead, there will have to be more such arrangements made. A parental requirement, though, for all this activity is contingent on good grades in the classroom.
Justin's maturity was recently brought to light at the 2001 Chili Bowl, where Justin stepped into a full midget for the first time. He smiles when he explains, "The first night I had to learn how to get pushed off." Then the youngster raised numerous eyebrows the next night when he qualified 29th out of 96 cars. He also won his heat race that night.
But excelling is something that Justin has done since he started in quarter midgets at age five. He is a five-time Quarter Midget Association National Champion: 1993, 1995, 1997, and 1998 (two classes). In both 1997 and 1998, he won the Quarter Midget races at the Chili Bowl. There were over 200 total victories in quarters. Justin says that Ken Schrader had really been a big help with these cars.
In 1998, in the Junior Sprint Car Association (JSCA), he won the Speedweeks Championship in Cummings, Georgia, in three different divisions. Also that year, he started in Mini-Sprints with six wins, and second place points finishes at Macon and Jacksonville, Illinois, Speedways.
In 1999 and 2000, the concentration started on the Kenyon Midgets where Justin showed a pair of wins and many top-fives. The NAMARS-based series is also the concentration for this season where he hopes to go for the points at the Indy Speedrome.
And most unbelievably, Jason got into a dirt Late Model stock car last season, and plans to run that when time permits this season. A sound foundation has been established for this talented teenager to go any direction he desires.
Name: Justin AllgaierDob: June 6, 1986Hometown: Springfield, ILSeries: Namars, NMMA, UMPSponsor: Hoosier Tire Midwest, Weld Wheels, BP, Redline Oil, Simpson