Cup driver Justin Allgaier optimistic despite uncertain plans for 2016
With this week's news that Clint Bowyer will join HScott Motorsports for the 2016 season before moving over to Stewart-Haas Racing in 2017, questions remain about the team's complete lineup for next season.
The team currently fields two Sprint Cup Series cars with drivers Justin Allgaier and Michael Annett, something that is likely to change for next season with Bowyer coming on board. During Friday's press conference at Dover International Speedway, team owner Harry Scott indicated he has not "ruled out anything for 2016 or beyond," but it appears Allgaier may be the odd man out.
With Annett bringing support from Pilot/Flying J, Allgaier indicated there are a lot of unknowns surrounding his current situation and future plans.
"Just not really sure what the plan is, but at the same time I've been working really hard on it," Allgaier told FOXSports.com Saturday at Dover. "Sometimes things like this cause excitement. I think for all of us it's that way. It's an exciting time. There's a lot of things happening. I don't know exactly what that puts me in for 2016, but at the same time I've had a lot of fun these past two years. I feel like we've grown a program pretty well from what it started as to what it is now. It's been a lot of fun."
Allgaier said there were "definitely a lot of options" for 2016 and beyond, but added that it was too early to tell how it would all come together. A longtime representative of Brandt, he hopes to continue that relationship wherever he lands after this season. Along with its Sprint Cup organization, HScott Motorsports fields teams in the XFINITY and K&N Series, another possible landing place for Allgaier next season.
"There are definitely a lot of options, but there are also a lot of moving parts. This has got to be something that works out on all sides for everybody no matter how we do it," he said. "I've been proud to wear the Brandt colors for five, six years now and I look forward to doing that in the future. I don't know what series or what car that's going to end up being in. There's just a lot of excitement for me to see what the future holds."
Despite appearing as the odd man out at HScott Motorsports' Sprint Cup team, Allgaier said he is not getting down about the situation and is happy for the organization.
"The news at HScott Motorsports with Clint coming over, that's all good," he said. "No matter how you spin it, I'm happy for Harry and everybody at the team. When he came into the sport and he and I sat down and we first talked about HScott Motorsports and what the direction was, this is putting all of the pieces of the puzzle together that he was trying to do then. I'm excited for them. For us, it's just a matter of trying to figure out what the right piece of the puzzle is for me."
While it now seems as if Allgaier may be on the move, he knows things in this sport can change at a moment's notice.
"At the end of the day, it has to be the right decision for everybody," he said. "Let's be honest, this sport changes so quickly and everything that happens or what you think is the possibility today is no there tomorrow. For me, it's just been about putting the trust in the people I have a round me and the man upstairs and I think there's a lot of excitement because there's a lot of great opportunities that can come of this."
