Justin Allgaier on Sprint Cup future: 'I’m worried about it'

Jeff Gluck | USA TODAY Sports

RICHMOND, Va. — Justin Allgaier is well aware of the rumors.

With HScott Motorsports’ No. 51 car the most-mentioned landing place for Clint Bowyer next season and no contract for Allgaier beyond this season, the 29-year-old’s 2016 plans are unclear.

“Being in a contract year in general is a challenge, let alone with the rumors,” Allgaier told USA TODAY Sports on Friday. “Yeah, I’m worried about it. But at the same time, everybody is trying to get everything put together so we’re not sitting there in November saying, ‘Oh, we don’t know what the future looks like.’

“Everybody is working diligently so that every thought goes into this and that it makes sense for everybody involved. I’ll let them sort out the details on the off-track side of it and keep working on the on-track side.”

Bowyer could be a good fit for HScott on a one-year deal because the team is under the Hendrick Motorsports umbrella like Stewart-Haas Racing. That could then pave the way for Bowyer to join SHR in 2017, sort of like Kasey Kahne’s one-year stay at Team Red Bull before driving for Hendrick Motorsports.

So has Allgaier been informed of what the team might be thinking?

“I listen to you guys (in the media), honestly,” he said. “At the end of the day, Harry (Scott) and I have been pretty solid through a lot of different things throughout the course of my career. He’s genuine in the fact that he says he’s working with us and trying to put a deal together.

“I don’t think the other deal by any means is done, if it’s going to happen. He’s working just as hard to put our deal back together as he is on that. I’ve not been told any specifics, but at the same time, that’s not my place.”

Allgaier, now in his second full Cup season, earned his first career top-10 at Bristol Motor Speedway in April. Though his average finish has declined from 25.9 to 27.2, he’s finishing more races on the lead lap and has shown more consistent flashes of speed.

But if Bowyer joins the team, Allgaier might have to continue his career with a different organization.

“If something does happen and I don’t end up in the 51 again next year, the way the timeframe is right now, at least it’s early,” he said. “I would like to see something happen sooner than later either way. That would definitely be good.

“If you’re in the same ride, you spend the last six-to-10 races really focusing on next year. And if you’re not, you’re trying to figure yourself out and what your future looks like. So the sooner we can all come together on something would definitely be better.”

Follow Gluck on Twitter @jeff_gluck

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