From 1991 to 2002, the kid dubbed "Little Gator" - named for his size and ferociousness behind the wheel - made his way up through the motorsports ranks, collecting trophies and accolades along the way. By age 12, he was a five-time quarter midget champion with more than 100 wins to his credit. He then went into the midget and micro-sprint car ranks, and in the micros chalked up five more wins. At 13, he started his "fendered" car career in the UMP Late Model Series, while continuing his successful midget runs.

For Allgaier, moving into stock cars was a bit of a challenge in comparison to the lightweight sprinters he was used to. "The biggest thing was the slower steering of the stock cars," said Allgaier. "Initially it was like driving a truck, but after a few races, I got used to it. One thing that was tougher to get used to was not being able to see the front tires."

It was in 2001, as a 14-year-old, when Allgaier made a name for himself as the youngest driver to ever advance to the A Main race at the famed Chili Bowl midget event in Tulsa, Okla. He continued on that year in late model stock cars, running 51 dirt track races with two wins and 24 top-10 finishes.

When Allgaier turned 16, he debuted in the ARCA RE/MAX Series. In three starts for the team run by family friend and racing legend Ken Schrader, he earned a top finish of 11th. His career continued as a part-time ARCA racer for the next two years and he scored three top-five and five top-10 finishes in 11 starts as he ran late models and midgets as well. Allgaier’s talents took him to New Zealand in 2004, where he represented the U.S.A. in the South Pacific Saloon Car Championship where he posted two top-five finishes.

2009 - Competes full-time in the NASCAR Nationwide Series (35 races) in the No. 12 Verizon Wireless Dodge for Penske Racing and finishes sixth in the championship standings. Earns first NASCAR top-10 result at Las Vegas in just his third race of the season. Finishes fifth at Bristol in his fourth race of the year to secure his first top-five result. Scores top-five finishes at Darlington and Kentucky. Collects three top-five and 12 top-10 finishes in all. Captures the series Raybestos Rookie-of-the-Year award. Wins his first NASCAR pole position at Memphis Motorsports Park in late October. Posts an average finishing position of 16.5 over the course of the season.

2008 - Crowned ARCA RE/MAX Series champion after running full-season schedule (21 races). Wins six races (Salem Speedway, Cayuga Motor Speedway, Pocono Raceway, New Jersey Motorsports Park, Talladega Superspeedway, Toledo Speedway) and records 14 top-5 and 16 top-10 finishes with one pole position. Using a Penske Racing engine, wins in a dramatic last-lap pass of current NASCAR star Joey Logano at Talladega. Captures series title after winning the season finale in Toledo after the top two drivers in the standings take each other out of the race. Joins Penske Racing on September 17 and makes NASCAR Nationwide Series debut at Lowe’s Motor Speedway (Concord, N.C.) in October – starts 14th, finishes 34th. Runs three more Nationwide Series events for Penske Racing with a top finish of 11th at Phoenix. Runs one NASCAR Camping World Truck race in Kentucky (starts 34th, finishes 24th). Runs one UMP Late Model Series event at Farmer City Speedway and wins two of the four midget events he entered. Finishes 11th in the Chili Bowl F Main event.

2007 - Runs full ARCA RE/MAX Series season (23 races) and finishes fourth in championship standings with one win (Salem Speedway), four top-five and 11 top-10 finishes. Competes in the Chili Bowl and finishes third in the A Main event behind NASCAR stars Tony Stewart and J.J. Yeley. Runs 18 UMP Late Model Series races, wins five, including a sweep at I-55 Speedway. Wins three midget events.

2006 - Races in 21 of 23 ARCA RE/MAX Series events and finishes 10th in championship standings with one win on a dirt track (Illinois State Fairgrounds), six top-five and eight top-10 finishes. The Illinois win marked the first time in the track’s history that a local driver had won a championship race at the venue. Runs three NASCAR Camping World Truck Series events - Milwaukee (starts 26th, finishes 22nd), Kansas (starts 29th, finishes 21st) and Kentucky (starts 36th, finishes 36th). Runs the 2006 Chili Bowl, advances to A Main and finishes 24th. Runs UMP Late Models and midgets, wins multiple races at I-55 Raceway, among other tracks.

2005 - Competes in seven ARCA RE/MAX Series events and scores four top-five and five top-10 finishes. Sets new track record at Illinois State Fairgrounds dirt track to win his first “Pork Pole” award. Qualifies in four of the nine Camping World Truck Series events he entered – Milwaukee (starts 34th, finishes 26th), Kansas (starts 35th, finishes 36th), Las Vegas (starts 34th, finishes 27th) and Texas (starts 22nd, finishes 27th). Runs the Chili Bowl, finishes 10th in the C Main race. Selected as a top-25 finalist in the Roush Racing “Gong Show,” out of 1,700-plus applicants. Sponsor United States Air Force announces that Allgaier and Allgaier Motorsports are recipients of the American Spirit Award, the Air Force Recruiting Service’s highest form of recognition. Runs UMP Late Models/midgets - wins heat, dash and feature race at I-55 Speedway twice in two weeks of competition.

2004 - Runs five ARCA RE/MAX Series events and scores two top-five and three top-10 finishes. Advances to first B main in the Chili Bowl, finishes 12th. Represents the U.S.A. at the South Pacific Saloon Car Championship in New Zealand, finishes fourth and second. Runs UMP Late Models/midgets and produces one feature win, 12 top-five and 23 top-10 finishes in 37 dirt late model starts.

2003 - Makes six starts in the ARCA RE/MAX Series and earns one top-five and two top-10 finishes. In the Chili Bowl, finishes eighth in the Second C Main race. Runs UMP Late Model Series and midgets. Scores memorable victory over Ken Schrader and Tony Stewart at I-55 Raceway (July 30, 2003).

1991 - 2002 - Crowned quarter midget champion five times (1993 through 1998) with more than 100 feature wins, including five National victories. In 1999, runs 600cc micro-sprint cars and racks up five wins. In 2000, makes debut in UMP Late Model Series stock cars, running six races. Posts two Kenyon Midgets wins. In 2001, at age 14, becomes the youngest driver to ever make the Chili Bowl A Main event. Also runs 51 Dirt Late Model races, wins twice (Macon Speedway) and finishes in the top-10 24 times. In 2002, debuts in the ARCA RE/MAX Series and runs three events for NASCAR veteran Ken Schrader with a best finish of 11th place. Advances to second G Main race in 2002 Chili Bowl.