NASCAR Xfinity Series driver Justin Allgaier has reacted after Cup Series star Kyle Busch nabbed his crew chief.

It was recently confirmed that from 2026, Jim Pohlman will be making the move from JR Motorsports to Richard Childress Racing, where he will crew chief the No. 8 Chevrolet, driven by the two-time Cup Series champion.

Busch needed a new man on top of his pit box after it was revealed in September that his now ex-crew chief, Randall Burnett, would be joining Trackhouse Racing to work with Connor Zilisch as he makes his step up to Cup racing.

Allgaier reacts to Pohlman exit

Just like Zilisch's gain was Busch's loss in that scenario, with Busch now set to work with Pohlman from 2026, Allgaier is now the driver looking for a new leader on top of his pit box.

However, the 39-year-old completely understands why Pohlman took the opportunity and is grateful for the success they have had together, which includes nine race wins and an Xfinity Series championship.

“It’s a double-edged sword for me,” Allgaier admitted to NASCAR.com.

“I am sad to see him go because he has meant the world to me and still will. His dream has been to be a full-time Cup Series crew chief, to have a shot for going for a championship. He has had forays and been able to be on the Cup side, but not in this scenario.

“I couldn’t have asked Jim to do any more for me. We came into this series and he put more effort than anyone I could ever imagine into what he was doing. The hard work and dedication that he’s given to me, I couldn’t ask for any better.

"As sad as I am to see that go, he accomplished everything we ever asked for. If you could write it all down on paper, you couldn’t even ask for those stats.”

Pohlman: It's hard to leave Allgaier

Elsewhere, Pohlman himself has admitted that it is tough to leave Allgaier and the No. 7 team at JR Motorsports behind.

“Justin is the guy that put me on the map,” Pohlman said. “Without JRM, this opportunity doesn’t exist.

"It’s very hard to leave Justin; he’s a great friend and has been a friend for a long time. We’ve won an ARCA championship, we’ve won an Xfinity championship – hopefully, we’re going to win two. To walk away from the possibility of winning three in a row was very heavy on my mind.

“The goal for me has always been to race on Sunday and make it to that level and have an opportunity to win Daytona 500s and win at the highest level. It’s a great opportunity and I’m certainly looking forward to it.”