Martinsville II Race Recap

AJ ALLMENDINGER
No. 43 AdvoCare Ford Fusion

• AJ Allmendinger started in the 16th position for the 500-lap event at Martinsville Speedway
• Allmendinger, finished in the race in the 11th position at the .536-mile track
• Unofficially, Allmendinger sits in 16th place in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver point standings

Race Summary: AJ Allmendinger started the 263-mile event at Martinsville Speedway from the 16th position. Inclement weather caused the cancelation of Saturday’s qualifying session and the starting line-up was set per the NASCAR rule book. Allmendinger didn’t waste any time letting his crew know he was happy with his car, and Crew Chief Greg Erwin elected not to bring the AdvoCare Ford down pit road during the first three caution periods of the race. Staying out under yellow, combined with a fast race car, enabled Allmendinger to drive his way to the lead on Lap 55.

Though he was beginning to fight a car that was struggling to find rear grip, the No. 43 continued to run up front until a Lap 66 caution period allowed Erwin to call Allmendinger onto pit road for an air pressure adjustment, four fresh tires and fuel. Several cars elected not to pit under the fourth caution period of the day and Allmendinger restarted the race in 16th place. Just a few laps into the run, Allmendinger communicated to his crew that the air pressure adjustment made on the previous stop had helped the handling of his race car.

Pleased with the AdvoCare Ford Fusion, Allmendinger was again out front leading the field on Lap 117. As the laps wore on, Allmendinger began to struggle to find rear grip and began to slip back several positions. Erwin called for a variety of chassis adjustments in the ensuing pit stops and Allmendinger continued to run inside the Top 10 for the majority of the event.

The turning point for the No. 43 came on Lap 407 when Allmendinger sustained left front fender damage due to a multi-car accident. Having to bring the AdvoCare machine into the pits on Lap 409 for repairs, Allmendinger lost valuable time and was forced to restart in the 22nd position on Lap 413, the last car on the lead lap. Allmendinger didn't waste any time making his way back toward the front of the field though, and was running in the 14th spot by Lap 441.

Contact with the No. 78 car on Lap 444 sent Allmendinger’s car sliding up the track and into the wall, causing minor right side damage. Allmendinger again found himself at the tail end of the lead lap, this time with just over 50 laps to go. Never giving up, Allmendinger put the pedal to the metal and worked his way up to the 15th spot with just six laps remaining in the 500-lap event when the caution flag flew for the 18th and final time on Lap 494. By virtue of several cars wrecking in front of the No. 43 machine, Allmendinger was able to advance four spots in the remaining laps of the race and brought the AdvoCare Ford home in 11th place.

Allmendinger was awarded a bonus point for leading a total of two times throughout the event, equaling 19 laps, and now sits in 16th place in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series point standings heading into next Sunday’s race at Texas Motor Speedway.

Credit - Richard Petty Motorsports PR

Martinsville II Post-Race Quotes

AJ ALLMENDINGER – No. 43 AdvoCare Ford Fusion
Finished 11th
“That’s Martinsville. It was a really good car. I think we just needed something small to win the race, but the car was so good. It was really good. I was proud of all the guys. We’ve got to work on our pit stops a little bit because we kept losing a couple of spots, but what really hurt us was I got put three-wide on the outside and got into Juan and that shoved the fender over the tire and we got a yellow, and from there on back we were at the back of the pack and everybody is just gouging back there. Doug gave me a great motor and everybody at the engine shop. The car was good and that’s all you can say."

A VERY PHYSICAL RACE TODAY. WHY? “It was unbelievable. It was insane. That’s the way NASCAR is now. Everybody is desperate. We’ve got to fight for everything we can get out there. Sponsors, points, money, etc., so everybody is trying to get everything. It’s the end of the year. It just seems like if it’s just me, but it just seems like this year is tiring. Everybody is tired and you put that combination together at a place like Martinsville and things are gonna happen.”

Credit - Ford Racing

AJ to become Immortal at Texas

Relativity Media Co-Sponsors No. 43 Race Car at 2011 Texas NASCAR Sprint Cup Series with Immortals Branding

Relativity Media and Virgin Produced will promote its upcoming epic adventure Immortals to millions of NASCAR fans by co-sponsoring the No. 43 Richard Petty Motorsports Ford. Through its partnership with Sir Richard Branson’s Production Company Virgin Produced, Relativity will join Best Buy and Richard Petty Motorsports in this co-branding initiative. The celebrated AJ Allmendinger, also known as “The Dinger,” will drive the No. 43 car at the 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series event at Texas Motor Speedway in Ft. Worth, Texas on November 6, 2011, five days before Relativity’s Immortals opens in theaters on November 11, 2011.

Branded with Best Buy logos, The No. 43 race car will also feature the Immortals title treatment placed on the hood, upper rear quarter panels and deck lid. In addition, the crew and Allmendinger will wear Immortals hats and shirts, as well as the title treatment on the pit wall banner. Relativity will also have access to trackside photography services, Richard Petty Motorsports digital media efforts, autographed merchandise and more public relations support as a result of this collaboration.

Relativity formed its innovative partnership with Virgin Produced in 2010 with a first look deal in which the company produces films for the studio. Virgin Produced’s presence across a diverse range of businesses is what brought Relativity Media, Best Buy and Richard Petty Motorsports together for this No. 43 RPM Ford branding takeover. Best Buy will also feature Immortals custom video content on media walls in its stores nationwide from November 1, 2011 through opening day on November 11, 2011. Virgin Produced also brought together Relativity and NASCAR hall-of-famer Richard Petty, co-owner of the NASCAR team for which Allmendinger drives, through its existing relationship with them.

From the producers of 300, Mark Canton, Gianni Nunnari, and Relativity’s CEO Ryan Kavanaugh, Immortals stars Henry Cavill (Superman: Man of Steel), Luke Evans (Robin Hood), Kellan Lutz (Twillight), Isabel Lucas (Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen), Freida Pinto (Slumdog Millionaire), Stephen Dorff (Public Enemies), John Hurt (Hellboy) and Mickey Rourke (Iron Man 2). Directed by Tarsem Singh (The Cell, The Fall) and written by Charles Parlapanides and Vlas Parlapanides, Immortals tells the story of the ruthless King Hyperion (Rourke), who leads his bloodthirsty army on a murderous rampage across Greece to find a deadly weapon that will destroy humanity. A mortal chosen by Zeus named Theseus (Cavill) must lead the fight against Hyperion and his evil army with the fate of mankind and the Gods at Stake.

Credit - www.ajallmendinger.com

Martinsville II Race Preview

AJ ALLMENDINGER
No. 43 AdvoCare Ford Fusion

• AJ Allmendinger has made eight starts at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway
• Allmendinger enters the weekend in 16th place in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver point standings
• Allmendinger’s best finish (ninth) at the half-mile track came in the 2009 spring race

Allmendinger on Racing at Martinsville Speedway: “I enjoy short-track racing at Martinsville. I always look forward to going there and I’ve run pretty good the past couple of times we’ve raced at Martinsville. It’s racing where you have to get a rhythm going. I’ll have to really concentrate on saving my brakes because it’s a track that really wears them out quick. Brakes are really key at Martinsville and I want to make sure I still have them at the end of the race. I’m looking forward to a great weekend with my team and a good finish in my AdvoCare Ford.”

Crew Chief Greg Erwin’s Thoughts on Martinsville Speedway: “We are taking the same car this weekend that the team raced at Martinsville earlier this year. This will be my first race with AJ at Martinsville, but I suspect he is good there like he is on most short tracks because of his ability to brake hard and get the car turned down in the center and keep the weight on the front tires like he does on road courses. Most of the good road course drivers are also good short-track racers. We are looking forward to going to Martinsville and recovering some of the points we lost at Talladega last weekend. The fall race at Martinsville is a terrific time of year to go to the track and it’s great racing to watch. The AdvoCare team is looking for good things this weekend and a “W” would be great to pull off in one of these last four races of the season.”

Erwin on the Famous Martinsville Hot Dog: “I love the Martinsville hot dogs. There was a time in my younger days I would eat eight or nine hotdogs a day, but now I can only handle about three or four a day. That is one of the unique things about Martinsville Speedway, nobody makes hot dogs like they do!”

Chassis History: The No. 43 Richard Petty Motorsports team has prepared chassis No. 729 for this weekend’s event at Martinsville Speedway. This AdvoCare Ford Fusion was run previously this season at Phoenix Raceway, Martinsville, Darlington (S.C.) Raceway, Pocono (Pa.) Raceway and in New Hampshire.

Notes: Allmendinger has eight NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starts at Martinsville Speedway and has four top-15 finishes at the .526-mile track. Allmendinger enters Martinsville Speedway in 16th place in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver point standings. He has completed 3,546 of 4,019 laps attempted at the track and has led six of them.

Don’t miss out on your chance to meet The Dinger. AJ will be signing autographs at the Richard Petty Motorsports merchandise hauler Sunday, Oct. 30 at 10 a.m. The first 75 guests in line at the merchandise hauler when it opens will receive a ticket that will allow them to take part in the autograph session.

Richard Petty will be participating in the 23rd annual NASCAR Day Festival in Randleman, N.C. on Saturday. “The King” will be signing autographs for fans from 5-7 p.m. in the parking lot of the Security Savings Bank at the corner of Main and Naomi streets.

AJ will participate in the fifth of five NASCAR-controlled electronic fuel injection tests Monday at Martinsville Speedway. After using carburetors since its first race in 1949, NASCAR will race with electronic fuel injection for the first time next year.

Credit - Richard Petty Motorsports PR

Talladega II Race Recap

AJ ALLMENDINGER
No. 43 Best Buy Ford Fusion

• AJ Allmendinger started in the 24th position for the 188-lap event at Talladega Superspeedway
• Allmendinger finished the race in the 31st position at the 2.66-mile superspeedway
• Unofficially, Allmendinger sits in 16th place in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver point standings

Race Summary: AJ Allmendinger started the 500-mile NASCAR Sprint Cup Series event at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway from the 24th position and immediately hooked up with teammate Marcos Ambrose to form the important two-car tandem. The pair remained glued together and worked their way into the top 15 early, communicating via the team radio nearly non-stop.

The first caution flag of the day flew at Lap 26 of the 188-lap event and, like much of the field, Allmendinger drove to the attention of his awaiting crew for fresh right side tires and fuel. Hooking back up with teammate Ambrose at the restart, he held down 15th place at Lap 31. The two continued to work together on the track until making a scheduled pit stop on Lap 68. Allmendinger returned to the track after his four-tire stop and saw the caution flag wave the very next lap.

Because they had already come into the pits, Allmendinger and Ambrose took the green flag for the restart in the first and second spot. Working to stay out of the usual Talladega trouble, the two faded back a bit, but remained in sight of the leaders. Unfortunately, a slight miscue at Lap 105 resulted in the No. 43 car spinning down the track and into the path of oncoming traffic. Allmendinger was able to drive the damaged Best Buy Ford to pit road and the crew went to work to make repairs. The majority of the damage was cosmetic and was confined to the left side of the machine.

Allmendinger returned to the track in time for the Lap 110 green flag and attempted to work with Ambrose once again, but was forced to pit several laps later after shredding a left rear tire. Allmendinger lost several laps while the crew made additional repairs. He was able to pick up one lap thanks to the Lucky Dog award, but encountered another flat tire at Lap 138. The reason for the tire rub was found once Allmendinger drove the Best Buy Ford back into the pits and the crew spent several laps working on more repairs.

Allmendinger returned to the track with 46 laps remaining in the race and spent much of the remainder of the race drafting with wounded competitors. When the checkered flag waved, Allmendinger held down the 31st position. Allmendinger now stands in 16th place in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver point standings heading into next Sunday’s race at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway in Martinsville, Va.

Credit -Richard Petty Motorsports PR

Talladega II Qualifying Quotes

AJ Allmendinger, No. 43 Best Buy Ford
Qualified 24th
“That was pretty much all skill by me right there. Actually no, we didn’t qualify very fast so that was all the car then. It was pretty stable. We got on the back straightaway there and there are a couple people partying pretty hard so that was pretty good. I was pretty impressed. I think they were left over from last night. I heard them last night as well. Other than that it was Talladega qualifying. The Best Buy Ford should start mid pack to start with and end up front. That’s the plan.”

WHAT’S THE MOST INTERESTING PART OF THIS TO YOU?“Yesterday it seemed like all the stuff they did to make us not be able to push as long still didn’t help. NASCAR will figure out how to do something but the teams are so smart now that they figure out a way to still make it better. I think it is honestly how long you can run in a tandem group and whether we will do that all race or all pack up for awhile and then get with our partners and try to race at the end. We will see.”

WOULD THERE EVER BE A SCENARIO WHERE A MANUFACTURER WOULD SAY YOU AREN’T ALLOWED TO PUSH ANOTHER MANUFACTURER? “I haven’t been told that yet. Maybe I will be told that after this now. Maybe they forgot to get to me. I could easily see that though. The biggest thing is that first off, I want to win the race for myself, Best Buy and Richard Petty Motorsports. Secondly we want to get one of these Fords to win the championship and Matt and Carl are right there for it. Anything we can do to help them is what is always going to be our focus.”

***

Marcos Ambrose, No. 9 Stanley Ford
Qualified 19th
“Me and Todd Parrott have been through a lot together. I have a lot to thank him for. He has been a great crew chief for me and we get on well. We’ve had a really good month with three top-10s in row and that run will put us somewhere around 15th here. We are close to AJ, our teammate, so we should be able to find each other pretty quick on Sunday and get to the front.”

YOU HAVE ‘NO BRAKES’ WRITTEN ON YOUR HAND, WHAT’S THAT ABOUT? “That is just a cue for me when I jump in the car I always tend to test the brake pedal and here that will push the pads back. I didn’t want to be that guy that pumped the pedal and forget about it. It is just my mental cue before I put my gloves on to make sure I don’t touch the brake. This stuff here is unique. The car has all this stuff in it to make it run fast and produce drag.”

WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST THOUGHT ABOUT THE WEEKEND’S RACE? WHAT IS STILL ON YOUR MIND? “I just want to get to the finish. It is one of these deals here where I have had trouble finishing lately being caught up in weird accidents. Our goal here is to be in contention coming to the checkered flag and hopefully put ourselves in good position.”

DO YOU SEE A SCENARIO WHERE YOU WOULD PUSH A CHEVY?“If it is Kevin Harvick then there is no chance. We are trying to help as best we can our Ford drivers win the championship. Carl and Matt Kenseth have had a great year so far and I don’t want to get in the way of the championship and don’t want to change the outcome, I don’t want to be in the way. I think pushing a Chase contender in a Chevrolet would probably not be the best thing for your career if you have blue blood, and that I certainly have.”

SO YOU PAIR UP BASED ON WHERE THEY ARE IN THE CHASE AND WHAT MANUFACTURER IS ON THE CAR? “In the end you want to have a dance partner already set. If you can’t find your teammate or person you want to work with then it will be a scramble and you have to do what you have to do to get your car as high as you can. I don’t think that if there are 43 cars out there that I will be looking for anyone but a Ford driver to get me to the line."

Credit - Ford Racing

Talladega II Race Preview

AJ ALLMENDINGER
No. 43 Best Buy Ford Fusion
• Allmendinger has made six starts at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway
• Allmendinger enters the race in 14th place in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver point standings
• Allmendinger’s best finish (11th) at the track came in this year’s event at the 2.66-mile track in August

Allmendinger on Talladega Superspeedway: “Talladega isn’t one of my favorite places to race. I had a big wreck there last year and flipped, so it doesn’t bring back good memories. We’ve never really had good results there until this year’s event in August when we finished in 11th place. We had a fast car at Talladega earlier this year, so I’m feeling good about this weekend’s race. It will be interesting to see how the new rules package affects my Best Buy Ford’s drafting abilities. Hopefully it will help the two-car draft. It’s all about survival this weekend. If we can miss “The Big One” we should be in good shape Sunday.”

Crew Chief Greg Erwin’s Keys to Getting Around Talladega: “At Talladega it will be key to find a good drafting partner. It will have to be someone that can push the Best Buy Ford really fast and someone that can pull us fast, all while being smart. Based on what we saw at Daytona and Talladega earlier this year with the tandem drafting, we’ll probably have to find a partner that will stick with us, unless the new rules NASCAR has implemented this weekend change that. We will just have to wait and see how things work out once we unload for practice on Friday.

“We need to make sure we have a fast car with a lot of horsepower and that AJ and the Best Buy crew don’t make any mistakes during pit stops. There will likely be some stops under green flag conditions during the middle part of the race, so we need to make sure we are in sync with our drafting partner when pitting so we don’t lose the draft.”

Chassis History: The No. 43 RPM team has prepared chassis No. 722 for this weekend’s event at Talladega Superspeedway. This Best Buy Ford has been run previously this season at Daytona and Talladega’s first event of the season.

Notes: Allmendinger has six NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starts at Talladega Superspeedway. Allmendinger’s best starting position (fourth) came in 2008 at the 2.66-mile track. His best finishing position (11th) came in this year’s August event at the superspeedway. He has completed 1,115 of 1,143 laps attempted at the quad-oval, leading six of them. Allmendinger enters Talladega in 14th spot in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series point standings.

NASCAR will implement two rule changes for this week’s running of the Good Sam Clubs 500 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Talladega Superspeedway. The size of the restrictor plate that teams will use to prepare and practice for the race will increase by 1/64 inch and is now going to be 57/64 inch diameter. This will provide the teams with an additional 7-10 horsepower. Additionally, the pressure relief valve on the cars’ cooling system will be recalibrated to reduce the pressure by approximately eight pounds per square inch from last April’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Talladega.

Don’t miss out on your chance to meet AJ. Allmendinger. The driver of the No. 43 Ford will be visiting Woody Anderson Ford in Huntsville, Ala. (25 Jordan Lane, Huntsville, Ala., 35816) on Thursday from 2-3:30 p.m. CT for an autograph session and meet and greet with the employees. The autograph session will be open to the public.

Check out the Richard Petty Motorsports website at www.richardpettymotorsports.com for up-to-date news and information on Allmendinger, Ambrose and the rest of the RPM crew. The Dinger also has a website of his own. Visit www.ajallmendinger.com for everything AJ.

Credit - Ford Racing

Charlotte II Post-Race Quotes

MARCOS AMBROSE – No. 9 Stanley Ford Fusion
Finished 5th
“I’ve just got to thank Bostitch for coming on board as a primary and Stanley and DeWalt and Ford and everybody else on this program. I just really appreciate that opportunity. I ran great. I just want to be so careful. I bumped Carl Edwards down pit lane and damaged his right-rear fender a little bit. I don’t want to mess with the championship fight, but at the same time you’ve got to try and win these races. I’m just really excited about our opportunities, so I thank Ford and everyone very much."

HOW WAS YOUR NIGHT? “This tire wasn’t that hard in the spring, but it got really hard tonight. The bottom seemed to be the place to go and you just couldn’t get guys out of the way. It was a tough night. We were around the 29 a lot and around the 11 a lot, around Carl a lot and around the 18 and 17 as well, so we were up with the Chase guys. Next year, we want to be one of those guys that gets looked after.”

***

AJ ALLMENDINGER – No. 43 Best Buy Ford Fusion
Finished 7th
“It’s not what I wanted, but the end result is good. I’m happy there were so many Fords in the top 10. I’m just a little confused on what we need from practice to the race because we’ve had a few races where we’re really quick in practice, but I was complaining running inside the top 10, so it’s getting better than usual. I’m just a little disappointed that we weren’t quite there. I’m not sure where we’re missing it from practice to the race. I don’t know if it’s me and what I need to feel better. The car was decent all night. We’ve got to work on our pit stops on these track position gains. You can’t lose that much time, but the guys fought hard. Greg made a good call at the end for four tires. It was a good result. I’m happy for Ford. There were a ton of Fords in the top 10. I’m not sure we were the seventh-best car, we might have been the ninth or 10th, but we’d get to about seventh or eighth and be really tight – the back end would be wiggling a little bit. It just wasn’t quite what I was hoping for. The result was good. It was a good night for points. To win these things we’ve just got to be a little bit better.”

Credit - Ford Racing

Allmendinger Charlotte Media Visit

AJ ALLMENDINGER

No. 43 Best Buy Ford Fusion

YOU MUST FEEL GOOD ABOUT HOW THE WEEKEND HAS STARTED. “So far. Yesterday was just all about qualifying. That’s all we focused on, so with all of these race tracks, especially this one because it’s so fast and so hard to pass, and that’s what we found in the 600 was wherever you pretty much fell on the restart is where you stayed the whole run. So it’s good to start up front. We’ll find out more about how the car is gonna be today, but, overall, I felt like the car was really solid. The guys did a good job. We started off in qualifying trim and the place is so fast that we were a little off, but we kept making it better. We had a chance at the pole, but got a little bit tight in three and four, but with as close as all the lap times were and be right there was a good thing."

WHAT GOALS DO YOU HAVE NOW? “I think we can stay in the top 15 in points. That would be really good. I feel like at a lot of race tracks we’re pretty solid. We’ve got some good ones coming up and hopefully tomorrow night is a good one for us. Talladega is kind of a crapshoot, but after that we’ve got some decent tracks. Texas will be hit or miss. These higher banked mile-and-a-halves we’ve been better at than the flatter ones, but Phoenix and Martinsville we should be really good and then Homestead will be kind of interesting. I think we still have a chance to get to 13th. Clint is obviously really quick and he’s gonna be up front a lot, but we’re only 20 points back and all of the points are really close. I just want to be consistent. Our biggest problem is that the race tracks we’ve been bad at we’ve been really bad at and Kansas showed that last week. Out of the last three or four races we haven’t been great. We were good at Dover, but, other than that, we’ve kind of struggled. I just think we need to get more consistent overall. If we can finish these six races strong and go into the off-season and figure out where we need to work on – the flatter race tracks, the mile-and-a-halves, Kentucky, Chicago, Kansas, California – if we can get better at those tracks, I think we can be a legitimate top 10 team and then from there it’s just about slowly getting better after that."

WHAT IS YOUR MINDSET GOING INTO TOMORROW NIGHT AS FAR AS HOW YOU RACE THE CHASE GUYS? “To me, I look at it as they have a lot more to lose than I do, especially the guys that are battling for the championship. If they want to try and take a chance or really get aggressive with you, they know the rights that they have and they know that if something comes back they can lose a lot more. You race people how they race you. You know the mindset about the guys that you can be more aggressive with and that you owe a couple, but, at the same time, we’ve got goals that we’re going out there to achieve and the ultimate goal is to try and finish as high as possible and you can’t do that by wrecking."

IS IT AN ADVANTAGE TO NOT BE IN THE CHASE AS FAR AS AGGRESSIVENESS LATE IN A RACE IF A WIN IS RIGHT THERE? “It ultimately comes back to the fact that there are still goals. It’s not so much that you have nothing to lose. I don’t want to take a chance and wreck and finish 40th and fall back to 18th in points or something like that. But if there’s a chance to be taken by not pitting or fuel or two tires – something like that – to go out there for a win, you’re more likely to take it. Honestly, that’s how all these races are now. To be quick you have to take chances. Track position is so key. I don’t think it matters whether you’re in the Chase or not, you’ve got to do everything you can to stay up front and that doesn’t change no matter what race you’re in.”

Credit - Ford Racing

Kansas II Race Recap

AJ ALLMENDINGER
No. 43 Best Buy Ford Fusion

• AJ Allmendinger started in the 22nd position for the 272-lap event at Kansas Speedway
• Allmendinger finished in the race in the 25th position at the 1.5-mile track
• Unofficially, Allmendinger sits in 14th place in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver point standings

Race Summary: AJ Allmendinger qualified for the Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway in the 22nd position, but had to drop to the rear of the field before the start of the race due to a NASCAR penalty. Though he was struggling a bit to find grip in the early laps of the event, Allmendinger gained several positions and was running in the 30th spot when the first caution flag of the day flew on Lap 21. Allmendinger relayed to Crew Chief Greg Erwin that the car was loose and sliding all over the race track, so Erwin and crew went to work on the Best Buy Ford making a wedge and air pressure adjustment and adding four fresh tires and fuel to the No. 43 car.

Though he was fighting the handling of his car, Allmendinger was able to hit his marks and worked his way up to the 25th spot by Lap 55. Erwin called Allmendinger into the pits under a routine green flag stop on Lap 66 for a track bar adjustment, four tires and fuel. A slow pit stop under green flag conditions resulted in Allmendinger falling a lap down to the leaders on Lap 67.

After the rest of the field cycled through green flag pit stops, Allmendinger was scored in the 29th position and quickly communicated to his Richard Petty Motorsports crew that the previous pit stop had not helped the handling of the car and he was now fighting a tight condition through the corners. Fighting the handling of the car, coupled with a speeding violation during a Lap 131 green flag pit stop which resulted in a pass though penalty caused Allmendinger to fall three laps down to the leaders by the midpoint of the race.

The Best Buy team fought a variety of handling issues the remainder of the race, but Erwin and crew never gave up and made a plethora of chassis adjustments during the ensuing pit stops.

Though the adjustments made to the car during the late stages of the race appeared to help the No. 43 machine’s handling issues slightly, Allmendinger was only able to get one of his laps back and finished the race in the 25th position, the first car two laps down.

Allmendinger sits in 14th place in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series point standings heading into next Saturday night’s race at Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C.

Credit - Richard Petty Motorsports PR

Kansas II Race Preview

AJ ALLMENDINGER
No. 43 Best Buy Ford Fusion
• Allmendinger has made four NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starts at Kansas Speedway
• Allmendinger enters the race in 14th place in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver point standings
• Allmendinger’s best finish (ninth) at the 1.5-mile track came in 2008

AJ Allmendinger on Kansas: “We’re coming off of a good weekend in Dover so we should have some momentum going into Kansas Speedway. We struggled there in the spring, but I’ve had two Top-10 finishes at the 1.5-mile track in the past. It’s a tough track to get around. It’s bumpy and the car usually lacks grip. We’ve experienced difficulties at mile and a half tracks this year and I feel like with Greg onboard we are headed in the right direction with our intermediate track program. It was good to see both RPM teams finish in the Top-10 last weekend and I am looking forward to much of the same at Kansas on Sunday in our best Buy Ford.”

Crew Chief Greg Erwin’s Thoughts on Kansas: “I enjoy going to Kansas. It’s a fun race track. One of the biggest problems we’ll face this weekend is that the tires go away quick because the track’s racing surface is old and rough. It’s going to be really important to make AJ feel like he has some grip in the Best Buy Ford this weekend. The track is bumpy, which can upset the handling, and it seems like it gets bumpier every time we go there. We’re just going to focus on making sure the Best Buy Ford has good balance all weekend.”

Chassis History: The No. 43 Richard Petty Motorsports team has prepared chassis No. 742 for this weekend’s event at Kansas Speedway. This Best Buy Ford has been run previously this season at California, Charlotte, (Sprint Showdown) Kentucky and Michigan.

Notes: Allmendinger has two Top-10 finishes in four NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starts at Kansas Speedway. Allmendinger’s best finishing position at Kansas (ninth) came in 2008. He enters this weekend in 14th place in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver point standings. Allmendinger has completed 1,067 of 1,068 laps attempted at the 1.5-mile speedway.

Allmendinger is participating in a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series open test Oct. 4-5 at Phoenix International Raceway. Teams will be on track from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The test was scheduled to allow Sprint Cup Series teams to get a feel for the new surface and configuration of the track. In March, construction began at the track for the first track repave since 1990 and changes in the tracks banking and configuration were also implemented to promote side-by-side racing. The test provides the first opportunity for all teams to run on the new surface in preparation for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race coming up on Nov. 13. Teams were also permitted to bring an extra car for fuel injection testing.

AJ will also be participating in a charity event on behalf of Best Buy on Thursday at Elko Speedway in Elko, Minnesota. One hundred percent of the ticket sales will be donated to The Minnesota Military Families Foundation. The evening will consist of racing, an autograph session and an on-track Q-and-A session. Richard Petty and teammate Marcos Ambrose will also be in attendance.

Credit - Richard Petty Motorsports PR

RPM - Fastest Fords in Phoenix

RICHARD PETTY MOTORSPORTS DRIVERS POST FASTEST SPEEDS BY FORDS IN PHOENIX

GOODYEAR, Ariz. (October 4, 2011) – The Richard Petty Motorsports machines posted Ford’s quickest speeds of the day during today’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series test session at Phoenix International Raceway. Marcos Ambrose, driver of the No. 9 Stanley Ford Fusion, posted the eighth quickest speed of the day and teammate AJ Allmendinger, pilot of the No. 43 Best Buy Ford, sat 11th on the charts at the conclusion of the first day of the two-day test.

“The track started off really, really slick and as more cars ran it rubbered in,” commented Allmendinger. “It felt like maybe there was a groove and a quarter or a groove and a half that built up. I think the layout of the racetrack seems fun. There’s a lot more room and a lot more grip off of Turn 2. My biggest question is how much it will widen out when there are three Series’ here because if it doesn’t it will make passing kind of tough. I think they did a good job on the racetrack and for us today it was just about trying all kinds of different stuff. We ran a lot of laps and I felt like we learned some things, so overall it was a good day for the Best Buy Racing team.”

“There’s definitely a big difference in the track,” said Ambrose. “The shape is different and I really like Turns 1 and 2 and the back kink. Turns 3 and 4 feel about the same as they used to. The track still has to groove in and I think all of us hope that the line fattens up a little bit so we put on a good race. Right now it’s a bit of a single groove track, but it is getting better and I think it’s really going to help the quality of racing here.”

“Coming in here we had some ideas and some thoughts based on the tire test and some information and data that we had and were able to look at, but until we really got on the racetrack and made laps, we weren’t really sure what to look for,” said Todd Parrott, crew chief of the No. 9 Ford. “Our cars unloaded off the truck pretty close to what we needed and had good speed. We tweaked on the front end settings today and the shocks and bump stops and just kept finding speed and Marcos was comfortable with the car. I think the No. 43 team did a lot of the same things we did today. We worked through a bunch of stuff and different combinations and we were pretty happy at the end of the day. Both of the RPM cars had good speed and drove well.

“Tomorrow we just want to make our car carry some more speed rolling through the center,” continued Parrott. “We’ll probably do some right side tires stuff tomorrow too, maybe put right side tires on it with a lot of laps on the left and get an idea of what it’s going to be like when we come back.”

Thirty six Sprint Cup Series cars took to the track on Tuesday. Teams will have the opportunity to test at the newly reconfigured track again Wednesday.

Credit - Richard Petty Motorsports PR

Dover II Race Recap

AJ ALLMENDINGER
No. 43 Best Buy Ford Fusion

• AJ Allmendinger started in the 7th position for the 400-lap event at Dover International Speedway
• Allmendinger, finished the race in the seventh position at the one-mile speedway
• Unofficially, Allmendinger sits in 14th place in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver point standings

Race Summary: AJ Allmendinger started the 400-mile NASCAR Sprint Cup Series event at Dover International Speedway from the seventh position and it looked like things might not go as planned on just the fifth lap of the 400-lap race. While fighting for position with the No. 11 machine, the two drivers made contact and Allmendinger was sent spinning. Able to save the car before it made contact with the wall, Allmendinger made a quick stop in the pits during the ensuing caution flag and the Best Buy Racing team bolted four fresh tires to the No. 43 Ford.

Allmendinger stood in 39th place when the race resumed and let Crew Chief Greg Erwin know that the car was free getting into the corners and tight in the center. Erwin opted for a two-tire change during a Lap 43 caution and after coming into the pits in 24th, Allmendinger lined up for the Lap 46 green flag in eighth position. The driver let his crew know that he was happy with the way the car was handling just after the Lap 100 mark and he made his way through traffic into fifth place by Lap 119.

Thanks in part to another two-tire stop at Lap 177, Allmendinger led the field to a Lap 180 green flag from the point position. He remained there for several laps, but the car became loose in the middle stages of the race and Allmendinger slipped back several positions. The No. 43 car remained in the Top 10 for much of the remainder of the event and when the checkered flag flew, Allmendinger held down the seventh position. It was the seventh top-10 effort of the season for the team.

Allmendinger moved up one position in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series point standings and now stands in 14th place heading into next Sunday’s race at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City, Kansas.

Allmendinger’s Post-Race Thoughts: It was something we needed after the last two weeks. Obviously, we want to try to win, but at least we were there all day. Denny had a nose right there, but it was Lap4. Those guys would expect you to give them some room, but he just stuffed it down in there and jacked me sideways. It was no surprise, and as I started spinning toward the wall, I just hammered the throttle. I didn’t think it was going to hit the wall, but then I was afraid that everybody behind me would come piling in. I’d like to say it was all driver, but luckily when I tapped the brake and kept it on the throttle it straightened back up to where I didn’t stop in front of anybody and, thank God, everybody behind us was alert and kind of got it slowed down. I’d say it was 60 percent driver and 40 percent luck. I’ll give myself a little bit of credit.”

Credit - Richard Petty Motorsports

Dover II Post-Race Quotes

AJ ALLMENDINGER – No. 43 Best Buy Ford Fusion Finished 7th
“You just want to put yourself in that position, but we weren’t quite good enough to win. Depending on what call and where you restarted, I think we might have been top-five there at the end. A lot of guys took two tires. I didn’t as many guys would, so it’s one of those things where I felt we were a fourth to seventh-place car at worst and we finished seventh after being turned on lap four. As I was spinning I thought, ‘Okay, the day is over already,’ but it was a solid day. It was something we needed after the last two weeks. Obviously, we want to try to win, but at least we were there all day."

THAT WAS QUITE A SAVE. “Denny had a nose right there, but it was lap four. Those guys would expect you to give them some room, but he just stuffed it down in there and jacked me sideways. It was no surprise, and as I started spinning toward the wall I just hammered the throttle. I didn’t think it was gonna hit the wall, but then I was afraid that everybody behind me would come piling in. I’d like to say it was all driver, but luckily I tapped the brake and kept it on the throttle it straightened back up to where I didn’t stop in front of anybody and, thank God, everybody behind us was alert and kind of got it slowed down. I’d say it was 60 percent driver and 40 percent luck. I’ll give myself a little bit of credit."

***

MARCOS AMBROSE – No. 9 Stanley Ford Fusion
Finished 9th
“We’ve been bashed up pretty good the last month, so it’s just good to come back with a solid day. We should have finished better than ninth, but we played it safe there and took four tires at the end. I’m proud of the team. They’ve stood by me after a tough month and I’m looking forward to getting to Kansas."

YOU LIKE RUNNING HERE DON’T YOU? “We’ve just got a good setup, that’s all. We worked well here in the spring and we worked well here in the fall. I think when we hit on a setup we can come back to it and it feels right and I give good direction."

Credit - Ford Racing

Wow - What a Save!!!

Dover II Qualifying Quotes

AJ ALLMENDINGER – No. 43 Best Buy Ford Fusion
Qualified 7th
“There’s just a lot of grip out there and this track, as fast as it is, it’s a fun place. I love this place. The Best Buy Ford has always been fast here. The lap times are so close that I don’t know if I could have got anymore out of it. It’s not gonna be quite good enough, but it’ll be decent. The car was fast in race trim and we’ve been close here trying to get a win, so hopefully tomorrow we can be up there and at least have some fun with it."

HOW WAS THE LAP?
“It was fast. This place is awesome. I love this place. On a day like this when it’s cold, you just go in there and you kind of land and you just grab some throttle and hopefully it sticks. The Best Buy Ford was quick. I always want more. We’ve been so close here to getting a pole, but, overall, it’s a good day. It’s been a good weekend so far and hopefully we can go out there tomorrow and have some fun and be up in front and try to steal a win here."

DO YOU FEEL IF YOU’RE GOING TO WIN THAT THIS WILL BE THE PLACE?
“I think this is a chance to win. I don’t know if you ever feel like you’re gonna win here. There is a lot that goes into these races to try to have a chance to win and I just know the Best Buy Ford will be fast enough and we’ll have a chance to at least be up there. Then you just have to hope that everything goes your way. This is a place that I always enjoy. I love it. It’s my favorite race track. Hopefully, we can have a good run tomorrow and at the end we have a chance to win the thing. If not, we’re just gonna get the best we can out of it."

AFTER THE RACE IN MAY DID YOU WANT TO COME BACK THE NEXT DAY OR WERE YOU SO TICKED OFF YOU DIDN’T WANT TO COME BACK ANYTIME SOON?
“I feel like if we raced here about 20-22 times out of the year, we might have a chance to win the championship. It’s the rest of the race tracks we’ve got to keep getting better at, but I’m just happy to show up at any race track. This one is always enjoyable and I just love this place. When I first walked into this place in ’07 I thought, ‘What in the hell am I walking in to? This place is insane,’ but as a race car driver it’s so much fun to drive. I never say anything owes me one, but we definitely have a chance to come here and at least contend tomorrow and hopefully be there at the end."

SO MANY RACES HAVE GONE TO FUEL MILEAGE AND YOU HAVE STRUGGLED WITH THAT. HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THAT?
“Any race can go to fuel mileage, it’s just a matter of when the yellow flag falls. You don’t worry about it until it happens. It’s something that I know Doug Yates and everybody at the engine shop is working on and it’s something personally that I have to work on to as far as my driving technique. It’s just the way it’s happened. Nobody truly loves fuel mileage races, but it’s a part of racing and it’s a fair part of racing. All you can do is work on it when it happens and keep working on the things you can control. I know Doug Yates and those guys are working on the things they can control, I’ve got to work on the things I can control."

IS IT EASIER IN A SENSE?
“No, there’s nothing easy about anything. There’s nothing easy."

DO YOU HAVE AS GOOD A CAR HERE THIS TIME AROUND?
“I don’t know. The track is a little bit different. We’re just gonna keep working on it and we’ll see how tomorrow plays out."

Credit - Ford Racing