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