Texas II Race Recap

AJ ALLMENDINGER
No. 43 Immortals/Best Buy Ford Fusion

• AJ Allmendinger started in the 26th position for the 500-mile event at Texas Motor Speedway
• Allmendinger finished in the race in the 10th position at the 1.5-mile track
• Unofficially, Allmendinger sits in 16th place in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver point standings

Race Summary: AJ Allmendinger started the AAA Texas 500 in the 26th spot and at the drop of the green flag began to make his way toward the front of the field. After just 35 laps, Allmendinger held down the 16th position.

The first pit stop of the day came at Lap 43 of the 334-lap event. Because his driver was happy with the handling of the car, Crew Chief Greg Erwin opted not to make any changes to the Immortals/Best Buy Ford and the crew went to work bolting on four fresh tires to the car as well as filling the tank with fuel. Allmendinger returned to the track in the 13th position.

At the Lap 66 mark, the driver of the No. 43 machine let his team know that the handling of the car had become a little loose in and off the corners and tight in the center. A pit stop at Lap 90 enabled Erwin to make a wedge adjustment to the car. Allmendinger commented during the first caution period of the day, which came at Lap 113, that the car was better after the changes.

Allmendinger made his way into the Top 10 just prior to the 200-lap mark and continued to move forward. Lined up for a restart at Lap 207 in eighth, he held down ninth place when another caution flag flew at Lap 240. The crew opted for four fresh tires, fuel and an air pressure adjustment this time around. A lightning quick stop by the Immortals/Best Buy team helped Allmendinger pick up two positions and he lined up for the green flag at Lap 245 in seventh.

A two-tire pit stop at lap 264 kept the No. 43 Ford inside the Top 10 until the handling of the car began to slip. Allmendinger fell back to as far as 24th, but began to move back toward the front of the pack with 30 laps remaining in the event. When the checkered flag flew, Allmendinger had wheeled the Immortals/Best Buy Ford into the 10th spot.

Allmendinger’s Thoughts on the Race: “That was probably the most comfortable I’ve ever felt on a mile-and-a-half track, especially one like this. It was fun. From the start we were just passing cars and making good adjustments. The track was tough because the sun would keep popping out and the track would change a lot, but overall, I felt like it was definitely the best I’ve ever felt in a car around one of these places. We just got a bad break there on the two tires. It was a good fight to get back to 10th, and more importantly, that’s something to build on.”

Sunday's finish marked the No. 43 Richard Petty Motorsports team's ninth Top-10 of the season. Allmendinger sits in 16th place in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series point standings heading into next Sunday’s race at Phoenix International Raceway.

Credit - Richard Petty Motorsports PR