Dover Race Preview

Shell-Pennzoil Dodge driver AJ Allmendinger doesn’t hesitate in naming Dover International Speedway as his favorite track along the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series tour. To say that Dinger is looking forward to getting back to the high-banked “Monster Mile” for this weekend’s FedEx 400 Benefiting Autism Speaks would be an understatement.

“I love going to Dover and really look forward to getting back there for this weekend’s race,” said Allmendinger, who will be making his 11th career start on the 1.0-mile concrete oval. “It’s my favorite track on the circuit. It has high banks, it’s really fast and I’ve had a lot of success there over the years.

“It’s always been my favorite track since I started racing in the Cup Series in 2007,” Allmendinger said. “Plus, Dover has one of the greatest trophies of the season, so it’s one I really want to take home.” (Dinger is referring to the “Miles the Monster” trophy, a miniature version of the 46-foot Monster Monument that stands in “Victory Plaza” behind the main grandstand area.)

“I think it is a fun race track to drive and I think there are a lot of things you can do on the race track to get around it and run pretty fast,” AJ added. “I have always had a fairly good car there, especially the last couple of years which makes it easier. To me, I just show up to the race track and I am excited to be there. I just genuinely like the race track and think when you are able to do that you can go there and have a good attitude about it and be pretty fast.”

Inasmuch as Allmendinger enjoys racing at Dover, it’s easy to analyze his record there and see that he and the “Monster Mile” have a great relationship going entering this weekend.

Of the 341 total laps Dinger has led in his NASCAR Sprint Cup career, almost half of them (152 or 44.575 percent) have been recorded at Dover. After 164 career race starts entering this weekend, he still points to the September 2010 AAA 400 as the “big one that got away.”

“I led 143 laps in that race and I had a car that was capable of winning until a flat tire took me out of contention on Lap 200,” Dinger recalled. “That was the first race where I really felt like I could easily take the lead and I could run with the big boys. We ended up finishing 10th because of the flat tire, but it was still a great race because it was a sign that I could run with anyone. It was really cool to take the lead and just drive away. It gave me confidence that if we have the car, we can definitely get the job done at Dover.”

Shell-Pennzoil Dodge crew chief Todd Gordon is equally as enthusiastic in seeing the Sprint Cup Series head to Dover.

“AJ has identified Dover as his personal favorite track ever since our first conversations between driver and crew chief,” Gordon said. “I could tell from the Goodyear test we did there back in April that he loves racing there. When you consider his fondness for racing there and the success the 22 car had there in winning last fall’s race, we’re all hoping for a successful race weekend there.

“Based on the Goodyear testing, I felt like we had a really good balance. We were able to get in several 40-lap runs and I felt like we would have a great shot at winning against all those teams there at the test (including Martin Truex Jr., Kevin Harvick, Ryan Newman, Kurt Busch and Marcos Ambrose). The only question mark now would be considering the new skirt package we are working with.

“The bottom line, though, is that Dover is a track where AJ expects to do well on and that’s the feeling of our entire Shell-Pennzoil Dodge Team,” said Gordon. “The driver is going in there with a great level of confidence and so is everyone on our No. 22 Penske Racing team.”

In 10 career Sprint Cup starts at Dover, Allmendinger is still looking for his first career win and top-five finish there, but he does have three top-10 finishes to date. He was running at the finish in eight of the races and finished on the lead lap four times. He has completed 83.1 percent of possible laps (3,324 of 4,000). He has led 152 laps at Dover, the most he has led at any track. Overall, Dinger has a 13.7 average start and 23.3 average finish at Dover.

Allmendinger started second and finished 37th in last spring’s Dover race. He came back last October to start seventh and finish seventh.

“When qualifying got rained out and we were second-fastest in practice, we started second in the spring race,” Dinger recalled. “We had a great run going and had a really strong car in the race, but the engine just let go all at once and there was no sign of it happening. We started seventh there last fall and got spun only five laps into the race. We started from the rear, but got all the way back up to the top-five just before the race was half-way. We did a two-tire stop and led some laps and ran top-10 for the rest of the race to finish seventh.”

Allmendinger, Gordon and crew will be racing their “PRS-817” Shell-Pennzoil Dodge Charger in this weekend’s FedEx 400. This chassis has been raced only once; in the March 25 Auto Club 400 at Fontana, Calif. Dinger started 25th and finished 15th in the rain-shortened race. The “PRS-807” will serve as the backup Dodge Charger.

This weekend’s Dover International Speedway action gets under way on Friday with practice set from 11:00 a.m. till 12:25 p.m. (live on Speed-TV) and from 2:45 p.m. till 4:15 p.m. Qualifying for all 43 starting positions is set for Saturday at 12:10 p.m. (live on Speed-TV & MRN Radio). Sunday’s FedEx 400 Benefiting Autism Speaks (400 laps, 400 miles) on the “Monster Mile” is scheduled to get the green flag at approximately 1:00 p.m. EDT. Race No. 13 of the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup schedule will feature live coverage by FOX-TV and MRN Radio.

Credit - Penske Racing PR

Dover Notes of Interest

--AJ Allmendinger and his Todd Gordon-led Penske Racing No. 22 Team will be racing their “PRS-817” Shell-Pennzoil Dodge Charger in this weekend’s FedEx 400 at Dover International Speedway. This chassis has been raced only once; in the March 25 Auto Club 400 at Fontana, Calif. Dinger started 25th and finished 15th in the rain-shortened race. The “PRS-807” will serve as the backup Dodge Charger.

--AJ Allmendinger and his Todd Gordon-led Penske Racing No. 22 Team are testing today (Tuesday) at Virginia International Raceway, the 3.27-mile road course located near Danville, Va. “We’re using the test at VIR in our preparation for Sonoma,” Gordon said. “AJ is a great road racer and we’re on a mission to help him get the win out there in the California Wine Country.”

--Shell-Pennzoil Dodge driver AJ Allmendinger doesn’t hesitate in naming Dover International Speedway as his favorite track along the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series tour. To say that Dinger is looking forward to getting back to the high-banked “Monster Mile” for this weekend’s FedEx 400 Benefiting Autism Speaks would be an understatement. “I love going to Dover and really look forward to getting back there for this weekend’s race,” Dinger said. “It’s my favorite track on the circuit. It has high banks, it’s really fast and I’ve had a lot of success there over the years. It’s always been my favorite track since I started racing in the Cup Series in 2007. Plus, Dover has one of the greatest trophies of the season, so it’s one I really want to take home.” (Dinger is referring to the “Miles the Monster” trophy, a miniature version of the 46-foot Monster Monument that stands in “Victory Plaza” behind the main grandstand area.)

--What is so appealing about racing at Dover International Speedway to Shell-Pennzoil Dodge driver AJ Allmendinger? “I think it is a fun race track to drive and I think there are a lot of things you can do on the race track to get around it and run pretty fast,” Dinger said. “I have always had a fairly good car there, especially the last couple of years which makes it easier. To me, I just show up to the race track and I am excited to be there. I just genuinely like the race track and think when you are able to do that you can go there and have a good attitude about it and be pretty fast.”

--Inasmuch as Shell-Pennzoil Dodge driver AJ Allmendinger enjoys racing at Dover, it’s easy to analyze his record there and see that he and the “Monster Mile” have a great relationship going entering this weekend. Of the 341 total laps Dinger has led in his NASCAR Sprint Cup career, almost half of them (152 or 44.575 percent) have been recorded at Dover.

--Shell-Pennzoil Dodge driver AJ Allmendinger recalled the first time he visited Dover International Speedway: “It was the trucks in 2007 before Cup practice started,” Dinger said. “We were standing on pit road and my crew chief told me not to look at any of the trucks coming off turn four and I said, “Why, I need to learn.’ Me, being done said I was going to look and Hornaday came off turn four the first time and it looked like the tires weren’t even touching the ground and he was sideways and I was like, ‘I am not doing that. I am leaving.’ It is an insane race track but it is all those characteristics that make it so much fun.”

--Shell-Pennzoil Dodge driver AJ Allmendinger describes the thrill of racing at Dover International Speedway: “It is pretty insane, especially to go into turn one,” Dinger said. “It feels like the bottom drops out from under you. It seems like it disappears when you take off and once it lands it is like a punch to the guy. When it compresses, it compresses so hard. It feels like you honestly drop 50 feet in the air and land. The biggest thing is to have a good balance when it does land that the car isn’t moving around at all and isn’t tight or loose. You want it to land nice and smooth and have the confidence to get it turned and get back to throttle, especially in qualifying. In the race you lay the corner back so much that the bottom, when it lands, is not as critical. In qualifying you are so fast that once you land you have to be back in the throttle.”

--After 164 career Cup starts, Shell-Pennzoil Dodge driver AJ Allmendinger still points to the September 2010 AAA 400 as the “big one that got away.” “I led 143 laps in that race and I had a car that was capable of winning until a flat tire took me out of contention on Lap 200,” Dinger recalled. “That was the first race where I really felt like I could easily take the lead and I could run with the big boys. We ended up finishing 10th because of the flat tire, but it was still a great race because it was a sign that I could run with anyone. It was really cool to take the lead and just drive away. It gave me confidence that if we have the car, we can definitely get the job done at Dover.”

--Shell-Pennzoil Dodge crew chief Todd Gordon is equally as enthusiastic in seeing the Sprint Cup Series head to Dover. “AJ has identified Dover as his personal favorite track ever since our first conversations between driver and crew chief. I could tell from the Goodyear test we did there back in April that he loves racing there. When you consider his fondness for racing there and the success the 22 car had there in winning last fall’s race, we’re all hoping for a successful race weekend there.”

--Shell-Pennzoil Dodge crew chief Todd Gordon likes his team’s chances for a great performance in Sunday’s FedEx 400 at Dover International Speedway: “Based on the Goodyear testing, I felt like we had a really good balance. We were able to get in several 40-lap runs and I felt like we would have a great shot at winning against all those teams there at the test (including Martin Truex Jr., Kevin Harvick, Ryan Newman, Kurt Busch and Marcos Ambrose). The only question mark now would be considering the new skirt package we are working with. The bottom line, though, is that Dover is a track where AJ expects to do well on and that’s the feeling of our entire Shell-Pennzoil Dodge Team. The driver is going in there with a great level of confidence and so is everyone on our No. 22 Penske Racing team.”

--In 10 career Sprint Cup starts at Dover International Speedway, Shell-Pennzoil Dodge driver AJ Allmendinger is still looking for his first career win and top-five finish there, but he does have three top-10 finishes to date. He was running at the finish in eight of the races and finished on the lead lap four times. He has completed 83.1 percent of possible laps (3,324 of 4,000). He has led 152 laps at Dover, the most he has led at any track. Overall, Dinger has a 13.7 average start and 23.3 average finish at Dover.

Credit - Penske Racing PR

Tuesday Ramble: Diary of a Frustrated NASCAR Fan

Diary of a Frustrated NASCAR Fan


NASCAR fans come in every shape, size, age, sex, and from every walk of life you can imagine. Every driver has them – from drivers who are just starting in the sport, to drivers who have been retired for years. Most NASCAR fans probably even root for more than one driver, or have so many favorites that they can’t choose which driver’s gear to wear on race day.

When you’re a fan of a NASCAR driver, you are with that athlete through all of their ups and downs. You celebrate their victories - whether that’s a win, a pole, a top ten finish, or sometimes just qualifying for the race can be considered a victory. And as a fan you also weather the hard times – the missed races or blown engines, and winless streaks that seemingly drag on forever.

Which means that sometimes being a NASCAR fan is easy … and sometimes it’s really tough.

I’ve been an AJ Allmendinger fan since he came to the Cup series in 2007. Which means I’ve watched him through the agony of missing races and the joys of his first start at Bristol . I’ve seen him devastated when he missed the Daytona 500 in 2008, and ecstatic when he made it into that same race in 2009 with the help of his teammates. And with great pride, I’ve watched him hone his raw talent into a force to be reckoned with.

AJ’s career can be defined by one word – instability. He has been with several teams that have had varying levels of equipment, but he has improved his skills every year. Despite the fact that he’s currently 24th in points, this year has been no different. In my opinion AJ has done some of his best driving ever with the #22 Penske team in 2012. They are consistently fast, but have had some unfortunate circumstances keep them from contending.

I won’t lie – this has been the hardest year for me as a fan of AJ’s. It has been frustrating at times and devastating at others. Even watching AJ miss races in 2007 and get pulled out of his car in 2008 was better than this year has been. Why? Because AJ has come so far and has gotten so close to where he wants to be as a driver, only to have it pulled away time and time again.

Let me clarify – this isn’t frustrating to me personally. If AJ never won a single race I wouldn’t care. And it’s not frustrating because my driver isn’t satisfied with the performance of the team. To be honest, if AJ was satisfied with the way this year has gone, I’d have some serious doubts about whether or not I’d want to be a fan of his. Athletes should always strive for perfection in their sport.

No, this season has been frustrating because so much is riding on the team’s performance. What happens to the driver, what happens with the sponsors, and ultimately what happens to the team all hinges on one season. Unfortunately that situation has become the reality for most race teams these days. NASCAR has never been more ‘what have you done for me lately’ than it currently is.

Sponsorship dollars are so hard to come by in this economy that even championship caliber drivers like Matt Kenseth are struggling to put a full season together. It seems to me like it’s an unfair amount of pressure to put these race teams under. And it’s even worse when your driver is the type of athlete who takes the weight of the entire team on his shoulders.

Unfortunately, as fans there really isn’t anything we can do to help our drivers anymore. It used to be the case that fans could spend money with their drivers’ sponsors, on merchandise bearing the sponsor’s logos, and that would convince sponsors to stick with that driver. But now it seems like no amount of support that fans show their driver is good enough to convince sponsors to stay in place.

I’ve spearheaded all kinds of support campaigns for AJ over the years, and I’ll continue to do so because it’s my way of showing that I’ve got my driver’s back – that my belief in his ability hasn’t wavered. But it’s just a regrettable circumstance that my support no longer helps to lessen the pressure on him or his team. Sponsor’s decisions on whether to stay or go seem to be arbitrary and unaffected by what fans want.

So that’s why this season has been the worst ever. Because even though 90% of the #22 team’s finishes aren’t AJ’s fault, this season still seemingly hangs on his shoulders. And as a fan of his all I can do is sit back and hope for the best. I’ve tried ten different lucky shirts and followed specific pre-race rituals in the hopes of bringing him good fortune, all to no avail. At this point all I can do is be a fan ... a very frustrated fan.

Charlotte Race Recap

Shell-Pennzoil Dodge driver AJ Allmendinger finished 33rd in tonight’s Coca-Cola 600 here at Charlotte Motor Speedway after braking system problems relegated him to the garage for lengthy repairs. Allmendinger completed 361 of the 400 laps and fell to 24th in the NASCAR Sprint Cup point standings after 12 races have been put into the 2012 record books.

“I really don’t know what to say,” crew chief Todd Gordon said on the team radio when the race concluded. For Allmendinger, Gordon and the No. 22 Penske Racing Team, it was just another chapter of the bad luck that has plagued the team so far this season.

“We’re bound to turn it around soon and I can’t think of a better place to do that than next weekend at Dover,” Gordon said back at the team transporter as the crews began loading their race cars. “It was a hub failure and we know that. We’ll take all the parts we removed from the car when we had the problem and see if we can figure out exactly what happened.

“We’re headed to VIR (Virginia International Raceway) on Tuesday to do some road course testing and we’ll be back at it full force next Friday at Dover,” Gordon added. “AJ has said that Dover is his favorite race track. He’s excited about going there and we’re really looking forward to next weekend.”

Allmendinger started 11th in tonight’s race and encountered a tight-handling Dodge Charger early into the race. The team used air pressure, wedge and track bar adjustments that offered little relief, but were hoping the changing track conditions might eventually see things come their way.

Allmendinger leveled off running between the 12-18 positions and was shown as 15th when he radioed that something was drastically wrong with his brake pedal. He was able to get the car to the inside and hit pit road as he completed Lap 172. The team went under the hood and took the left-front wheel off.

A hub problem was diagnosed and the team was forced to push the car backwards down pit road and into the garage. When the damage prevented the wheel to turn at all, a rolling jack had to be placed under it in order to get the car back to the garage stall to make repairs.

The team replaced the left-front hub and all the components and Allmendinger returned to the race running 36th and 38 laps down to the leaders. He had to just ride it out to the finish, coming home 33rd.

Kasey Kahne proved to have the fastest car down the stretch as he drove his Quaker State Chevrolet to a 4.295-second victory over runner-up Denny Hamlin. Kyle Busch finished third, with Greg Biffle fourth and Penske Racing teammate Brad Keselowski fifth. Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Gordon, Kevin Harvick and Carl Edwards completed the top-nine drivers who finished all the laps. Matt Kenseth finished 10th, running one lap down.

With 264 points, Allmendinger is 24th in the Sprint Cup point standings. He is 108 behind 10th-place Edwards and 66 points behind 15th-place Kahne. He trails 20th-place Marcos Ambrose by 23 points. Teammate Keselowski is currently 11th in the standings with 368 points.

The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series now heads to Dover International Speedway, the “Monster Mile,” for next Sunday’s running of the FedEx 400 Benefiting Autism Speaks.

This weekend’s Dover International Speedway action gets under way on Friday with practice set from 11:00 a.m. till 12:25 p.m. (live on Speed-TV) and from 2:45 p.m. till 4:15 p.m. Qualifying for all 43 starting positions is set for Saturday at 12:10 p.m. (live on Speed-TV & MRN Radio). Sunday’s 400 lap/400 mile battle is scheduled to get the green flag at approximately 1:00 p.m. EDT. Race No. 13 of the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup schedule will feature live coverage by FOX-TV and MRN Radio.

Credit - Penske Racing PR

Charlotte Qualifying Report

After claiming the pole for last week’s Sprint Showdown here at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Shell-Pennzoil Dodge driver AJ Allmendinger returned to the track today looking to win the pole for Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600. However, his qualifying lap of 28.372 seconds (190.328 mph) was only fast enough to claim the 11th starting spot and now his Todd Gordon-led team’s full focus is getting their No. 22 Dodge Charger dialed in for the race.

“We’ve just got to keep working on it,” Allmendinger said after the qualifying session had concluded. “The car is not bad. It’s got a lot of speed in it, obviously. You kind of get spoiled last week with our Dodge being so good so we’ve got to keep working on it. It’s not far off. There are a lot of good qualities about it but I’m a little bit disappointed to end where we did. That was a good lap for Aric (pole-winner Aric Almirola), but I really thought that we could have a chance at it

“We’ve been fighting too loose all day,” Dinger said. “(I) Fought it in my last qualifying run and my last practice run it was really bad, it was really loose, and it was loose again. The good qualities about the cars, if we can keep them and get the rear in the racetrack, I think we’ll be just as fast as last week. We’ve just got to keep working on it.”

Almirola picked up the Coors Light Pole Award here tonight with his fast lap of 27.988 seconds (192.940 mph). Marcos Ambrose made it an all Richard Petty Motorsports front row by taking the outside-front-row spot with a lap of 28.184 seconds (191.598 mph). Jimmie Johnson (lap of 28.217 seconds/191.374 mph), Greg Biffle (28.234 seconds/191.259 mph) and Clint Bowyer (28.243 seconds/191.198 mph) rounded out the top-five qualifiers.

Mark Martin, Kasey Kahne, Denny Hamlin, Paul Menard and Regan Smith completed the top-10. Penske Racing teammate Brad Keselowski starts the No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge from the 24th spot (qualifying lap of 28.591 seconds/188.871 mph).

Dinger knows the importance of getting his Dodge dialed in here in Saturday’s practice sessions.

“The way these green flags have run so much that you’ve got to be spot-on from the start of the race,” AJ said. “Even in a long 600-mile race like this if there’s not a lot of yellow flags you can find yourself a couple of laps down really quick and that makes for a long night. But I don’t think we’re going to have worry about that. I think we’ve got enough speed in the car. We just have to keep fine-tuning it. The biggest problem is that none of the practice sessions are really relevant for what time we race. We’ll go back to the drawing board and luckily we’re not far off. I’m more disappointed about not having a chance at the pole but I think we’re close. We’ll keep talking and they’ve got a full day to come up with some magic and then we’ll be ready on Saturday.”

There is no action scheduled here at CMS on Friday. Saturday’s schedule calls for practice from 10:00 a.m. till 10:55 a.m. (live on Speed-TV) and from 1:00 p.m. till 2:00 p.m. (live on Speed-TV). Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600 (400 laps, 600 miles) on the 1.5-mile quad-oval track is scheduled to get the green flag just after 6:00 p.m. The Coca-Cola 600 will feature live coverage by FOX-TV and PRN Radio beginning at 5:00 p.m. EDT.

Credit - Penske Racing PR

Charlotte Race Preview

Shell-Pennzoil Dodge driver AJ Allmendinger is looking forward to this weekend’s Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. The 600-mile, 400-lap battle at CMS is the longest race on the NASCAR Sprint Cup schedule. Some consider it NASCAR version of an endurance race.

One thing is for sure and that’s if any driver in the NASCAR Sprint Cup garage knows about endurance racing, it’s Allmendinger. After all, the Dinger was extremely impressive during his final stint at the wheel in winning February’s 50th anniversary Rolex 24 at Daytona for Michael Shank Racing.

“It’s the toughest race we run in NASCAR and you really want to give it your very best lap after lap,” Allmendinger said of the Coca-Cola 600. “The race is 400 laps around a mile-and-a-half track and it’s a challenge to stay on top of the changing track conditions. The crew has to be on their game, making the right adjustments and giving you great pit stops. It’s definitely a case of putting a complete race together.

“Obviously running 600 miles is a lot different than last weekend’s 40-lap Sprint Showdown and the segments that made up 90 laps in the All Star Race. But based on the way we ran last weekend, I think it’s safe to say that we are very capable of having success at Charlotte this weekend and in our 1.5-mile program in general. I really think we learned a lot of things about the car last weekend that we can apply to this weekend’s race.”

Allmendinger has enjoyed recent success on the 1.5-mile CMS quad-oval track and hopes to keep it going in this weekend’s Coca-Cola 600. He was quite impressive there last weekend, claiming the pole for the Sprint Showdown and charging back to finish second after having a flat tire just as the field was coming to the green.

Dinger started second and finished fifth in last year’s Coca-Cola 600 and returned to start fourth and finish seventh in last October’s Bank of America 500.

AJ had the third-best average finish in the two 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup races at Charlotte Motor Speedway (a 6.0 average finish). Only Kevin Harvick (3.5) and then-teammate Marcos Ambrose (5.5) had better average finishes.

No driver had a better average starting spot. Dinger had a 3.0 average starting position in 2011 CMS Sprint Cup action. Carl Edwards also had a 3.0 average start, while Jimmie Johnson was third (7.5).

Allmendinger started on the outside pole for last year’s edition of the Coca-Cola 600, clocking in with a lap of 28.170 seconds (191.693 mph). That was just shy of current Penske Racing teammate Brad Keselowski’s Coors Light Pole Award-winning lap of 28.112 seconds (192.089 mph). Dinger was even faster in claiming the pole for last Saturday night’s Sprint Showdown with his lap of 28.057 seconds (192.465 mph).

Dinger recalled his run to the fifth-place finish in last year’s Coca-Cola 600. Harvick came home the winner in the race after Dale Earnhardt Jr. ran out of fuel in the fourth turn on the final lap. Jimmie Johnson’s blown engine in the waning laps forced a green-white-checkered finish and extended the distance to 402 laps (603 miles).

“Our fuel mileage wasn’t that good, so that whole last run we were saving,” AJ recalled. “It was funny because the fuel numbers kept changing because we were 10 laps short, then we were two laps short, and then we were gonna run out coming to the checkered. At that point, I was happy when it stayed green and we made it on fuel. On that last restart we came in and were just hanging out that point. We just hoped we didn’t get into guys that were running out of fuel. I had a great restart and split the middle. The 31 (Jeff Burton) just completely ran out and the 99 (Carl Edwards) got into him. I checked up and it was pretty insane.”

Crew chief Todd Gordon said that last weekend’s performance by his team in the non-points racing provided valuable information that can be used in Sunday’s battle when the precious points are on the line.

“Racing in the Showdown and in the All-Star Race gave us an idea of what to expect as for the track conditions and the mood swings it goes through as it gets later into the night,” Gordon offered. “We’ll be racing from just after 6 p.m. till well after 11 o’clock and we understand better about what kind of adjustability we’ll need. Last weekend was great all around for AJ and our Shell-Pennzoil Dodge Team. We are all pumped up and ready to see how competitive we can be in the Coca-Cola 600.”

In 10 career Sprint Cup starts at Charlotte, Allmendinger has one top-five finish, two top-10s and one DNF. He has completed 89.263 percent of possible laps (3,126 of 3,502) and has led a total of 11 laps. Overall, he has a 21.5 average start and an identical 21.5 average finish.

Allmendinger, Gordon and crew will be racing their “PRS-825” Shell-Pennzoil Dodge Charger in this weekend’s Coca-Cola 600 action at Charlotte. This is a brand new car in the No. 22 Penske Racing Team stable of Dodge Chargers. The “PRS-814” chassis will serve as the backup. It is a new Dodge Charger and has yet to make it onto a race track.

The Coca-Cola 600 weekend gets under way on Thursday with practice set from 3:30 p.m. till 5:00 p.m. (live on Speed-TV). Qualifying for all 43 starting positions is set for Thursday at 7:10 p.m. (live on Speed-TV & PRN Radio). There is no action scheduled at the track on Friday. Saturday’s schedule calls for practice from 10:00 a.m. till 10:55 a.m. (live on Speed-TV) and from 1:00 p.m. till 2:00 p.m. (live on Speed-TV). Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600 (400 laps, 600 miles) on the 1.5-mile quad-oval track is scheduled to get the green flag just after 6:00 p.m. The Coca-Cola 600 will feature live coverage by FOX-TV and PRN Radio beginning at 5:00 p.m. EDT.

Credit - Penske Racing PR

Charlotte Notes of Interest

--AJ Allmendinger and his Todd Gordon-led Penske Racing No. 22 Team will be racing their “PRS-825” Shell-Pennzoil Dodge Charger in this weekend’s Coca-Cola 600 action at Charlotte Motor Speedway. This is a brand new car in the No. 22 Penske Racing Team stable of Dodge Chargers. The “PRS-814” chassis will serve as the backup. It is a new Dodge Charger and has yet to make it onto a race track.

--Shell-Pennzoil Dodge driver AJ Allmendinger knows what to expect in Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600. The 600-mile, 400-lap battle at CMS is the longest race on the NASCAR Sprint Cup schedule. Some consider it NASCAR version of an endurance race. “It’s the toughest race we run in NASCAR and you really want to give it your very best lap after lap,” Allmendinger said. “The race is 400 laps around a mile-and-a-half track and it’s a challenge to stay on top of the changing track conditions. The crew has to be on their game, making the right adjustments and giving you great pit stops. It’s definitely a case of putting a complete race together.”

--Shell-Pennzoil Dodge driver AJ Allmendinger has enjoyed recent success on the 1.5-mile CMS quad-oval track and hopes to keep it going in this weekend’s Coca-Cola 600. He was quite impressive there last weekend, claiming the pole for the Sprint Showdown (lap of 28.057 seconds/192.465 mph) and charging back to finish second after having a flat tire just as the field was coming to the green. “Obviously running 600 miles is a lot different than last weekend’s 40-lap Sprint Showdown and the segments that made up 90 laps in the All Star Race,” Dinger said. “But based on the way we ran last weekend, I think it’s safe to say that we are very capable of having success at Charlotte this weekend and in our 1.5-mile program in general. I really think we learned a lot of things about the car last weekend that we can apply to this weekend’s race.”

--Shell-Pennzoil Dodge crew chief Todd Gordon said it is correct to label Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600 as an “endurance race,” but maybe not for the reasons you might think. “It’s an endurance race, but it’s a different kind of endurance than it was years ago,” Gordon said. “The cars, engines and chassis components we are racing today can withstand 600 miles of hard racing. The endurance factor now is a matter of staying on top of the changing track conditions throughout the race. We start the race just after six o’clock and race on into the night. The team that wins will have endured all the mood swings throughout the race and will have been able to make the right adjustments.”

--Shell-Pennzoil Dodge crew chief Todd Gordon said the additional 100 miles in Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600 can be a test of a driver’s staying power. “That’s one thing that we never have to worry about,” said Gordon. “AJ is in the greatest physical condition possible. He knows how to prepare for these races, eating the right things and staying hydrated. If it comes down to the final 100 miles and stamina comes into play, AJ will be one of the strongest guys out there.”

--Shell-Pennzoil Dodge driver AJ Allmendinger had the third-best average finish in the two 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup races at Charlotte Motor Speedway (a 6.0 average finish). Only Kevin Harvick (3.5) and then-teammate Marcos Ambrose (5.5) had better average finishes. No driver had a better average starting spot. Dinger had a 3.0 average starting position in 2011 CMS Sprint Cup action. Carl Edwards also had a 3.0 average start, while Jimmie Johnson was third (7.5).

--Shell-Pennzoil Dodge driver AJ Allmendinger recalled his run to the fifth-place finish in last year’s Coca-Cola 600. Harvick came home the winner in the race after Dale Earnhardt Jr. ran out of fuel in the fourth turn on the final lap. Jimmie Johnson’s blown engine in the waning laps forced a green-white-checkered finish and extended the distance to 402 laps (603 miles). “Our fuel mileage wasn’t that good, so that whole last run we were saving,” AJ said. “It was funny because the fuel numbers kept changing because we were 10 laps short, then we were two laps short, and then we were gonna run out coming to the checkered. At that point, I was happy when it stayed green and we made it on fuel. On that last restart we came in and were just hanging out that point. We just hoped we didn’t get into guys that were running out of fuel. I had a great restart and split the middle. The 31 (Jeff Burton) just completely ran out and the 99 (Carl Edwards) got into him. I checked up and it was pretty insane.”

--In 10 career Sprint Cup starts at Charlotte, Shell-Pennzoil Dodge driver Allmendinger has one top-five finish, two top-10s and one DNF. He has completed 89.263 percent of possible laps (3,126 of 3,502) and has led a total of 11 laps. Overall, he has a 21.5 average start and an identical 21.5 average finish.

Credit - Penske Racing PR

Showdown Post-Race Transcript

AJ Allmendinger (No. 22 Pennzoil Dodge Charger R/T)
Finished 2nd
“I can’t believe the luck of this race team (smiles). A flat tire before we come to green, I mean, we’ve got to do something to change our luck up, that’s unbelievable. The car was so fast. I mean, once we pitted and got back into the lead there, I was pulling away from Dale (Earnhardt Jr.) and I just knew the car was fast. I’m not going to give up on these guys. They work too hard; they deserve to be in this race. I knew if I got to his bumper (Jamie McMurray) I was going to move him the heck out of the way because I wanted to be in this race.”

COMMENT ON THE LAST 20 LAPS. “Man, to get a flat tire coming to the green. I don’t know if we’ve got to sacrifice a goat or what I need to do or what I’ve done wrong to somebody to keep having the bad luck. These guys deserve to be in this race and I just wanted to get them there. I gave it everything I had for 20 laps.”

YOU FOLLOWED JAMIE MCMURRAY LAP AFTER LAP AND FINALLY GOT BY HIM. “The Pennzoil Dodge was so fast. I got a flat tire coming to the green. I’m not sure what we’re doing wrong. I mean, he just had to get off the bottom. I was just aero-tight behind him. I was so much quicker than him (but) I was just aero-tight. Jamie is good and he knows how to get around this place. He kept making sure that he got the good exit shots and finally he just got off the bottom a little bit and at that point I wasn’t going to lift. I didn’t care if we all wrecked, if I got into him or what. These guys on this Pennzoil Dodge, this Penske organization, they belong in this race and they deserve it more than I do. I was going to do everything I could to get ‘em in or I was going to die trying.”


MEDIA CENTER INTERVIEW

HOW DID YOU MAKE YOUR WAY UP THROUGH THE FIELD AFTER THE FLAT TIRE EARLY? “A fast race car. I couldn’t believe we had a flat tire coming to the green. Guys did a good job to do left-sides and get me back out there before I got lapped. From there, the car was so fast I could see that I was pulling away from Dale when he was behind me and at that point I knew at least we had a shot at it. We needed to get to that 20 laps and do everything we could and after that I think I was one of the few cars that had four tires. The car was just fast. Twenty laps is a short amount of time to get there and I just gave everything I had. If I didn’t make it I didn’t want it to be for lack of trying. Everybody at this organization, especially on the 22 car, they’re used to winning, they’re used to being in this race and I wasn’t going to let ‘em down. I was going to do everything I could to get in there. I was going to wreck trying.”

WHEN YOU REALIZE YOU’VE GOT THE FLAT TIRE AND YOU HAVE TO PIT BEFORE THE RACE STARTS, HOW ARE YOU NOT READY TO SAY YOUR NIGHT IS OVER? “Ten races of bad luck, getting used to it. At that point it is what it is. You can’t do anything. I was shaking the car around just trying to warm the tires up and Todd Gordon (crew chief), he was on it because he saw it from the pit box and asked if I had a tire low as we were coming to one to go. And at that point I really started shaking the car around and I could feel that it was flat. Really the first five or six laps of the green flag run made me feel good ‘cause I could see that I was driving away from Dale. At that point at least I knew we had a fast car. Whether we had time to get there on a restart or not, I just knew we had time. We had a fast car and that’s all you can ask for at that point and then it was just getting aggressive. You know at the point I didn’t care if I wrecked. I mean I was going to do everything I could to get there. You know Jamie is one of the best, especially around this place. He knew I was quicker. I was way quicker and I knew once I cleared him it was game over. We were a little bit free on the first run so we tightened it up and I was just a little bit tight anyway so when I got behind him I was aero-tight. He was good. I could roll a ton of speed on him in to the corner but he could get the thing just pointed good enough off that I could never get to his bumper to get him up out of the way. And coming with two to go he got into one and he missed the bottom just a little bit and at that point that was my only shot. I got in the middle of the corner and just held it wide open. I didn’t care if I bounced off of him or we both wrecked. I figured we practiced last week wrecking together so I wasn’t scared to do it again.”

Credit - SRT Motorsports PR

Showdown & All-Star Race Recap

Pennzoil Dodge driver AJ Allmendinger may have provided the most excitement during the entire night here for the 2012 Sprint All-Star Race at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Dinger’s impressive run to a runner-up finish in the preliminary Sprint Showdown saw him advance into the “big show” and will likely be what many fans remember most of the evening.

Allmendinger won the pole for tonight’s Showdown in yesterday’s qualifying and was at the point with one lap before the green flag was displayed. However, a flat left-front tire forced him to hit pit road as the field came down the frontstretch to start the first of two 20-lap segments. He was able to take on two left-side tires and emerge from the pits four seconds in front of the leaders.

AJ maintained his composure and rode out the first 20-lap segment running just three seconds in front of leader Dale Earnhardt Jr. Still in the lead lap, he was able to scamper on back around the track and join the rear of the field. Crew chief Todd Gordon made the call for Dinger to hit pit road for four tires and a wedge adjustment.

The top-seven cars did not pit before the start of the final 20-lap segment and Allmendinger lined up 10th in the running order. The Pennzoil Dodge driver put on an amazing display of his driving talent during the run to the finish. Dinger was up to sixth with 17 laps remaining and fourth with 15 to go.

Earnhardt had jumped to a huge lead at the beginning of the segment and Jamie McMurray had distanced himself from the pack and was running second. Dinger took the third spot from Martin Truex Jr. with nine laps remaining and managed to chase McMurray down. He cleared the No. 1 car with a lap remaining and closed to within 2.3 seconds of Earnhardt at the finish.

Earnhardt and Allmendinger earned the transfer spots into the All-Star Race, but either could have gained entry if needed by the special fan vote. Earnhardt gathered the most votes and Dinger was second. With both drivers racing into the show, Bobby Labonte was able to advance due to getting the third most votes.

The All-Star Race format featured four 20-lap segments, followed by a 10-lap dash for the $1 million winner’s prize. The winners of each 20-lap segment lined up first through fourth for a mandatory trip to pit road prior to the final 10-lap run to the checkers.

Jimmie Johnson won the first segment, Matt Kenseth claimed the second, Brad Keselowski won the third and Earnhardt took the fourth. Johnson, Kenseth and Keselowski took advantage of a caution late in the fourth segment to pit for fresh tires. That eliminated their need for doing anything other than a stop-and-go during the mandatory trip down pit road.

Allmendinger started 22nd in the first segment and finished 12th. He would pit for four tires after every segment. He started 14th and finished fifth in the second segment. Dinger started 11th and finished fourth in the third segment. He started fourth and finished third in the fourth segment.

Knowing they didn’t have a shot at winning unless they rolled the dice and went with four tires, that’s the option Allmendinger, Gordon and team took during the final trip to pit road.

Johnson was first on the final restart, with Kenseth second, Keselowski third and Earnhardt fourth. Dinger lined up 15th in the order.

The expected fireworks during the final 10-lap dash never materialized and was run caution-free. At the checkers, it was Johnson picking up his third career All-Star Race win by 0.841 seconds over Keselowski. Kenseth finished third, with Kyle Busch fourth and Earnhardt fifth. Allmendinger was able to advance four positions during the final segment to finish 11th.

“Winning those first three segments was everything because you could just ride around from there and focus on the final 10 laps,” Allmendinger offered after his long night on the track. “Our Pennzoil Dodge was fast. We tried to get the win in that fourth segment. We didn’t have a chance in the final segment against those teams with fresh tires. So, on the mandatory stop before the final 10 laps, we decided to take four tires and if something happened up front, it would give us a chance. It didn’t happen.

“Overall, the Pennzoil Dodge was fast all night. I can honestly say, by far, that’s the most fun I’ve ever had in a Cup car. It was fun. We showed that we were fast and have some good notes for next week.

“I’m proud of everybody and feel like I drove really well. The pit stops were awesome. Our team was really good tonight. Look on the stat sheet and it says 11th, but more importantly, we were fast and we showed we can come back next week and win this thing.”

“We needed to win that fourth segment or finish second so we could be behind the four segment winners coming to pit road for the mandatory pit stop,” crew chief Gordon said. “We ended up third and would have rolled off fifth in the final segment, but everybody in front of us had fresher tires. This race is about winning. So, the opportunity to take four tires was the decision. If a caution had happened like it normally does in these All-Star races, we would have been in good positions because now we had better tires than the rest of the field.

“I thought it was an awesome job by A.J. and the entire Pennzoil Dodge pit crew,” Gordon added. “We showed up and didn’t think we were that good. Our guys worked on the car through practice and tonight, we ended up passing a lot of race cars. That flat tire in the Showdown, it speaks to where our luck has been this year. We just dug back. A.J. dug in and we came from the back to the front. I’m proud of everyone for what we accomplished tonight.”

The NASCAR Sprint Cup tour heads back to Charlotte Motor Speedway next weekend for the longest race on the circuit, the 600-mile Coca-Cola 600. Action gets under way on Thursday with practice set from 3:30 p.m. till 5:00 p.m. (live on Speed-TV). Qualifying for all 43 starting positions is set for Thursday at 7:10 p.m. (live on Speed-TV & PRN Radio). There is no action scheduled at the track on Friday. Saturday’s schedule calls for practice from 10:00 a.m. till 10:55 a.m. (live on Speed-TV) and from 1:00 p.m. till 2:0 p.m. (live on Speed-TV). Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600 (400 laps, 600 miles) on the 1.5-mile quad-oval track is scheduled to get the green flag just after 6:00 p.m. The Coca-Cola 600 will feature live coverage by FOX-TV and PRN Radio beginning at 5:00 p.m. EDT.

Credit - Penske Racing PR

All-Star Showdown Pole Winner Transcript

AJ Allmendinger (No. 22 Pennzoil Dodge Charger R/T)
Qualified 1st “That was a good lap. More than anything the car just stuck to the racetrack. I was letting it free up off it, so it wasn’t anything scary. You know, we struggled a little bit in practice. The Pennzoil Dodge had speed in it but wasn’t really comfortable so Todd Gordon (crew chief) and the guys went to work. When you’ve got an impound race like this you’ve got to come up with a good race setup and just throw the qualifying areas at it. The car was really good, good starting spot, but we’ve got 40 hard laps to get in this thing (All-Star race).”

YOU HAVE BEEN FAST HERE ALL DAY. “Yeah, it was kind of an interesting day. Our Dodge had speed in it, but I never really felt comfortable with it. Just trying to figure out what areas we needed to work on. That was the problem; we kind of fought every area at one point. Todd Gordon and the guys, they went to work and we tried to come together and put all the notes we had from the practice session. The car was perfect in qualifying. Forty hard laps tomorrow and we’ll see what we have.”

YOU HAVE TWO SHORT RUNS IN THE SHOWDOWN TOMORROW NIGHT. IS THAT UNUSUAL TO PREPARE FOR IN PRACTICE THAN WHAT YOU DO ON A NORMAL RACE WEEKEND? “You still need the car to be good in a decently-sized run. You’ve really got to figure out if you’re going to pit or not. If you’re not, you’re really going to have to save those tires. We’ll see, but I was happy with the lap. Hopefully, with the impound race, we’ve got everything that we need for a good run tomorrow and, at least, gives us the best shot at this thing that we can get.”

WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ABOUT THE LAP? “The Pennzoil Dodge was fast. The car was perfect in qualifying. It was as good as the lap could get. I was kind of hoping when I came across the line that it was a good lap ‘cause if it wasn’t, I didn’t know what else to do because that was pretty solid. Just a little bit of a struggle today early on trying to figure out what we needed; was never really comfortable with the car. Todd Gordon and the guys did a good job to come up with something good, especially being an impound race. You’re going to need this car to be good in race trim since we’re not really going to get to adjust on it. A good starting spot and hopefully we can run 40 solid laps and get this thing in the show (All-Star race).”

WHERE DO YOU THINK YOU STAND FOR THE FAN VOTE? “I think we’re right there, now how close right there is I don’t know. With that said, I think that everybody needs to keep voting for me. We need all the help we can get. I’ll do sad face, happy face, whatever face you need to get me in. Hopefully, in the end, we don’t need that. Hopefully, we race our way in like I want to.”

MEDIA CENTER INTERVIEW

“For me it was a perfect lap. I felt in practice we struggled a little bit just trying to figure out what the car needed. Todd Gordon and the guys put together a good setup and I felt like that was as perfect as I could run a lap. Obviously with a short race, track position is going to be everything. The car felt good. Being an impound race, that’s a good sign for tomorrow. It’s going to be a tough race. We’ve got to be smart at that pit stop trying to figure out whether we’re going to pit or not. It’s really going to be determined by how the car is the first 20 laps. So far so good. Just happy to put the car up front and at least have a good shot at this thing.”

TWO WEEKS AGO ROGER PENSKE SAID HE REALLY LIKED THE WAY YOUR RACE TEAM IS GOING. DO YOU FEEL LIKE IF THINGS HAD GONE A DIFFERENT WAY HERE OR THERE THAT YOUR RESULTS WOULD HAVE LOOKED A LOT DIFFERENT? “I think the good thing is that we’ve had a lot of speed pretty much everywhere we’ve went. And even when we do struggle, our struggle is I would say 15th to 17th-place speed. The cars have been really fast. Obviously, it’s been showing all year. Brad (Keselowski) winning a couple races and us qualifying up front and running up front. It’s hard to look at the points and look at the results and take positives out of it. Ultimately this is more competitive than I’ve ever been. I’m up front a lot more than I’ve ever been, qualifying a lot better. The results, for whatever reason, whether it’s our own failures or last week getting caught up in a wreck that we had nothing to do with, it’s just the way it is. It’s the way this sport can be sometimes. Jeff Gordon is the same way right now. I forget it’s only my 10th race with the team, it’s only the 10th race for Todd Gordon ever crew chiefing the Cup car. Once we kind of get everything together and we can put a full race in, I feel like we’ll have a chance to win a lot of races. The toughest thing is just looking at those points. You know Roger, when it comes to a team owner, it’s the best I’ve ever had especially just knowing what it’s all about, knowing how this sport is and having patience. I’m the one up there (saying) we’ve got to go now and he’s the one like ‘It’s okay, we’ll be fine.’ When you have a team owner like that and an organization around you that says that, it makes it a little bit easier.”

FIRST-PLACE IN THE ALL-STAR RACE PAYS $1 MILLION. CAN YOU SPEAK TO WHAT THE FIGURE MEANS TO A DRIVER? “Yeah, I mean, I’m not speaking for anybody else, but for me, that number, I don’t even think about it. To me, it’s the prestige of trying to win the All-Star race. You’re not going to sit here and say the money doesn’t matter or doesn’t affect you. It’s always nice to have extra cash in your pocket but at the same point, when it comes to the All-Star race, the money is the last thing that is the reason why I want to win it. I just want to win it because I’d love to be able to be an All-Star champion for that night. When you win the All-Star race, you’re the best of the best. Everybody had everything out there; everybody laid it on the line. There was no holding back. That’s what makes this race so much fun. It’s not about points, it’s not about holding back. Everybody is giving everything that they have in those segments and if you can beat ‘em, then you’re the best that night. That’s something that would be pretty amazing to have. The first step is I’ve got to get through 40 laps tomorrow and get to that point. Hopefully we can do that and have a chance. I feel like we have a fast enough car. If we get in the All-Star race, we’ll have a chance at the thing.”

WOULD A WIN IN THE SHOWDOWN STILL BE A WIN IN YOUR BOOK? “Of course. You know there’s still fast guys in there. You look at (Martin) Truex and (Dale Earnhardt) Jr. You can argue that’s two of the best guys in the Sprint Cup Series and they’re in the Showdown. To go win the thing, it’s always nice to get a victory even if it’s not against everybody but more importantly, to win the thing you have a chance to go win the important one. I got the win in ’08 and it’s an amazing feeling. Everybody on this race car, everybody with this organization, my pit crew, my road crew, everybody back at the shop, they deserve to have this car in the All-Star race so I’m going to do everything I can. Hopefully, we have a chance at the end of 40 laps to get in the show and if we do that, then we’ll have a fun night.”

Allmendinger Ready for "Dinger's Dream Team" Debut

Penske Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup driver AJ Allmendinger is pleased to announce that Dinger’s Dream Team will make a dramatic public debut this weekend as his No. 22 Dodge Charger will carry the Dinger’s Dream Team logo in the Pennzoil Victory Burnout Challenge on Saturday night. The Charger will also proudly carry the colors of the Paralyzed Veterans Association (PVA), a group that Allmendinger has worked with for several years.

Dinger’s Dream Team was established in 2011 by Allmendinger and his parent company Walldinger Racing, Inc. The 501c3 non-profit organization was formed with a grassroots approach to fundraising and awareness. Dinger’s Dream Team strives to activate the extremely loyal NASCAR fan base in supporting various charitable causes.

“I’ve been really fortunate growing up to have been given a helping hand on more than one occasion,” said Allmendinger. “It means a lot to me that I am now in a position where I can give back, and even better, give back to more than one cause or group. I also have such a great and loyal group of fans that they are totally willing to join Dinger’s Dream Team and help make a difference, and it is hard to describe how grateful I feel for their support. This foundation helps continuously remind me how truly lucky I am and hopefully help make a positive impact.”

The Pennzoil Victory Burnout Challenge is part of the NASCAR Sprint Cup All-Star weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway as NASCAR celebrates the sport and those who participate in it ahead of next weekends Coca-Cola 600.
Credit - Walldinger Racing Inc PR

All-Star Race Preview

AJ Allmendinger, driver of the Penske Racing No. 22 Pennzoil Dodge Charger, enters Saturday night’s non-points special events at Charlotte Motor Speedway knowing what to expect. After all, with five prior appearances in the Sprint Showdown, it’s a “been there & done that” scenario for Dinger.

“This year is no different than the years before,” said Allmendinger. “I’ve won the Showdown before and we can win it again. We’ve had fast cars all year long; we just haven’t had the luck we’ve needed. We’re bound to change the luck soon and maybe it’ll come when there are no points on the line.

“We’ll definitely have a good shot to win the thing and advance; I do not doubt that at all. We know how to race these 40 laps and how it can play out. It’s all about being at the right place at the right time. Qualifying is huge and figuring out what to do after the first 20-lap segment is the big thing in having a shot to win it.

“We still have a good shot at it I think with the fan support and the fan vote as a backup plan,” Dinger added. “One thing’s for sure and that’s the fact that we’ll have our sweet, great-looking old-school yellow Pennzoil color scheme on our Dodge Charger again this weekend.” (It’s the same color scheme that was on the car in the March 11 Las Vegas race.)

Allmendinger has raced in five prior editions of the Sprint Showdown, taking the win in the 2008 race and advancing on to the Sprint All-Star Race. In his five prior Showdowns, Dinger has one win, two top-five finishes and four top-10s. He started 22nd and finished 17th in the 2008 All-Star Race. He started second and finished fourth in last year’s Showdown. Dinger has a 6.4 average start and an 8.8 average finish in the Showdown. Most impressive is that he has finished every possible lap (300/300) in his Showdown and All Star races.

Crew chief Todd Gordon is really looking forward to Saturday night’s non-points Sprint Cup competition. He is optimistic about his team’s performance on the 1.5-mile Charlotte Motor Speedway quad-oval.

“It’s going to be a lot of fun without the stress of having the points on the line,” said Gordon. “I’m very optimistic about our chances and I think we can run very well there. I really like the two-20-lap-segment race format. It’ll be really interesting to see how it goes. Through the season, we have shown so much strength in the short runs.”

“Even though it wouldn’t help us in points, to win there on Saturday night would be great for our Shell-Pennzoil Dodge Team,” Gordon said. “It would be huge for our confidence level – for AJ, for me and for the entire No. 22 Penske team. Success of that type would be something great to build off of and a stepping stone for the future, I believe.”

Allmendinger, Gordon and crew will be racing their “PRS-815” Pennzoil Dodge Charger this weekend at Charlotte. In its only time out, Dinger put it on the outside pole and finished 17th in the March Bristol race. In that race, Dinger led 54 laps in the early going and showed potential winning strength before a suspension part failed. The “PRS-814” chassis will serve as the backup. It is a new Dodge Charger and has yet to make it onto a race track.

This weekend’s Sprint Showdown/Sprint All-Star Race weekend gets under way on Thursday night (May 17) with the NASCAR Sprint Pit Crew Challenge set for 7:00 p.m. at Time Warner Cable Arena (broadcast on SPEED-TV at 9:00 p.m. EDT). The action shifts to the 1.5-mile Charlotte Motor Speedway on Friday with Showdown practice set for 12:00 noon till 1:35 p.m. and All-Star Practice from 1:35 p.m. till 3:00 p.m. Qualifying on Friday evening at 5:00 will set the field for Saturday night’s Showdown. Qualifying at 6:00 p.m. for the ALL-Star Race will feature the unique format of three laps under the clock with a four-tire pit stop thrown into the equation. Saturday’s Sprint Showdown (20 laps/20 laps) begins at 7:30 p.m., with the top-two finishers and winner of the special Sprint “fan vote” advancing to the All-Star Race. The Sprint All-Star Race will begin at approximately 9:00 p.m. This year’s exciting battle consists of four 20-lap segments, concluding with a 10-lap sprint and a $1 million payout to the race winner. This year's format will place a higher premium for drivers who win one of the four segments, however, as the winners of the first four segments will move to the front of the field and line up 1-4 prior to the field coming to pit road for the final mandatory pit stop. Live coverage will be provided by SPEED-TV and MRN Radio.

Credit - Penske Racing PR

All-Star Notes of Interest

--AJ Allmendinger and his Todd Gordon-led Penske Racing No. 22 Team will be racing their PRS-815” Pennzoil Dodge Charger this weekend at Charlotte. In its only time out, Dinger put it on the outside pole and finished 17th in the March Bristol race. In that race, Dinger led 54 laps in the early going and showed potential winning strength before a suspension part failed. The “PRS-814” chassis will serve as the backup. It is a new Dodge Charger and has yet to make it onto a race track.

--Pennzoil Dodge Charger driver AJ Allmendinger has raced in five prior editions of the Sprint Showdown, taking the win in the 2008 race and advancing on to the Sprint All-Star Race. In his five prior Showdowns, Dinger has one win, two top-five finishes and four top-10s. He started 22nd and finished 17th in the 2008 All-Star Race. He started second and finished fourth in last year’s Showdown. Dinger has a 6.4 average start and an 8.8 average finish in the Showdown. Most impressive is that he has finished every possible lap (300/300) in his Showdown and All Star races.

--With five prior appearances in the Sprint Showdown, it’s a “been there & done that” scenario for Pennzoil Dodge driver AJ Allmendinger. “This year is no different than the years before,” said Allmendinger. “I’ve won the Showdown before and we can win it again. We’ve had fast cars all year long; we just haven’t had the luck we’ve needed. We’re bound to change the luck soon and maybe it’ll come when there are no points on the line. We’ll definitely have a good shot to win the thing and advance; I do not doubt that at all. We know how to race these 40 laps and how it can play out. It’s all about being at the right place at the right time. Qualifying is huge and figuring out what to do after the first 20-lap segment is the big thing in having a shot to win it.”

--Pennzoil Dodge crew chief Todd Gordon is optimistic entering this Saturday night’s special non-points race. “It’s going to be a lot of fun without the stress of having the points on the line,” said Gordon. “I’m very optimistic about our chances and I think we can run very well there. I really like the two-20-lap-segment race format. It’ll be really interesting to see how it goes. Through the season, we have shown so much strength in the short runs. Even though it wouldn’t help us in points, to win there on Saturday night would be great for our Shell-Pennzoil Dodge Team. It would be huge for our confidence level – for AJ, for me and for the entire No. 22 Penske team. Success of that type would be something great to build off of and a stepping stone for the future, I believe.”

--Pennzoil Dodge crew chief Todd Gordon sizes up the competition for Saturday night’s Sprint Showdown: “Just looking over the entry list, you probably have to look at the 56 team (Martin Truex Jr.) as being the strongest, especially coming off last weekend. The 88 team (Dale Earnhardt Jr.) has been running well and is really consistent. I think we’re up there next as far as the overall strength we’ve shown. We’ve been stronger than the 20 (Joey Logano), the 42 (Juan Pablo Montoya) and the 1 (Jamie McMurray) every week, but just don’t have the finishes to show it. Our biggest problem is that we probably deserve the runner-up award for the worst luck during the 2012 season. Seriously, if there’s such an award, the 24 team (Jeff Gordon) definitely deserves it, but we have to be the runner-up team.”

--AJ Allmendinger and his Todd Gordon-led No. 22 Penske Racing Dodge Team are at Road Atlanta today testing their “PRS-811” Dodge Charger in preparation for the June 24 Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Infineon Raceway. The team also has a test scheduled on May 29 in their preparation for racing on the road courses this year.

--Pennzoil Dodge driver AJ Allmendinger will be making his first appearance in the annual Pennzoil Burnout Challenge Saturday at Charlotte Motor Speedway. The 5th annual event is set to begin at approximately 6:10 p.m. on the frontstretch of CMS. Clint Bowyer, Kasey Kahne, Brad Keselowski and Joey Logano complete the five-driver lineup for Saturday’s competition. The competition will see each driver take turns at the wheel of similarly prepared cars from the Richard Petty Driving Experience, each wrapped with the Pennzoil Burnout Challenge theme. The drivers begin from Turn 4 of the quarter-mile track and have 30 seconds to conduct a freestyle burnout. After 30 seconds, the “emergency cutoff switch” will be activated. The drivers will be judged on creativity and the fan reaction. The winner of the competition will be highlighted on Charlotte Motor Speedway’s world’s largest HD Video Screen. Each competitor will receive a $1,000 donation to their charity just for participating. The winning driver will be awarded $10,000 to their designated charity. Allmendinger will be competing for “Dinger’s Dream Team” and the “Paralyzed Veterans of America.”

Credit - Penske Racing PR

Darlington Race Recap

Shell-Pennzoil Dodge driver AJ Allmendinger was relegated to a 33rd-place finish in tonight’s Bojangles’ Southern 500 after a late-race incident forced him to the garage area for necessary repairs. With the 11th race of the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup season in the record books, Allmendinger leaves Darlington Raceway 22nd in the series’ points.

“We just struggled all night going from one extreme to the other, from so tight to just wicked loose and could never find a happy medium,” Allmendinger said. “The car was just a handful all night but I thought we'd be able to hang on for a top 15.

“We had a caution fall when we needed it after taking the wave around to get back on the lead lap, but got together with the 1 (Jamie McMurray) after that and ended up in the garage. The guys worked as hard and as fast as they could to get us back out there but there just weren't enough laps left at that point. Todd (Gordon, crew chief) and I, along with the team, are going to have to try and figure out what we need to do to stop going back and forth to these extremes during these races and bring home the finishes we all want for the Shell-Pennzoil Dodge.”

Allmendinger started tonight’s race from the 16th position and struggled with a loose car from the drop of the green flag. With the first 171 laps of the race run caution-free, the crew threw wedge, track bar and air pressure adjustments at their machine during green-flag stops that offered minimum relief. Dinger’s Dodge went from loose to tight as the chassis mood swings set in.

Jimmie Johnson got around AJ to put him a lap down after 126 circuits. Dinger held the lucky dog-eligible spot on three different occasions, but never got the caution he needed to return to the lead lap. When Bobby Labonte spun on the frontstretch on Lap 297 to bring out the fourth caution of the race, Dinger stayed out and took the wave-around to return to the lead lap.

AJ was 17th on the Lap 302 restart and got the break he needed only four laps later when Regan Smith spun in Turn 4 to bring out the fifth yellow period of the night. That allowed Dinger to pit on Lap 308 for fresh tires and ample fuel to go the distance.

Allmendinger lined up 19th for the Lap 311 restart as 21 cars were running on the lead lap. He had climbed to 16th in the running order when Jamie McMurray pinned him into the Turn 4 wall to bring out the sixth caution of the race. Dinger sustained suspension damage and was forced to go to the garage for repairs.

The Shell-Pennzoil Dodge returned to action 11 laps down and Allmendinger rode it out the remainder of the race to finish 33rd.

“David Hoots (NASCAR Managing Event Director) said at the driver’s meeting that you’ve just got to race the racetrack,” crew chief Gordon offered after the race. “We had a long green flag run there to start with and didn’t quite have the balance we wanted to and got down a lap and just seemed like we were always the one car off of getting back on the lead lap. I felt like we had a decent race car and felt like we could run in the top 15. We didn’t have a top five car by any means but felt like we could run 10th to 15th. Just racing back by the 1 car there at the end and I think he got loose underneath us. It bent the track bar and we had to go to the garage area and make some repairs. Even after that we rolled back out with some decent speed.”

Up front, it was Johnson going 66 laps on his last tank of fuel and taking the checkers by 0.781 seconds over Denny Hamlin. The victory marked the 200th win for Hendrick Motorsports. Johnson’s 56th career win broke a tie with racing legend Rusty
Wallace on the All-Time Wins list.

Tony Stewart finished third, with Kyle Busch fourth and Martin Truex Jr. fifth. Matt Kenseth, Carl Edwards, Kasey Kahne, Marcos Ambrose and Joey Logano rounded out tonight’s top-10 finishers.

Penske Racing teammate Brad Keselowski had another gutsy performance here tonight as he bounced back from running three laps down at one time during the race to post a 15th-place finish. The Miller Lite Dodge driver is now up to 12th in the standings, trailing leader Greg Biffle by 79 points.

With 253 points, Dinger is 22nd in the standings. He trails 10th-place Edwards by 87 points and is 40 points behind 15th-place Logano.

The Sprint Cup tour now heads to Charlotte Motor Speedway for the next two weeks of racing. Up first in next weekend’s non-points Sprint All-Star Race, followed by the May 27 Coca-Cola 600.

Credit - Penske Racing PR

Darlington Qualifying Report

Shell-Pennzoil Dodge driver AJ Allmendinger will start 16th in Saturday night’s Bojangles’ Southern 500 here at Darlington Raceway after turning in a lap of 27.506 seconds (178.783 mph) in today’s qualifying session. Dinger is looking for a solid run on this tough old 1.366-mile egg-shaped oval.

“Our Dodge was a little bit loose,” Allmendinger offered. “I don’t think we had a pole car but we had better than a 16th-place car. I wish I could hit the reset button and redo that lap. I came to the green okay, got into one good and then I just got too low, too early and just completely messed the rest of the corner up. Got through three and it was really loose in three so I think we lost a little bit of time there. Wish I could do it over again. That was on me.”

Greg Biffle claimed the Coors Light Pole Award with the fast lap of 27.281 seconds (180.257 mph). Jimmie Johnson and Kasey Kahne ran the exact same time (27.386 seconds/179.566 mph), with Johnson getting the second starting spot due to current car owner points. Ryan Newman (lap of 27.402 seconds/179.461 mph) will start fourth and Kyle Busch (27.404 seconds/179.448 mph) starts fifth.

Martin Truex Jr., Carl Edwards, Denny Hamlin, Regan Smith and Jeff Burton rounded out today’s top-10 qualifiers. Penske Racing teammate Brad Keselowski starts his Miller Lite Dodge just in front of Dinger, claiming the 15th starting spot with his lap of 27.500 seconds (178.822 mph).

Even though Allmendinger wanted more during Friday’s action here at Darlington, he knows he has a fast Shell-Pennzoil Dodge Charger for Saturday’s battle.

“We’ve had a really good day,” Dinger said. “The Shell-Pennzoil Dodge has been quick. The race trim was good, the Q-runs were good and as much as you try to think positive and think okay, let’s go out there and put a good lap in, it crept in the back of my mind we haven’t put anything wrong with this car yet. There’s no stripes, everything looks solid, the last thing you want to do is bounce it off the wall before you start this race. It’s a tough place. You look at the lap times and they’re so close. Just wish I could do it over again. It’s a long race and honestly starting 16th isn’t the worst thing in the world. I’m just mad at myself. I always want perfection and I’m nowhere close to that but we deserved a better qualifying run. If the car is as good as it was today we can go to the front and we’ve got 500 miles.”

Saturday’s Bojangles’ Southern 500 (367 laps, 501.3 miles) has a 7:00 p.m. EDT starting time and features live coverage by FOX-TV and MRN Radio (also on Sirius-XM NASCAR Channel 90 and streaming live at www.motorracingnetwork.com.)

Darlington Race Preview

Shell-Pennzoil Dodge driver AJ Allmendinger enters this weekend’s Bojangle’s Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway knowing what to expect. Saturday’s battle on the historical 1.366-mile egg-shaped oval will mark Dinger’s sixth career Darlington start and he foresees the same test that every trip to Darlington presents.

“This weekend is gonna be a challenge – every race at Darlington is a challenge because it’s such a tough place,” Allmendinger said. “It has historically not been a great race track for me. But the way this season has gone, it’s seems like we’ve had some of our stronger performances on the tracks that haven’t been too kind to me in the past. We’re hoping we can have that kind of ‘flip-flop’ situation again this weekend at Darlington.”

After five career starts at Darlington, Dinger enters this weekend looking for his first notable mark in the NASCAR record book. His best start to date was seventh in last year’s Darlington race. His best career finish, a 17th, came in the 2009 visit. His average start is 20.6 and average finish is 27.4 entering this weekend.

Crew chief Todd Gordon believes that the occurrence of doing well on Allmendinger’s “less-than-favorite” race tracks can and will continue this weekend at Darlington. In fact, he fully embraces the “Flip-Flop Phenomenon.”

“We talked last Friday about how much he didn’t enjoy racing at the Talladega track and it was music to my ears when he said he had the same intense feeling about racing at Darlington,” chuckled Gordon. “There have been so many times this season where we’ve entered the race just hoping to be respectable. Then, we’ve been pleasantly surprised with the way things went during qualifying and in the race.

“I look back at races like Vegas, Bristol – and most recently last weekend at Talladega,” said Gordon. “They were not among AJ’s favorites and he was openly honest in pointing that out. But, during all of those races we showed a lot of strength and had some really fast race cars. We ran top-five or top-10 in all of them and had the potential to finish up there.

“That’s the approach we are taking to this weekend’s race at Darlington,” said Gordon. “We know what AJ and our Shell-Pennzoil Dodge Team is capable of, so we always come into a race weekend thinking positive and hoping to do well. We know that if we can have a fast car ready for him, AJ will have it up front there on Saturday night.”

Allmendinger can’t forget the first time he ever saw the “Track Too Tough to Tame.”

"I thought they completely messed up the design of the race track when I got there,” Dinger recalled. “I said, ‘This can't possibly be an oval. What's going on here?’ It's insane to me. The race track is awesome with how narrow it is. What's exciting for me, honestly, is the history of the race track. When you roll through the gates and get there, the history behind the track is something that always excites and motivates me about NASCAR in general.

“It is definitely a tough race track, though,” Dinger added. “I drove on it once before it was repaved and it was such a challenge then. Now that it's been repaved, it's demanding in a different way because it's so fast you can't make a mistake. It's a tough place. That's all you can say. There's not a lot more to describe it."

Allmendinger, Gordon and crew will be racing their “PRS-812” Shell-Pennzoil Dodge Charger this weekend at Darlington. This chassis has been raced only once to date; in the March 11 race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Dinger started 14th and had moved up to sixth in that race before fuel system issues relegated him to the garage for repairs. The “PRS-814” chassis will serve as the backup. It is a new Dodge Charger and has yet to make it onto a race track.

This weekend’s Darlington action gets under way on Friday with practice scheduled from 11:30 a.m. till 1:30 p.m. and from 2:15 p.m. till 3:00 p.m. Friday’s 5:10 p.m. single round of qualifying will establish Saturday’s 43-car starting field. Saturday’s Bojangle’s Southern 500 (367 laps, 501.3 miles) has a 7:00 p.m. EDT starting time and features live coverage by FOX-TV and MRN Radio (also on Sirius-XM NASCAR Channel 90 and streaming live at www.motorracingnetwork.com.)

Credit - Penske Racing PR

Darlington Notes of Interest

--AJ Allmendinger and his Todd Gordon-led Penske Racing No. 22 Team will be racing their “PRS-812” Shell-Pennzoil Dodge Charger this weekend at Darlington. This chassis has been raced only once to date; in the March 11 race at Las Vegas. Dinger started 14th and had moved up to sixth in that race before fuel system issues relegated him to the garage for repairs. The “PRS-814” chassis will serve as the backup. It is a new Dodge Charger and has yet to make it onto a race track.

--Shell-Pennzoil Dodge driver AJ Allmendinger says the best word to describe the 1.366-mile egg-shaped Darlington Raceway is “tough.” “It is definitely a tough race track,” Dinger said. “I drove on it once before it was repaved and it was such a challenge then. Now that it's been repaved, it's demanding in a different way because it's so fast you can't make a mistake. It's a tough place. That's all you can say. There's not a lot more to describe it."

--Shell-Pennzoil Dodge crew chief Todd Gordon believes that the occurrence of doing well on Allmendinger’s “less-than-favorite” race tracks can and will continue this weekend at Darlington. In fact, he fully embraces the “Flip-Flop Phenomenon.” “We talked last Friday about how much he didn’t enjoy racing at the Talladega track and it was music to my ears when he said he had the same intense feeling about racing at Darlington,” chuckled Gordon. “There have been so many times this season where we’ve entered the race just hoping to be respectable. Then, we’ve been pleasantly surprised with the way things went during qualifying and in the race. I look back at races like Vegas, Bristol – and most recently last weekend at Talladega. They were not among AJ’s favorites and he was openly honest in pointing that out. But, during all of those races we showed a lot of strength and had some really fast race cars. We ran top-five or top-10 in all of them and had the potential to finish up there. That’s the approach we are taking to this weekend’s race at Darlington. We know what AJ and our Shell-Pennzoil Dodge Team is capable of, so we always come into a race weekend thinking positive and hoping to do well. We know that if we can have a fast car ready for him, AJ will have it up front there on Saturday night.”

--Shell-Pennzoil Dodge driver AJ Allmendinger recalled the first time he ever saw Darlington Raceway: "I thought they completely messed up the design of the race track when I got there,” Dinger recalled. “I said, ‘This can't possibly be an oval. What's going on here?’ It's insane to me. The race track is awesome with how narrow it is. What's exciting for me, honestly, is the history of the race track. When you roll through the gates and get there, the history behind the track is something that always excites and motivates me about NASCAR in general.”

--Shell-Pennzoil Dodge crew chief Todd Gordon stopped to reflect on the last few races along the Sprint Cup trail: “We know that we had a potential top-five car at Richmond and again last Sunday at Talladega. At worst, we were solid top-10-capable in both races. But we left with a 16th at Richmond and a 15th at Talladega. We still can find some good out of the last two weeks when it comes to the big picture. They still were days that we had positive momentum. We did progress and move forward. We’re only 10 races into the season and have 16 races to go before the Chase cutoff. So much can happen between now and then. AJ and our whole team see the potential we have. We’ve had fast race cars and have shown the strength to run top-10 every week. You can look at the 24 team (Jeff Gordon) and see a parallel. Two races ago we were 23rd in points; 64 points out of 10th and 32 out of 15th. Even after not getting the finishes we wanted, we still showed positive momentum. We’re up to 20th in points; 60 out of 10th and only 17 out of 15th. What’s most important is for us to continue moving forward.”

--After five career starts at Darlington, Shell-Pennzoil Dodge driver AJ Allmendinger enters this weekend looking for his first notable mark in the NASCAR record book. His best start to date was seventh in last year’s Darlington race. His best career finish, a 17th, came in the 2009 visit. His average start is 20.6 and average finish is 27.4 entering this weekend. He is looking to lead his first lap at Darlington. He has an 88.248% lap completion average (1,622 of 1,838 laps).

--AJ Allmendinger and his Todd Gordon-led Penske Racing No. 22 Team have road course testing at Road Atlanta (May 15) and Virginia International Raceway (May 29) on tap in preparation for the June 24 Toyota/Save Mart 350 in Sonoma, Calif. Test days are also on the calendar for Michigan (June 14), as well as testing at the Milwaukee Mile (June 26).

Credit - Penske Racing PR

Talladega Race Recap

Shell-Pennzoil/AAA Dodge driver AJ Allmendinger started today’s Aaron’s 499 here at Talladega Superspeedway from the outside pole and was among the threats for getting the win until a late-race skirmish. Dinger and his Todd Gordon-led Penske Racing No. 22 team still soldiered on to a 15th-place finish and made it a good day as for the NASCAR Sprint Cup points race.

Allmendinger was running solidly in the top-10 for a restart with only three laps remaining in the scheduled 188-lap battle when he fought for the same space with Denny Hamlin and helped ignite the fifth and final caution. In typical fashion for the restrictor-plate races here and at Daytona, before the dust had settled, at least 10 cars encountered damage.

Dinger sustained heavy damage to the right-front fender area of his Dodge and was forced to hit pit road lap after lap during the ensuing caution to make repairs. He lined up 19th for the “overtime” green-white-checkered finish and was able to climb back up to the 15th spot after 194 laps.

“My guys did a good job, fast motor, fast race car,” a dejected Allmendinger said as he walked back to his team transporter. “I’m happy the 2 car won. I had a chance to win the race until it all went down the drain. On the restart, everybody was getting after it. I tried to block, if Denny (Hamlin) was already there, my apology. Everybody on the Shell-Pennzoil/AAA Dodge and the Penske organization gave us fast race cars. We had a chance to win. I’m happy the 2 car won.”

Dinger was eager to see the replay of the incident that eliminated his chances at winning, yet was proud for his teammate Brad Keselowski. His impressive victory here this afternoon marked Penske Racing’s first Cup victory here on this massive 2.66-mile Alabama speed plant.

Keselowski managed to shake Kyle Busch out of his draft coming out of the final turn and took a popular 0.304-second win over the No. 18 car. Matt Kenseth, who led the most laps, finished third, with Kasey Kahne fourth and Greg Biffle fifth. Clint Bowyer, David Ragan, Trevor Bayne, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Jeff Burton rounded out the top-10 finishers.

Jamie McMurray, Aric Almirola, David Gilliland, Marcos Ambrose, Dinger, Travis Kvapil, Paul Menard, Casey Mears and Michael Waltrip completed the 19 drivers who finished on the lead lap.

“Just typical Talladega racing in trying to survive till the very end,” offered crew chief Gordon. “I’m not exactly sure what happened on that restart and intend on watching the video as soon as I can. At the end of the day, it was a 15th and not as good as we wanted. However, with the attrition we had here, we have to think that it will be a good points day for our Shell-Pennzoil/AAA Dodge Team.”

Gordon was correct in that assessment in that Dinger is now up to 20th in the Cup point standings. He trails leader Biffle by 136 points, but has now closed the gap to 10th to 60 points. He is currently only 17 points out of 15th.

The Sprint Cup tour now returns to Darlington Raceway for next Saturday night’s battle under the lights on perhaps NASCAR’s most historical track. This weekend’s Darlington action gets under way on Friday with practice scheduled from 11:30 a.m. till 1:30 p.m. and from 2:15 p.m. till 3:00 p.m. Friday’s 5:10 p.m. single round of qualifying will establish Saturday’s 43-car starting field. Saturday’s Bojangle’s Southern 500 (367 laps, 501.3 miles) has a 7:00 p.m. EDT starting time and features live coverage by FOX-TV and MRN Radio.

Credit - Penske Racing PR

Talladega Qualifying Quotes

AJ Allmendinger (No. 22 Shell/Pennzoil Dodge Charger R/T)
Qualified Second
“The Shell/Pennzoil Dodge qualifying run was a little surprising. I didn’t get to make a full-blown Q (qualifying) run yesterday, so we weren’t really sure what we had. It had nothing to do with me. All the guys in the Penske organization back at the engine shop, everybody that design these cars and puts the horsepower under them; it shows them off on a day like this. It’s really cool to see that we’ve got some speed. I don’t think that will be pole, but it was a good surprise. It’s really cool to see the Shell/Pennzoil Dodge have this much speed. It shows the effort everybody in the Penske organization puts in these race cars. It was a good lap for sure. It shows we have a lot of horsepower and a fast racecar for tomorrow.”

STARTING UP FRONT, IS THAT IMPORTANT AT THIS TRACK? “No. Qualifying in the end doesn’t really matter. If you get the pole, you can at least feel like you’re best for a day. We’ll be at the front to the back, the back to the front a hundred times during the race. You just hope when you’re at the front, it’s at the right time, at about lap 185 and you stay up there and have a chance to win the thing. Today is a relaxing day for a driver. You just go out there have fun, joke around with the guys, see where it puts you and then go out tomorrow and race.”

WHAT ABOUT THE PENSKE POWER TODAY, SURPRISING? “On a day like this, it shows off the engine shop, the body shop, everybody in the Penske organization. I had a lot more chance to mess it up than help it. The guys did a good job. It puts us near the front and shows all the effort that’s being put in these race cars.”

ARE YOU STARTING TO FEEL YOU’RE GETTING CLOSER TO A WIN? “We’re running up front every weekend. We’re just not getting the finishes. We just need to put a complete day together. There have been a lot of little mechanical things that have cropped up and got us. Last week, we had a good car all day, but had a tire going down and that hurt us. Of course, I always put the pressure on myself to go out there and win for Mr. (Roger) Penske. The good thing is we have the speed to go do it; we just have to put a complete race together. Once we start doing that and having some luck, we’ll win a lot of these things I think.”

DID YOU GET A CHANCE TO DRAFT YESTERDAY? “Not a lot. We got out for maybe five or six laps in a seven- or eight-car pack, but did not get in a big group drafting. It really doesn’t matter. We’ve got 188 laps to get it all figured out.”


ALLMENDINGER INTERVIEW -- MEDIA CENTER
“This is a day that’s more about the engine shop and the race team getting the car ready. It’s good for everybody at the Penske organization on the Shell/Pennzoil Dodge to put a fast racecar together. They worked hard to get a little bit more motor than what we had at Daytona. Obviously, I think it’s showing. I would love to have gotten the pole for the guys, but from where we were in qualifying for Daytona to where we are at Talladega, they’ve definitely made a lot of gains. I’m excited for the guys and excited for tomorrow.”

FOR A LONG WHILE, IT LOOKS LIKE YOU WERE GOING TO WIN THE POLE, BUT (JEFF) GORDON CAME OUT AND TOOK AN UNCONVENTIONAL LINE. DID YOU NOTICE WHAT HE DID AND WILL THAT MAKE PEOPLE RETHINK THE WAY THE QUALIFY HERE? “I think a lot of it had to do with the heat. It’s so warm out, I think most of the cars down pit road had to leave open a little bit of tape because they were going to push water too much. I didn’t see if he was fully taped up or how much tape he had, but I think that’s the idea he had. If you can fully tape up, you’re going to get a little bit of advantage on everybody and the only way you can do that is run low the whole time. Definitely a new strategy, but those guys are fast no matter what. So, it’s not like he snuck up on us. We knew that was going to be one of the cars that could beat us there at the end. It’s something to think about next time we’re here.”

YOU FIND YOURSELF 20-21ST IN THE POINTS WITH A LOT OF GUYS BETWEEN YOU AND THE CUTOFF FOR THE CHASE. DO YOU FEEL PRESSURE TO DO A LITTLE MORE TO GET A GOOD FINISH, A WIN? “Here, there’s no strategy. You just pray that you’re there at the end when it comes down to it. It’s still early in the season. For us, we have had fast racecars every weekend. We’ve had a lot of little mechanical failures. Last week, we missed on a long-run setup a little bit and that’s what killed us at the end. More importantly, we’ve got to keep doing the same things we’re doing and keep improving on it. Obviously, I’m the first to say I’m not happy where we’re at in points. I put a lot of pressure on myself. I don’t have a lot of it from the race team because they know, Roger especially knows, all the things that have happened is why we are where we’re at in points. It’s not indicative of how fast we’ve been and what kind of speed we’ve had this whole year. We’ve just got to put a whole race together. It takes time to do that. Some have been self-induced with mechanical failures. Last week, we know what happened. We missed the setup a little bit on long runs. The more important thing is that we have speed in our racecars. Even when we’re at our worst right now, we’re running 15th or 16th. And when we’re at our best, we’re inside the top five. We just have to keep doing those things and put a whole race together. This weekend, it’s kind of a crapshoot, so whatever happens happens. Next week at Darlington, that’s the focus – keep doing the things we’re doing and keep improving on them.”


Todd Gordon (crew chief, No. 22 Shell/Pennzoil Dodge Charger R/T)
“The impound race here levels out a lot of the qualifying stuff teams can do that we try to stay above board on. I’m proud of the guys. I don’t know where it will stand, but it’s an improvement over where we were at Daytona and something that we can build on. We’ve got to manage water temperature with the heat we have here and the restricted radiator opening. We only had one opportunity to draft yesterday, so it’s a bit of an unknown. It’s the same package we had at Daytona. These two tracks (Daytona and Talladega) are very much alike, so I feel we’ll be all right come drafting time. We just need to take care of our stuff, stay out of trouble and see what we have at the end.”