AJ ALLMENDINGER (No 44 Dassault Systemes Dodge Charger)
Starting 12th (Previously 13th*)
"We got real loose coming to the green which hurt me a bit. Overall, I was happy with the lap. We made the car better from practice and it seems pretty quick in race trim. It's just too bad that we got loose because it really killed our RPMs."
KASEY KAHNE (No. 9 Budweiser Dodge Charger)
Starting 25th (Previously 26th*)
"Our lap was OK in our Budweiser Dodge. I over drove Turn 1 and kind of screwed that up. I think that I was decent in (Turns) 3 & 4. I felt pretty competitive there. We picked up from where we were in practice and that will get us a little bit better. It's still not going to be much of a lap."
REED SORENSON (No. 43 Rosie’s Organic Chicken Dodge Charger)
Starting 28th (Previously 29th*)
“It was alright. We have a little different package this weekend that we’re trying out. I think that we were 19th in practice, but felt that our car was better than that to be honest. I just think we missed our qualifying setup a little bit today.”
ELLIOTT SADLER (No. 19 Stanley Dodge Charger)
Starting 39th (Previously 40th*)
"Just disappointing. The No. 19 Stanley Dodge was hitting the race track in the corner and the car wouldn't turn the way we hoped it would. We'll get back to work on it and do our best to make it better for Sunday."
*David Reutimann originally qualified 2nd, but his time was disallowed after post-qualifying inspection showed too much pressure in a rear shock. Everyone else will move up in the qualifying order, and Reutimann will start 42nd. No other penalties are expected.
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Fontana II Qualifying Results
Pepsi 500 Starting Lineup
1. Denny Hamlin
2. Greg Biffle
3. Jimmie Johnson
4. Juan Pablo Montoya
5. Martin Truex, Jr.
6. Joey Logano
7. Kevin Harvick
8. Clint Bowyer
9. Mark Martin
10. Jeff Gordon
11. Carl Edwards
12. AJ Allmendinger
13. Joe Nemechek
14. David Stremme
15. Max Papis
16. Casey Mears
17. Matt Kenseth
18. Jeff Burton
19. Kyle Busch
20. Tony Stewart
21. Scott Speed
22. Sam Hornish, Jr.
23. Mike Bliss
24. Kurt Busch
25. Kasey Kahne
26. Regan Smith
27. Marcos Ambrose
28. Reed Sorenson
29. Jamie McMurray
30. David Gilliland
31. David Ragan
32. Brian Vickers
33. Dave Blaney
34. Michael Waltrip
35. Bobby Labonte
36. Ryan Newman
37. Dale Earnhardt, Jr.
38. Robby Gordon
39. Elliott Sadler
40. John Andretti
41. Paul Menard
42. David Reutimann (Originally qualified 2nd, but his time was disallowed)
43. Michael McDowell
DNQ Tony Raines
DNQ Mike Wallace
1. Denny Hamlin
2. Greg Biffle
3. Jimmie Johnson
4. Juan Pablo Montoya
5. Martin Truex, Jr.
6. Joey Logano
7. Kevin Harvick
8. Clint Bowyer
9. Mark Martin
10. Jeff Gordon
11. Carl Edwards
12. AJ Allmendinger
13. Joe Nemechek
14. David Stremme
15. Max Papis
16. Casey Mears
17. Matt Kenseth
18. Jeff Burton
19. Kyle Busch
20. Tony Stewart
21. Scott Speed
22. Sam Hornish, Jr.
23. Mike Bliss
24. Kurt Busch
25. Kasey Kahne
26. Regan Smith
27. Marcos Ambrose
28. Reed Sorenson
29. Jamie McMurray
30. David Gilliland
31. David Ragan
32. Brian Vickers
33. Dave Blaney
34. Michael Waltrip
35. Bobby Labonte
36. Ryan Newman
37. Dale Earnhardt, Jr.
38. Robby Gordon
39. Elliott Sadler
40. John Andretti
41. Paul Menard
42. David Reutimann (Originally qualified 2nd, but his time was disallowed)
43. Michael McDowell
DNQ Tony Raines
DNQ Mike Wallace
Friday, October 9, 2009
Fontana II Statistics
AJ Allmendinger has a history of great qualifying efforts at Auto Club Speedway in his home state of California. This is the track where he put in his best qualifying effort to date in the Fall race last year. He started outside of Jimmie Johnson on the front row, and capitalized on the excellent track position to stay in the top 10 for much of the race and bring the #84 Red Bull car home in 14th position.
This time around he is with a new team, but hopes for another great starting spot and an even better finish for Richard Petty Motorsports. The #44 team struggled in the February race, but have made great strides throughout the year on the intermediate tracks. AJ is carrying 3D software innovator Dassault Systemes on the car this weekend for their first foray as a primary sponsor. Hopefully he will put their car safely at the front of the field and stay there all race long.
Average starting spot - 9th
Average finish - 20th
February 2007
Did Not Qualify
September 2007
Started 18th, Finished 18th
February 2008
Did Not Qualify (Rained Out)
August 2008
Started 2nd, Finished 14th
February 2009
Started 8th, Finished 29th
This time around he is with a new team, but hopes for another great starting spot and an even better finish for Richard Petty Motorsports. The #44 team struggled in the February race, but have made great strides throughout the year on the intermediate tracks. AJ is carrying 3D software innovator Dassault Systemes on the car this weekend for their first foray as a primary sponsor. Hopefully he will put their car safely at the front of the field and stay there all race long.
Average starting spot - 9th
Average finish - 20th
February 2007
Did Not Qualify
September 2007
Started 18th, Finished 18th
February 2008
Did Not Qualify (Rained Out)
August 2008
Started 2nd, Finished 14th
February 2009
Started 8th, Finished 29th
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Fontana II Preview
AJ Allmendinger returns to California Speedway this weekend for the 500-mile NASCAR Sprint Cup race in Fontana. The Los Gatos, Calif. native has scored the 15th most points of any driver in the last three races. Allmendinger started second and finished 14th in this race last year. He’ll drive the No. 44 Dassault Systemes Dodge for Richard Petty Motorsports.
CALIFORNIA SPEEDWAY— “You always want to do well in front of your family and friends. That’s what this weekend will be for me out in California and the next weekend will be for everyone in our sport when we race in Charlotte. It’s like having back-to-back home games if you are a football team. At least I’ll get a few more cheers during driver introductions in California. I’ve had a little bit of success at California Speedway. Nothing spectacular, but enough to where I know we can get done what we need to get done. I’d love to qualify second again, but I’ll take anywhere in the top 15. As good as our pit stops have been of late and if we can run like I think we will then we should have a pretty good day on Sunday."
Dassault Systemes (pronounced: duh-so-Systemes) is the second largest software company in Europe specializing in software that allows companies to create in 3-D. The Petty team along with nearly all Formula One teams use the Paris-based company’s software to design cars and components in virtual reality.“If you ever get to see some of the software Dassault has created you’ll know how high tech and how cool this company really is. You can’t walk through our engineering shop without seeing the engineers working on some part of our cars in 3-D or virtual reality,” said Allmendinger.
*Sunday marks Allmendinger’s 74th start in Sprint Cup racing.
*Follow Allmendinger and other Petty drivers at @rpmotorsports on Twitter.
*In just 34 races with the Petty team, Allmendinger has posted four of his best five career finishes.
CALIFORNIA SPEEDWAY— “You always want to do well in front of your family and friends. That’s what this weekend will be for me out in California and the next weekend will be for everyone in our sport when we race in Charlotte. It’s like having back-to-back home games if you are a football team. At least I’ll get a few more cheers during driver introductions in California. I’ve had a little bit of success at California Speedway. Nothing spectacular, but enough to where I know we can get done what we need to get done. I’d love to qualify second again, but I’ll take anywhere in the top 15. As good as our pit stops have been of late and if we can run like I think we will then we should have a pretty good day on Sunday."
Dassault Systemes (pronounced: duh-so-Systemes) is the second largest software company in Europe specializing in software that allows companies to create in 3-D. The Petty team along with nearly all Formula One teams use the Paris-based company’s software to design cars and components in virtual reality.“If you ever get to see some of the software Dassault has created you’ll know how high tech and how cool this company really is. You can’t walk through our engineering shop without seeing the engineers working on some part of our cars in 3-D or virtual reality,” said Allmendinger.
*Sunday marks Allmendinger’s 74th start in Sprint Cup racing.
*Follow Allmendinger and other Petty drivers at @rpmotorsports on Twitter.
*In just 34 races with the Petty team, Allmendinger has posted four of his best five career finishes.
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Kansas Post-race Quotes
KASEY KAHNE (No. 9 Budweiser Dodge Charger)
Finished 6th
"The Budweiser Dodge was pretty decent. We got off a little bit, but the last two runs, last 100 laps, we were a top three or four car. The two tires didn't help us at the end. We thought more would take two. It seemed to work for some earlier in the race. Looking back, we probably should have taken four. Maybe we could have been top five with four. We decided on that together. We had a good car all day. We got behind there at one point, but fought back and got the Budweiser Dodge where it needed to be. We weren't that good on restarts; it just takes my car too long to get going, so the late cautions didn't help. Other than that, we had a solid day. We've always run pretty strong in all these Chase races and have pretty good cars this time of the year. I think we should be good in the final seven races. We're definitely a ways back (in the Chase point standings), but we gained a little today. It was an all-right day. This is a really good team. They do a great job. Last week, we fought hard and got eighth. This week, we actually had a good car. It's just tough battling all those guys, they run so good. California is another good track for us, a track we're pretty good at. We'll try to be solid top-10 again."
KENNY FRANCIS (Crew Chief, No. 9 Budweiser Dodge Charger)
"We had a decent finish. The Budweiser Dodge ended up sixth. The guys worked hard today. Kasey worked hard driving the car. It came down to strategy there at the end. It's tough to know what to do. Two tires had worked good for a lot of guys all day. We hadn't tried it all day, but thought, well, let's go ahead and try it even though there were a lot of laps left. It got us up front track-position wise. We had been running third to fourth and that moved us up to second. Too many of the others took four and they just overtook us. Sixth place is a real good finish for the Budweiser Dodge. We're happy with that. We had a little problem with debris that caused the car to overheat a little early. We finally got tape off and then it run too cool. That hurt us a little bit. The guys did a real good job. The car handled pretty good all day. The motor
ran pretty good all day. All in all, it was a good day. It's tough when you get up there in front. I figured more would take two. I thought for sure some of the guys in the back would take two, but it didn't happen. That was a lot of laps to take two tires. We tried two. It was a good finish for us."
AJ ALLMENDINGER (No. 44 Valvoline Dodge Charger)
Finished 17th
"Well, as bad as we struggled in practice on Saturday, I knew we had our work cut out for us today and we didn't run too bad. We struggled at the start of every run and then it would get going. The track was pretty tough today with the seams but we got a decent finish out of it."
ELLIOTT SADLER (No. 19 Best Buy Dodge Charger)
Finished 20th
"That was some day. Our Dodge dodged wrecks all afternoon but we made it through. We are getting better and better each week. I think Wally Rodgers and I are making progress and that's showing in our results. Today was about survival. When you start 42nd and finish in the top 20 you have done something in this sport."
REED SORENSON (No. 43 McDonald's Monopoly Dodge Charger)
Finished 26th
"That was a tough race for us. We struggled with the handling. It seemed like everything we threw at it didn't help. We were just so loose at times I couldn't drive it and did all I could not to wreck. Kansas is a pretty tough track."
Credit: Richard Petty Motorsports PR
Finished 6th
"The Budweiser Dodge was pretty decent. We got off a little bit, but the last two runs, last 100 laps, we were a top three or four car. The two tires didn't help us at the end. We thought more would take two. It seemed to work for some earlier in the race. Looking back, we probably should have taken four. Maybe we could have been top five with four. We decided on that together. We had a good car all day. We got behind there at one point, but fought back and got the Budweiser Dodge where it needed to be. We weren't that good on restarts; it just takes my car too long to get going, so the late cautions didn't help. Other than that, we had a solid day. We've always run pretty strong in all these Chase races and have pretty good cars this time of the year. I think we should be good in the final seven races. We're definitely a ways back (in the Chase point standings), but we gained a little today. It was an all-right day. This is a really good team. They do a great job. Last week, we fought hard and got eighth. This week, we actually had a good car. It's just tough battling all those guys, they run so good. California is another good track for us, a track we're pretty good at. We'll try to be solid top-10 again."
KENNY FRANCIS (Crew Chief, No. 9 Budweiser Dodge Charger)
"We had a decent finish. The Budweiser Dodge ended up sixth. The guys worked hard today. Kasey worked hard driving the car. It came down to strategy there at the end. It's tough to know what to do. Two tires had worked good for a lot of guys all day. We hadn't tried it all day, but thought, well, let's go ahead and try it even though there were a lot of laps left. It got us up front track-position wise. We had been running third to fourth and that moved us up to second. Too many of the others took four and they just overtook us. Sixth place is a real good finish for the Budweiser Dodge. We're happy with that. We had a little problem with debris that caused the car to overheat a little early. We finally got tape off and then it run too cool. That hurt us a little bit. The guys did a real good job. The car handled pretty good all day. The motor
ran pretty good all day. All in all, it was a good day. It's tough when you get up there in front. I figured more would take two. I thought for sure some of the guys in the back would take two, but it didn't happen. That was a lot of laps to take two tires. We tried two. It was a good finish for us."
AJ ALLMENDINGER (No. 44 Valvoline Dodge Charger)
Finished 17th
"Well, as bad as we struggled in practice on Saturday, I knew we had our work cut out for us today and we didn't run too bad. We struggled at the start of every run and then it would get going. The track was pretty tough today with the seams but we got a decent finish out of it."
ELLIOTT SADLER (No. 19 Best Buy Dodge Charger)
Finished 20th
"That was some day. Our Dodge dodged wrecks all afternoon but we made it through. We are getting better and better each week. I think Wally Rodgers and I are making progress and that's showing in our results. Today was about survival. When you start 42nd and finish in the top 20 you have done something in this sport."
REED SORENSON (No. 43 McDonald's Monopoly Dodge Charger)
Finished 26th
"That was a tough race for us. We struggled with the handling. It seemed like everything we threw at it didn't help. We were just so loose at times I couldn't drive it and did all I could not to wreck. Kansas is a pretty tough track."
Credit: Richard Petty Motorsports PR
Kansas Results
Price Chopper 400 Finishing Order
1. Tony Stewart
2. Jeff Gordon
3. Greg Biffle
4. Juan Pablo Montoya
5. Denny Hamlin
6. Kasey Kahne
7. Mark Martin
8. David Reutimann
9. Jimmie Johnson
10. Carl Edwards
11. Kurt Busch
12. Kyle Busch
13. Brad Keselowski
14. Marcos Ambrose
15. Casey Mears
16. Martin Truex, Jr.
17. AJ Allmendinger
18. Sam Hornish, Jr.
19. Bill Elliott
20. Elliott Sadler
21. Clint Bowyer
22. Ryan Newman
23. Jeff Burton
24. Kevin Harvick
25. David Stremme
26. Reed Sorenson
27. Scott Speed
28. Joey Logano
29. Erik Darnell
30. Paul Menard
31. Jamie McMurray
32. Max Papis
33. John Andretti
34. Robby Gordon
35. David Ragan
36. Dale Earnhardt, Jr.
37. Brian Vickers
38. Michael Waltrip
39. Matt Kenseth
40. Dave Blaney
41. Mike Bliss
42. Joe Nemechek
43. Bobby Labonte
1. Tony Stewart
2. Jeff Gordon
3. Greg Biffle
4. Juan Pablo Montoya
5. Denny Hamlin
6. Kasey Kahne
7. Mark Martin
8. David Reutimann
9. Jimmie Johnson
10. Carl Edwards
11. Kurt Busch
12. Kyle Busch
13. Brad Keselowski
14. Marcos Ambrose
15. Casey Mears
16. Martin Truex, Jr.
17. AJ Allmendinger
18. Sam Hornish, Jr.
19. Bill Elliott
20. Elliott Sadler
21. Clint Bowyer
22. Ryan Newman
23. Jeff Burton
24. Kevin Harvick
25. David Stremme
26. Reed Sorenson
27. Scott Speed
28. Joey Logano
29. Erik Darnell
30. Paul Menard
31. Jamie McMurray
32. Max Papis
33. John Andretti
34. Robby Gordon
35. David Ragan
36. Dale Earnhardt, Jr.
37. Brian Vickers
38. Michael Waltrip
39. Matt Kenseth
40. Dave Blaney
41. Mike Bliss
42. Joe Nemechek
43. Bobby Labonte
Saturday, October 3, 2009
Kansas Post-Qualifying Quotes
KASEY KAHNE (No. 9 Budweiser Dodge Charger)
Qualified 6th
"We picked up over a second from practice which is really good. We didn't make enough qualifying runs in practice today to really know where to be because we wanted to work on the race package for Sunday. I was bouncing a little bit too much getting into Turn 3 over the bumps and missed the corner. Otherwise, I think that we would have had a great shot at the pole."
HOW MUCH OF THAT WAS DUE TO THE WIND? "It was really the car. We just didn't make enough qualifying runs to figure out how to get the splitter off the track. It still was a really good lap. The wind didn't affect me too much."
QUALIFYING IS SO IMPORTANT HERE: "Yeah, starting in the top 10 here is awesome. I had a really good practice; we just didn't make that qualifying run which made us look bad."
WHERE DO YOU HAVE TO MAKE YOUR CAR BETTER FOR SUNDAY? "I think that it will be a lot different tomorrow if the wind isn't as bad. As of today, we just need to work on the exit of the corner."
***
AJ ALLMENDINGER (No 44 Valvoline Dodge Charger)
Qualified 15th
"We didn't start off really well in race trim. Hopefully, some of the things that we learned in qualifying trim will help us tomorrow. The conditions were really tough today. You really didn't know what to expect. Some guys that you expect to go really fast didn't. I may have left just a little bit out there.
I was just a little too tight in the center of the corner. Everybody on the 44 team is really working hard and it's been getting better. Hopefully, we got the monkey off our back last weekend and we can build off our qualifying run on Sunday."
***
REED SORENSON (No. 43 McDonald's Monopoly Dodge Charger)
Qualified 28th
"We'll be OK. Trying to figure out this track will be a key. We were OK in race trim during practice, but just fought the car all day. The pace slows down a lot here during the race. If you have a good car, you can make up some ground."
***
ELLIOTT SADLER (No. 19 Best Buy Dodge Charger)
Qualified 42nd
"We were just off on our qualifying setup. We didn't spend a lot of time in qualifying trim earlier in practice so it wasn't a big surprise that we were off a bit. We were pretty good in race trim in practice, so we should be okay for the race, but we have a lot of cars to pass."
Credit: Dodge Motorsports
Qualified 6th
"We picked up over a second from practice which is really good. We didn't make enough qualifying runs in practice today to really know where to be because we wanted to work on the race package for Sunday. I was bouncing a little bit too much getting into Turn 3 over the bumps and missed the corner. Otherwise, I think that we would have had a great shot at the pole."
HOW MUCH OF THAT WAS DUE TO THE WIND? "It was really the car. We just didn't make enough qualifying runs to figure out how to get the splitter off the track. It still was a really good lap. The wind didn't affect me too much."
QUALIFYING IS SO IMPORTANT HERE: "Yeah, starting in the top 10 here is awesome. I had a really good practice; we just didn't make that qualifying run which made us look bad."
WHERE DO YOU HAVE TO MAKE YOUR CAR BETTER FOR SUNDAY? "I think that it will be a lot different tomorrow if the wind isn't as bad. As of today, we just need to work on the exit of the corner."
***
AJ ALLMENDINGER (No 44 Valvoline Dodge Charger)
Qualified 15th
"We didn't start off really well in race trim. Hopefully, some of the things that we learned in qualifying trim will help us tomorrow. The conditions were really tough today. You really didn't know what to expect. Some guys that you expect to go really fast didn't. I may have left just a little bit out there.
I was just a little too tight in the center of the corner. Everybody on the 44 team is really working hard and it's been getting better. Hopefully, we got the monkey off our back last weekend and we can build off our qualifying run on Sunday."
***
REED SORENSON (No. 43 McDonald's Monopoly Dodge Charger)
Qualified 28th
"We'll be OK. Trying to figure out this track will be a key. We were OK in race trim during practice, but just fought the car all day. The pace slows down a lot here during the race. If you have a good car, you can make up some ground."
***
ELLIOTT SADLER (No. 19 Best Buy Dodge Charger)
Qualified 42nd
"We were just off on our qualifying setup. We didn't spend a lot of time in qualifying trim earlier in practice so it wasn't a big surprise that we were off a bit. We were pretty good in race trim in practice, so we should be okay for the race, but we have a lot of cars to pass."
Credit: Dodge Motorsports
Kansas Qualifying Results
Price Chopper 400 Starting Lineup
1. Mark Martin
2. Dale Earnhardt, Jr.
3. Brad Keselowski
4. Jamie McMurray
5. Tony Stewart
6. Kasey Kahne
7. Joe Nemechek
8. Clint Bowyer
9. Jeff Gordon
10. Scott Speed
11. Jimmie Johnson
12. Brian Vickers
13. David Reutimann
14. Juan Pablo Montoya
15. AJ Allmendinger
16. Bill Elliott
17. Carl Edwards
18. Joey Logano
19. Mike Bliss
20. Paul Menard
21. Martin Truex, Jr.
22. Denny Hamlin
23. Matt Kenseth
24. Dave Blaney
25. David Ragan
26. Bobby Labonte
27. Marcos Ambrose
28. Reed Sorenson
29. Michael Waltrip
30. Ryan Newman
31. Greg Biffle
32. David Stremme
33. Sam Hornish, Jr.
34. Kyle Busch
35. Jeff Burton
36. Casey Mears
37. Robby Gordon
38. Kevin Harvick
39. Kurt Busch
40. John Andretti
41. Erik Darnell
42. Elliott Sadler
43. Max Papis
DNQ David Gilliland
DNQ Michael McDowell
DNQ Kevin Hamlin
1. Mark Martin
2. Dale Earnhardt, Jr.
3. Brad Keselowski
4. Jamie McMurray
5. Tony Stewart
6. Kasey Kahne
7. Joe Nemechek
8. Clint Bowyer
9. Jeff Gordon
10. Scott Speed
11. Jimmie Johnson
12. Brian Vickers
13. David Reutimann
14. Juan Pablo Montoya
15. AJ Allmendinger
16. Bill Elliott
17. Carl Edwards
18. Joey Logano
19. Mike Bliss
20. Paul Menard
21. Martin Truex, Jr.
22. Denny Hamlin
23. Matt Kenseth
24. Dave Blaney
25. David Ragan
26. Bobby Labonte
27. Marcos Ambrose
28. Reed Sorenson
29. Michael Waltrip
30. Ryan Newman
31. Greg Biffle
32. David Stremme
33. Sam Hornish, Jr.
34. Kyle Busch
35. Jeff Burton
36. Casey Mears
37. Robby Gordon
38. Kevin Harvick
39. Kurt Busch
40. John Andretti
41. Erik Darnell
42. Elliott Sadler
43. Max Papis
DNQ David Gilliland
DNQ Michael McDowell
DNQ Kevin Hamlin
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Kansas Statistics
AJ only has one prior start at the multi-groove Kansas Speedway. Both Red Bull cars missed the race in 2007. However, despite never having turned more than a handful of practice laps on the 1 1/2 mile oval, AJ managed to qualify the #84 Toyota in the 14th position in 2008 and brought it home in a season best 9th place.
For those that may not remember, that outing at Kansas marked AJ's last run with the Jimmy Elledge led Red Bull team after being unceremoniously ousted from the program before season's end. Deciding not to offer AJ a contract for 2009 apparently meant the company wanted to build for the next year with incoming Cup rookie Scott Speed. So despite still having a handful of races scheduled with the team, Red Bull cut AJ from the program altogether and left him standing on the sidelines looking for a ride.
With all of that going on, AJ managed to keep true to his nature and drove his hardest to get his crew the finish they deserved. The 84 team was only 11 points ahead of the top 35 cut off going into the race, and knowing that he was no longer welcome by the company, AJ could have easily sabotaged the team's efforts by dropping the car outside that magical line. Instead, he drove the car up into the top 5 in the beginning laps of the race. Then instead of losing heart after a pit road violation sent him clear back to 29th place, AJ rallied back to a top 10 finish. His efforts put the 84 team up to 33rd place in the owner's points standings and gave them a cushion so AJ's replacement wouldn't have to qualify on time.
Now AJ is heading back to the versatile Kansas track on the heels of a strong 7th place run at Dover. After only logging two top ten finishes with Team Red Bull, the California native is now trying for his fifth top ten of the season with Richard Petty Motorsports, a team with which he has earned four of the five best finishes in his career to date. Look for AJ to be strong this weekend.
For those that may not remember, that outing at Kansas marked AJ's last run with the Jimmy Elledge led Red Bull team after being unceremoniously ousted from the program before season's end. Deciding not to offer AJ a contract for 2009 apparently meant the company wanted to build for the next year with incoming Cup rookie Scott Speed. So despite still having a handful of races scheduled with the team, Red Bull cut AJ from the program altogether and left him standing on the sidelines looking for a ride.
With all of that going on, AJ managed to keep true to his nature and drove his hardest to get his crew the finish they deserved. The 84 team was only 11 points ahead of the top 35 cut off going into the race, and knowing that he was no longer welcome by the company, AJ could have easily sabotaged the team's efforts by dropping the car outside that magical line. Instead, he drove the car up into the top 5 in the beginning laps of the race. Then instead of losing heart after a pit road violation sent him clear back to 29th place, AJ rallied back to a top 10 finish. His efforts put the 84 team up to 33rd place in the owner's points standings and gave them a cushion so AJ's replacement wouldn't have to qualify on time.
Now AJ is heading back to the versatile Kansas track on the heels of a strong 7th place run at Dover. After only logging two top ten finishes with Team Red Bull, the California native is now trying for his fifth top ten of the season with Richard Petty Motorsports, a team with which he has earned four of the five best finishes in his career to date. Look for AJ to be strong this weekend.
Kansas Preview
Sunday's seventh-place finish at Dover is AJ Allmendinger's best career finish outside a restrictor plate track or road course. It marked his fourth top-10 of the season and the third consecutive race he has raced inside the top-10 for a significant portion of the laps. This weekend, the Richard Petty Motorsports driver races the No. 44 Valvoline Dodge at Kansas Speedway where he finished ninth last year.
DOVER -- "We were pretty happy with the result. I wouldn't say I was surprised. If you go back and look at the last several races we have run really well until something weird happened at the end. (Crew Chief) Mike (Shiplett) and I are getting better each race. When we get to the track on Fridays we think we are a top 10 car and that's been true over the last few races. Sunday at Dover was the first time we've been able to turn a top-10 car into a top -10 finish. But, I think you are going to see more and more of that in the coming races. A run like we had at Dover gets you excited about going to the track. I think we'd race today if NASCAR would let us. It's cool to see the hard work paying off."
KANSAS -- "Kansas has been good to me. We ran pretty well there last year. I'm even more excited this time knowing the kind of cars and crew I have with me now. This is the best team I've raced with and I know we'll have good stuff this weekend. On Sunday I'll have one of the best pit crews in the sport. We probably passed a half dozen cars in the pits at Dover and I have no reason to doubt we can do that again in Kansas."
* Allmendinger will sign autographs at his www.ajallmendinger.com merchandise hauler at 9:45 a.m. at Kansas on Sunday.
* Sunday marks Allmendinger's 73rd start in Sprint Cup racing.
* In just 33 races with the Petty team, Allmendinger has posted four of his best five career finishes.
Credit: Richard Petty Motorsports PR
DOVER -- "We were pretty happy with the result. I wouldn't say I was surprised. If you go back and look at the last several races we have run really well until something weird happened at the end. (Crew Chief) Mike (Shiplett) and I are getting better each race. When we get to the track on Fridays we think we are a top 10 car and that's been true over the last few races. Sunday at Dover was the first time we've been able to turn a top-10 car into a top -10 finish. But, I think you are going to see more and more of that in the coming races. A run like we had at Dover gets you excited about going to the track. I think we'd race today if NASCAR would let us. It's cool to see the hard work paying off."
KANSAS -- "Kansas has been good to me. We ran pretty well there last year. I'm even more excited this time knowing the kind of cars and crew I have with me now. This is the best team I've raced with and I know we'll have good stuff this weekend. On Sunday I'll have one of the best pit crews in the sport. We probably passed a half dozen cars in the pits at Dover and I have no reason to doubt we can do that again in Kansas."
* Allmendinger will sign autographs at his www.ajallmendinger.com merchandise hauler at 9:45 a.m. at Kansas on Sunday.
* Sunday marks Allmendinger's 73rd start in Sprint Cup racing.
* In just 33 races with the Petty team, Allmendinger has posted four of his best five career finishes.
Credit: Richard Petty Motorsports PR
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