Saturday, September 10, 2011
Friday, September 9, 2011
Richmond II Qualifying Quotes
AJ Allmendinger, No. 43 Best Buy Ford
Qualified 9th
“It was okay. I really tried to roll into turn one and get a lot of speed and see if I could cut it and get a good run off but I over did it a little bit. I got loose coming to the white. If I could do it over again I would like to but it is what it is. That is alright. We should be around tenth and that is a decent stop to start from.”
***
Marcos Ambrose, No. 9 Stanley Ford
Qualified 33rd
“You know, I am just confused right now. I thought that was better than that. I thought that was a decent lap but turns out that it wasn’t. I don’t really know right now what we need to get better at for tomorrow, but we will get to work on it.”
Credit - Ford Racing
Qualified 9th
“It was okay. I really tried to roll into turn one and get a lot of speed and see if I could cut it and get a good run off but I over did it a little bit. I got loose coming to the white. If I could do it over again I would like to but it is what it is. That is alright. We should be around tenth and that is a decent stop to start from.”
***
Marcos Ambrose, No. 9 Stanley Ford
Qualified 33rd
“You know, I am just confused right now. I thought that was better than that. I thought that was a decent lap but turns out that it wasn’t. I don’t really know right now what we need to get better at for tomorrow, but we will get to work on it.”
Credit - Ford Racing
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Richmond II Race Preview
AJ ALLMENDINGER
No. 43 Best Buy Ford Fusion
• Allmendinger has made nine starts at Richmond (Va.) International Raceway
• Allmendinger enters the race in 13th place in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver point standings
• Allmendinger’s best finish (seventh) at Richmond came in this year’s spring race
Allmendinger’s Thoughts on Richmond and Making the Chase: “We know the chance is still there to make the Chase. It’s still wide -open and if we win, anything can happen after that, but for me, like I said from the beginning, the Chase doesn’t define the season. I’d love to get in the Chase, that’s the ultimate goal, but as a race team we keep getting better and that’s what really matters. If we can go into these last 11 races and get to Homestead and be far better than we were when we started, that is a great season for me and my whole Best Buy team. We’re getting there. We still have a little ways to go, but every week I feel like we improve.”
Allmendinger’s Thoughts on His Team Dynamic: “I feel like we are really clicking as a team. I felt like we legitimately had a top-five car in Richmond, then when we got the damage, that’s what makes a good race team because we fought back. At Michigan we didn’t have a great car but we got an 11th out of it, so it’s things like that where we can go and keep finishing well that makes a good team. That’s where we are as a team right now. We’re about an eighth to a 12th or 13th-place race team, but that’s better than where we had been, so that’s the improvement I’m looking for.”
Crew Chief Greg Erwin’s Keys to Getting Around Richmond: “AJ has been pretty fast and very competitive at Richmond and it has been one of his stronger race tracks the past two years. He’s coming off of a strong finish at Atlanta and that should give him a good boost of momentum going into this weekend. This is a car that has run well at other races this season, so we are looking forward to a good run in the Best Buy Ford this weekend.”
Erwin on Challenges at Richmond: “The hardest thing about Richmond is that at the end of the race it’s hard to be able to keep the rear tires hooked up and be able to stay in the throttle leaving the corner at both ends. Generally the track conditions in practice are not similar to what you experience during the last 100-200 laps at the race and a lot of cars won’t have enough bite or grip in the rear tires and will get really free at the end of the race especially on a long green flag run.”
Chassis History: The No. 43 RPM team has prepared chassis No. 736 for this weekend’s event at Richmond International Raceway. This Best Buy Ford has been run previously this season at Las Vegas, the spring Richmond event, Kansas and New Hampshire.
Notes: Allmendinger has nine NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starts at Richmond International Raceway. Allmendinger’s best starting position (third) came in last year’s fall event and his best finishing position (seventh) came in this year’s spring event at the .75-mile track. He has completed 3,390 of 3,610 laps attempted at the oval, leading one of them.
Can’t get enough of AJ? The Dinger will be appearing at the Best Buy store in Glen Allen, Va. (11200, West Broad Street, Glen Allen, Va., 23060). The appearance is scheduled for Thursday, from 6-8 p.m. ET. In addition, teammate Marcos Ambrose will be joining him from 7-8 p.m. to talk about the Sprint Head-to-Head Racing Challenge, in which AJ and Marcos will compete for a $5,000 contribution on behalf of Sprint for their respective charities. The driver who finishes higher in Richmond’s night race will be considered the winner. AJ will be competing for a donation to Paralyzed Veterans of America and Marcos will be competing for a donation to Victory Junction. The evening’s festivities are open to the public.
The No. 43 Best Buy Ford Fusion will run a special 9/11 tribute paint scheme this weekend in Richmond. The car will be decked out in red, white and blue.
Credit - Richard Petty Motorsports PR
No. 43 Best Buy Ford Fusion
• Allmendinger has made nine starts at Richmond (Va.) International Raceway
• Allmendinger enters the race in 13th place in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver point standings
• Allmendinger’s best finish (seventh) at Richmond came in this year’s spring race
Allmendinger’s Thoughts on Richmond and Making the Chase: “We know the chance is still there to make the Chase. It’s still wide -open and if we win, anything can happen after that, but for me, like I said from the beginning, the Chase doesn’t define the season. I’d love to get in the Chase, that’s the ultimate goal, but as a race team we keep getting better and that’s what really matters. If we can go into these last 11 races and get to Homestead and be far better than we were when we started, that is a great season for me and my whole Best Buy team. We’re getting there. We still have a little ways to go, but every week I feel like we improve.”
Allmendinger’s Thoughts on His Team Dynamic: “I feel like we are really clicking as a team. I felt like we legitimately had a top-five car in Richmond, then when we got the damage, that’s what makes a good race team because we fought back. At Michigan we didn’t have a great car but we got an 11th out of it, so it’s things like that where we can go and keep finishing well that makes a good team. That’s where we are as a team right now. We’re about an eighth to a 12th or 13th-place race team, but that’s better than where we had been, so that’s the improvement I’m looking for.”
Crew Chief Greg Erwin’s Keys to Getting Around Richmond: “AJ has been pretty fast and very competitive at Richmond and it has been one of his stronger race tracks the past two years. He’s coming off of a strong finish at Atlanta and that should give him a good boost of momentum going into this weekend. This is a car that has run well at other races this season, so we are looking forward to a good run in the Best Buy Ford this weekend.”
Erwin on Challenges at Richmond: “The hardest thing about Richmond is that at the end of the race it’s hard to be able to keep the rear tires hooked up and be able to stay in the throttle leaving the corner at both ends. Generally the track conditions in practice are not similar to what you experience during the last 100-200 laps at the race and a lot of cars won’t have enough bite or grip in the rear tires and will get really free at the end of the race especially on a long green flag run.”
Chassis History: The No. 43 RPM team has prepared chassis No. 736 for this weekend’s event at Richmond International Raceway. This Best Buy Ford has been run previously this season at Las Vegas, the spring Richmond event, Kansas and New Hampshire.
Notes: Allmendinger has nine NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starts at Richmond International Raceway. Allmendinger’s best starting position (third) came in last year’s fall event and his best finishing position (seventh) came in this year’s spring event at the .75-mile track. He has completed 3,390 of 3,610 laps attempted at the oval, leading one of them.
Can’t get enough of AJ? The Dinger will be appearing at the Best Buy store in Glen Allen, Va. (11200, West Broad Street, Glen Allen, Va., 23060). The appearance is scheduled for Thursday, from 6-8 p.m. ET. In addition, teammate Marcos Ambrose will be joining him from 7-8 p.m. to talk about the Sprint Head-to-Head Racing Challenge, in which AJ and Marcos will compete for a $5,000 contribution on behalf of Sprint for their respective charities. The driver who finishes higher in Richmond’s night race will be considered the winner. AJ will be competing for a donation to Paralyzed Veterans of America and Marcos will be competing for a donation to Victory Junction. The evening’s festivities are open to the public.
The No. 43 Best Buy Ford Fusion will run a special 9/11 tribute paint scheme this weekend in Richmond. The car will be decked out in red, white and blue.
Credit - Richard Petty Motorsports PR
Photo credit - Richard Petty Motorsports
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
Dinger Fan Story #8
I started following Dinger a couple years ago just before Red Bull fired him. He'd been running better & everyone was talking about him & then they did the stupidest thing ever & dropped him. But I guess it turned out good for Dinger anyway now that Red Bull says they're leaving. And besides I like him with the #43 & Best Buy. I also really like that a lot of times Dinger runs better than Junior. There's a kid in my English class that is a huge #88 fan. He's such a jerk - the kid in my class, not Junior. So I like rubbing it in his face whenever Dinger finishes better. Go 43!
Tyler M.
Charleston, WV
Tyler M.
Charleston, WV
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Atlanta Race Recap
AJ ALLMENDINGER
No. 43 Best Buy Ford Fusion
*AJ Allmendinger started in the 11th position for the 500-mile event at Atlanta Motor Speedway
*Allmendinger took the checkered flag in the 10th position at the 1.54 mile oval in Hampton, Ga.
*Unofficially, Allmendinger sits in 13th place in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver point standings
Race Summary: Though the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series was scheduled to race at Atlanta Motor Speedway on Sunday evening, Mother Nature had other plans. After a day and night of intermittent rain showers, NASCAR officials were forced to postpone the AdvoCare 500 until Tuesday morning. AJ Allmendinger lined up in the 11th position for the start of Tuesday’s race, which was red flagged due to rain on one occasion and was plagued by light rain showers throughout.
Allmendinger took the green flag for the start of the race and though he encountered a tight handling Best Buy Ford in the early laps of the event, by the time the first caution flag flew at Lap 13, he had relayed to his crew that the car’s handling was much improved. That early caution enabled Crew Chief Greg Erwin to make a minor chassis adjustment to the Best Buy Ford and Allmendinger restarted in the 21st spot at Lap 17. Just seven laps later, he had maneuvered his way into ninth place.
Erwin concentrated his efforts on making the car turn better during the first 100 laps of the 325-lap race and Allmendinger held down the fifth spot at that 100-lap mark. Allmendinger communicated to his crew shortly thereafter that the No. 43 Ford was not as good as it had been during the last run and a Lap 130 caution flag allowed Erwin to call his driver into the pits for fresh tires and a track bar adjustment. Jockeying for position on the subsequent restart, Allmendinger and a fellow competitor made contact, which resulted in damage to the left front of the car. The Best Buy Ford fell as far back as 18th before a scheduled pit stop gave the crew the opportunity to make repairs to the car. A caution period several laps after the stop gave the Best Buy Racing crew another chance to make repairs and Allmendinger took the green flag for the restart in 28th.
Allmendinger had worked his way up to 23rd before a short rain shower forced NASCAR officials to park the cars on pit road while track drying efforts were underway. The 500-mile event got going again at Lap 220 and Allmendinger used his skills to pick up five positions on the restart. From there, he began to patiently make his way toward the front and held down 13th place with 75 laps remaining in the event. By the time the checkered flag flew, Allmendinger had driven up to the 10th position.
“I felt like we were a solid top five or top six car early in the going and we just got pounded on that restart,” Allmendinger said after the race. “I’m not sure what happened. Clint (Bowyer) just ran into the back of us. I don’t know if I was spinning the tires and he was ready to go or not, but I got hooked and we got door-slammed by somebody and then from there it was just kind of a fight to get back on it. The left side was crushed in, so the guys did a good job of getting the fenders pushed back out. The crush panel in the rear was destroyed. The car wasn’t the same, but to fight back with 100 laps to go being 28th and to get back to 10th, I was impressed with the whole day.”
The result marked Allmendinger’s fourth top-12 finish in the last four events and moved him up one spot, to 13th, in the Sprint Cup Series driver point standings. With one race to go prior to the start of the Chase for the Sprint Cup, Allmendinger still has an outside shot of making the Chase. The Richard Petty Motorsports driver would have to win this weekend’s event at Richmond (Va.) International Raceway and several other things would need to fall into place, but the possibility for a shot at a run for the championship still exists.
Credit - Richard Petty Motorsports
No. 43 Best Buy Ford Fusion
*Allmendinger took the checkered flag in the 10th position at the 1.54 mile oval in Hampton, Ga.
*Unofficially, Allmendinger sits in 13th place in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver point standings
Race Summary: Though the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series was scheduled to race at Atlanta Motor Speedway on Sunday evening, Mother Nature had other plans. After a day and night of intermittent rain showers, NASCAR officials were forced to postpone the AdvoCare 500 until Tuesday morning. AJ Allmendinger lined up in the 11th position for the start of Tuesday’s race, which was red flagged due to rain on one occasion and was plagued by light rain showers throughout.
Allmendinger took the green flag for the start of the race and though he encountered a tight handling Best Buy Ford in the early laps of the event, by the time the first caution flag flew at Lap 13, he had relayed to his crew that the car’s handling was much improved. That early caution enabled Crew Chief Greg Erwin to make a minor chassis adjustment to the Best Buy Ford and Allmendinger restarted in the 21st spot at Lap 17. Just seven laps later, he had maneuvered his way into ninth place.
Erwin concentrated his efforts on making the car turn better during the first 100 laps of the 325-lap race and Allmendinger held down the fifth spot at that 100-lap mark. Allmendinger communicated to his crew shortly thereafter that the No. 43 Ford was not as good as it had been during the last run and a Lap 130 caution flag allowed Erwin to call his driver into the pits for fresh tires and a track bar adjustment. Jockeying for position on the subsequent restart, Allmendinger and a fellow competitor made contact, which resulted in damage to the left front of the car. The Best Buy Ford fell as far back as 18th before a scheduled pit stop gave the crew the opportunity to make repairs to the car. A caution period several laps after the stop gave the Best Buy Racing crew another chance to make repairs and Allmendinger took the green flag for the restart in 28th.
Allmendinger had worked his way up to 23rd before a short rain shower forced NASCAR officials to park the cars on pit road while track drying efforts were underway. The 500-mile event got going again at Lap 220 and Allmendinger used his skills to pick up five positions on the restart. From there, he began to patiently make his way toward the front and held down 13th place with 75 laps remaining in the event. By the time the checkered flag flew, Allmendinger had driven up to the 10th position.
“I felt like we were a solid top five or top six car early in the going and we just got pounded on that restart,” Allmendinger said after the race. “I’m not sure what happened. Clint (Bowyer) just ran into the back of us. I don’t know if I was spinning the tires and he was ready to go or not, but I got hooked and we got door-slammed by somebody and then from there it was just kind of a fight to get back on it. The left side was crushed in, so the guys did a good job of getting the fenders pushed back out. The crush panel in the rear was destroyed. The car wasn’t the same, but to fight back with 100 laps to go being 28th and to get back to 10th, I was impressed with the whole day.”
The result marked Allmendinger’s fourth top-12 finish in the last four events and moved him up one spot, to 13th, in the Sprint Cup Series driver point standings. With one race to go prior to the start of the Chase for the Sprint Cup, Allmendinger still has an outside shot of making the Chase. The Richard Petty Motorsports driver would have to win this weekend’s event at Richmond (Va.) International Raceway and several other things would need to fall into place, but the possibility for a shot at a run for the championship still exists.
Credit - Richard Petty Motorsports
Atlanta Post-Race Quotes
AJ ALLMENDINGER – No. 43 Best Buy Ford Fusion
Finished 10th
“I felt like we were a solid top five or top six car early in the going and we just got pounded on that restart. I’m not sure what happened. Clint just ran into the back of us. I don’t know if I was spinning the tires and he was ready to go or not, but I got hooked and we got door-slammed by somebody and then from there it was just kind of a fight to get back on it. The whole left side was crushed in, so the guys did a good job of getting the fenders pushed back out. The crush panel in the rear was destroyed. The car wasn’t the same, but to fight back with 100 to go being 28th and to get back to 10th, I was impressed with the whole day.”
THERE IS STILL A SLIM CHANCE A WIN COULD GET YOU A WILD CARD. WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS GOING TO RICHMOND? “We know the chances are still there. It’s still wide-open when it comes to having a chance to go win and anything can happen after that, but, for me, like I said from the beginning, the Chase, for me, doesn’t define the season. I’d love to get in the Chase, that’s the ultimate goal, but as a race team we keep getting better. If we can go into these last 11 races that we have and get to Homestead and be far better than where we started, that, to me, is a great season. We’re getting there. We still have a little ways to go, but every week I feel like we improve.”
YOU’VE HAD FOUR SOLID RACES FINISHING BETWEEN 8TH-12TH. HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT WHERE YOU’RE AT RIGHT NOW AS A TEAM? “That’s right where we are as a race team right now. I felt like we legitimately had a top-five car and then when we got the damage that’s what makes a good race team because we fought back. At Michigan we didn’t have a good car, we got an 11th out of it, so it’s things like that where we can go and keep finishing well. That’s where we are as a team right now. We’re about an eighth to a 12th or 13th-place race team, but that’s better than where we had been, so that’s the improvement I’m looking for. If we can just keep getting there, whether we make the Chase or not, if we can go into those last 10 races and be a legitimate car every weekend that’s running inside the top-10 or top-five – maybe go to a couple tracks like Loudon or Dover and have a chance to win – then I’ll be really happy with the season.”
Credit - Ford Racing
Finished 10th
“I felt like we were a solid top five or top six car early in the going and we just got pounded on that restart. I’m not sure what happened. Clint just ran into the back of us. I don’t know if I was spinning the tires and he was ready to go or not, but I got hooked and we got door-slammed by somebody and then from there it was just kind of a fight to get back on it. The whole left side was crushed in, so the guys did a good job of getting the fenders pushed back out. The crush panel in the rear was destroyed. The car wasn’t the same, but to fight back with 100 to go being 28th and to get back to 10th, I was impressed with the whole day.”
THERE IS STILL A SLIM CHANCE A WIN COULD GET YOU A WILD CARD. WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS GOING TO RICHMOND? “We know the chances are still there. It’s still wide-open when it comes to having a chance to go win and anything can happen after that, but, for me, like I said from the beginning, the Chase, for me, doesn’t define the season. I’d love to get in the Chase, that’s the ultimate goal, but as a race team we keep getting better. If we can go into these last 11 races that we have and get to Homestead and be far better than where we started, that, to me, is a great season. We’re getting there. We still have a little ways to go, but every week I feel like we improve.”
YOU’VE HAD FOUR SOLID RACES FINISHING BETWEEN 8TH-12TH. HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT WHERE YOU’RE AT RIGHT NOW AS A TEAM? “That’s right where we are as a race team right now. I felt like we legitimately had a top-five car and then when we got the damage that’s what makes a good race team because we fought back. At Michigan we didn’t have a good car, we got an 11th out of it, so it’s things like that where we can go and keep finishing well. That’s where we are as a team right now. We’re about an eighth to a 12th or 13th-place race team, but that’s better than where we had been, so that’s the improvement I’m looking for. If we can just keep getting there, whether we make the Chase or not, if we can go into those last 10 races and be a legitimate car every weekend that’s running inside the top-10 or top-five – maybe go to a couple tracks like Loudon or Dover and have a chance to win – then I’ll be really happy with the season.”
Credit - Ford Racing
Sunday, September 4, 2011
Dinger Fan Photo Contest Rules
It’s time for all of you Dinger Fans to step up and show just how much of a fan you are! I am doing a Dinger Fan Photo contest where everyone can send in a photo of either themself or a family member with AJ, or for those who haven’t had a chance to meet the man himself, you can submit a photo of you and all your Dinger gear. Even if you have a photo of just AJ, his car on the track, etc those will also work. Anything showing that you're a Dinger fan as long as it is your original photo.
After photos are posted there will be a voting period where everyone will get the chance to pick the person with the best Dinger Fan Photo. Depending on the number of submissions, the photos may be narrowed down to 10 finalists for voting purposes. The photo receiving the most votes will get the grand prize, which is the choice of either a $50 Best Buy gift card or a 1:24 2011 Best Buy #43 diecast signed by AJ. And since all Dinger fans are winners in my eyes, I will personally be sending out thank you gifts to everyone who submits a photo for the contest.
Starting September 15th I will begin accepting photo submissions by email at dingerworld44@yahoo.com with a subject line of Dinger Fan Photo Submission. Please include your full name and mailing address in the email so I can send your thank you gift. Photos will be accepted until 11:59 pm/et on September 30th. After that all pictures will be posted for the voting process to begin. The winner will be announced on October 15th during the Bank of America 500 at Charlotte
No blatant photo editing is allowed on the submissions and any copyright infringement is prohibited. Just original photos of AJ, his race car, or his fan gear. This contest is run solely by the owner of this website and is not in conjunction with AJ Allmendinger, Walldinger Inc, Richard Petty Motorsports, or Best Buy. The winner of the contest will be picked by popular vote and all decisions are final.
Saturday, September 3, 2011
Atlanta Qualifying Quotes
AJ ALLMENDINGER – No. 43 Best Buy Ford Fusion
Qualified 11th
“I’m a little disappointed with it. Times are so close though. This has never really been my best place to qualify at, so you think it could have been a little bit better. Overall, it was decent. The car has been pretty solid ever since we unloaded, so I think we’ll have a good car for the race. We just needed a little bit more and I think we would have been right there.”
***
MARCOS AMBROSE – No. 9 Kwikset Ford Fusion
Qualified 18th
“We don’t want it to get too cool here because this track is so temperature sensitive. We’re really looking to start decent on Sunday night and give ourselves for that $3 million bucks. We’ve got a good car. You can pass here, but I tell you what, it’s a much easier night if you can start at the front. Tire wear is critical here and you can get in someone else’s trouble in a hurry, so we want to start somewhere in the first 15 if we can.”
Credit - Ford Racing
Qualified 11th
“I’m a little disappointed with it. Times are so close though. This has never really been my best place to qualify at, so you think it could have been a little bit better. Overall, it was decent. The car has been pretty solid ever since we unloaded, so I think we’ll have a good car for the race. We just needed a little bit more and I think we would have been right there.”
***
MARCOS AMBROSE – No. 9 Kwikset Ford Fusion
Qualified 18th
“We don’t want it to get too cool here because this track is so temperature sensitive. We’re really looking to start decent on Sunday night and give ourselves for that $3 million bucks. We’ve got a good car. You can pass here, but I tell you what, it’s a much easier night if you can start at the front. Tire wear is critical here and you can get in someone else’s trouble in a hurry, so we want to start somewhere in the first 15 if we can.”
Credit - Ford Racing
Thursday, September 1, 2011
Atlanta Race Preview
AJ ALLMENDINGER
No. 43 Best Buy Ford Fusion
• Allmendinger has made six starts at Atlanta Motor Speedway
• Allmendinger enters Atlanta in 14th place in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver point standings
• Allmendinger’s best finish (sixth) at the 1.54-mile oval came in 2010
Allmendinger on Atlanta Motor Speedway: “Atlanta is fun and it’s fast; it’s probably my favorite 1.5-mile track. Atlanta doesn't have a lot of grip, so the car slides around a lot, which makes it fun for me to drive. I think I have better finishes at Atlanta than I do at any other 1.5-mile track. Tires go away quickly so the car starts to slide around pretty early in a run. With the grip on the tires going away so quickly I’ll have to figure out where I want to run on the track, and I typically like running on the bottom better at Atlanta.
“I’m going to need a fast Best Buy Ford this weekend. The track is slick so we’re going to have to make sure the car isn’t too loose going into the corner, but still loose enough so it will turn well in the center, since the front tires don’t usually have a lot of grip. Our goal is to try and win this weekend. If we can win, then I think we can get into the Chase. I’m also looking forward to
going to Atlanta for the first time with Greg (Erwin) as my crew chief. He’s good at 1.5-mile tracks and I’m excited to see what I can learn from him this weekend.”
Crew Chief Greg Erwin’s Thoughts on Racing at Atlanta: “Atlanta is another race track for us to visit for the first time this year. I think it’s going to be kind of difficult since that track is one of the oldies, but goodies, and it ages quite a bit each year. It seems to get rougher every year we go back. We are running our Indianapolis car and we had a good run with it there, so we feel good about having that Best Buy Ford heading into this weekend. Atlanta is a track where AJ typically runs well so that also gives us some confidence going into Sunday night’s race.
“The biggest challenge is going to be getting our car setup in one practice session. The early evening session on Friday will be the practice session that will most mimic the race conditions we’ll see Sunday evening with track temperature. The afternoon session we have on Saturday won’t do us much good since the track will cool down 15-20 degrees on Sunday evening from
what it was in practice Saturday. Friday is going to be the only time for us to get a good read on what kind of a car we have. The important thing is going to be having a Best Buy car that is really fast right off of the truck.”
Chassis History: The No. 43 Richard Petty Motorsports team has prepared chassis No. 752 for this weekend’s event at Atlanta Motor Speedway. This Best Buy Ford has been run previously this season at Texas, Charlotte and Indianapolis.
Notes: Allmendinger has six NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starts at Atlanta Motor Speedway and has completed 1,973 of 1,975 laps at the 1.54-mile track. He has an average finishing position of 15.2 at the Hampton, Ga. Speedway. Allmendinger enters Atlanta in 14th place in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver point standings.
Don’t miss your chance to meet AJ. The Dinger and Miss Sprint Cup will be appearing at the Best Buy store in Peachtree City, Ga. (2703 West Highway 54, Peachtree City, Ga., 30269). The appearance is scheduled for Thursday, Sept. 1, from 6-8 p.m. ET and is open to the public.
Can’t get enough of the Dinger? AJ will be signing autographs at the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series autograph session at Atlanta Motor Speedway on Friday from 3-4 p.m. in the concourse underneath the Earnhardt grandstands.
Credit - Richard Petty Motorsports PR
No. 43 Best Buy Ford Fusion
• Allmendinger has made six starts at Atlanta Motor Speedway
• Allmendinger enters Atlanta in 14th place in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver point standings
• Allmendinger’s best finish (sixth) at the 1.54-mile oval came in 2010
Allmendinger on Atlanta Motor Speedway: “Atlanta is fun and it’s fast; it’s probably my favorite 1.5-mile track. Atlanta doesn't have a lot of grip, so the car slides around a lot, which makes it fun for me to drive. I think I have better finishes at Atlanta than I do at any other 1.5-mile track. Tires go away quickly so the car starts to slide around pretty early in a run. With the grip on the tires going away so quickly I’ll have to figure out where I want to run on the track, and I typically like running on the bottom better at Atlanta.
“I’m going to need a fast Best Buy Ford this weekend. The track is slick so we’re going to have to make sure the car isn’t too loose going into the corner, but still loose enough so it will turn well in the center, since the front tires don’t usually have a lot of grip. Our goal is to try and win this weekend. If we can win, then I think we can get into the Chase. I’m also looking forward to
going to Atlanta for the first time with Greg (Erwin) as my crew chief. He’s good at 1.5-mile tracks and I’m excited to see what I can learn from him this weekend.”
Crew Chief Greg Erwin’s Thoughts on Racing at Atlanta: “Atlanta is another race track for us to visit for the first time this year. I think it’s going to be kind of difficult since that track is one of the oldies, but goodies, and it ages quite a bit each year. It seems to get rougher every year we go back. We are running our Indianapolis car and we had a good run with it there, so we feel good about having that Best Buy Ford heading into this weekend. Atlanta is a track where AJ typically runs well so that also gives us some confidence going into Sunday night’s race.
“The biggest challenge is going to be getting our car setup in one practice session. The early evening session on Friday will be the practice session that will most mimic the race conditions we’ll see Sunday evening with track temperature. The afternoon session we have on Saturday won’t do us much good since the track will cool down 15-20 degrees on Sunday evening from
what it was in practice Saturday. Friday is going to be the only time for us to get a good read on what kind of a car we have. The important thing is going to be having a Best Buy car that is really fast right off of the truck.”
Chassis History: The No. 43 Richard Petty Motorsports team has prepared chassis No. 752 for this weekend’s event at Atlanta Motor Speedway. This Best Buy Ford has been run previously this season at Texas, Charlotte and Indianapolis.
Notes: Allmendinger has six NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starts at Atlanta Motor Speedway and has completed 1,973 of 1,975 laps at the 1.54-mile track. He has an average finishing position of 15.2 at the Hampton, Ga. Speedway. Allmendinger enters Atlanta in 14th place in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver point standings.
Don’t miss your chance to meet AJ. The Dinger and Miss Sprint Cup will be appearing at the Best Buy store in Peachtree City, Ga. (2703 West Highway 54, Peachtree City, Ga., 30269). The appearance is scheduled for Thursday, Sept. 1, from 6-8 p.m. ET and is open to the public.
Can’t get enough of the Dinger? AJ will be signing autographs at the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series autograph session at Atlanta Motor Speedway on Friday from 3-4 p.m. in the concourse underneath the Earnhardt grandstands.
Credit - Richard Petty Motorsports PR
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