ALL-IN FOR ALLMENDINGER AT THE GLEN

A.J. Allmendinger

Aug. 6, 2015 – Road course maven AJ Allmendinger provided arguably the most feel-good moment of the 2014 season when he won at Watkins Glen. The victory – the first for Allmendinger and JTG Daugherty Racing – secured the single-car team a berth in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup.

Sunday’s Cheez-It 335 at The Glen may be Allmendinger’s last legitimate shot to make NASCAR’s playoffs. Similar to last year, he needs a win to get in.

In six career starts at Watkins Glen, Allmendinger boasts one win, two top fives and four top 10s. He claims the second-best average finish (7.8333), third-best driver rating (100.5), third-best average running position (12.288) and fourth-fastest green flag speed (120.332 mph).

DRIVE FOR FIVE STARTS FOR FOUR

Aric Almirola

October 01, 2014 – The Monster Mile shattered the hopes and dreams of four former Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers at Dover.

AJ Allmendinger, Aric Almirola, Greg Biffle and Kurt Busch were all eliminated from Chase contention following the last race of the opening Challenger Round as the field shrunk from 16 to 12.

Going into the race, Allmendinger stood in good shape to advance to the Contender Round. He ranked 10th on the Chase Grid, one point ahead of Kasey Kahne and Ryan Newman, and seven points ahead of 13th-place Denny Hamlin for the final spot. Biffle (-6 points below the cutoff), Busch (-8) and Almirola (-10) were all on the outside looking in, manning the 14th-16th positions respectively, but still had realistic chances of climbing into the top 12.

Hamlin – who earlier dubbed the race as the most important of his career – vaulted himself into the top 12 with an 11th-place finish, but his performance alone was not enough to bump the 23rd-place Allmendinger from the Chase. Kasey Kahne battled from four laps down on Lap 240, finishing 20th to hold off Allmendinger by two points for the final Contender Round spot.

The four now have a new goal: Fifth place. Even though they were bounced in the first round, Allmendinger, Almirola, Biffle and Busch can still battle for fifth in the final championship points. From here on out, any driver eliminated from the Chase will have his points reset to 2,000, with any points accumulated during the Chase (as well as bonus points to start the Chase) added to that total.

 

AJ ALLMENDINGER, NO. 47 SCOTT® PRODUCTS CHEVROLET SS / JTG DAUGHERTY RACING / KENTUCKY SPEEDWAY PREVIEW

Track: Kentucky Speedway

Event: Quaker State 400 Presented by Advance Auto Parts

Race Date / Time:  Saturday, June 28th, 7:30 PM ET

TV / Radio:  TNT / PRN Radio / SiriusXM

TEAM QUOTES:

Kentucky at night: “Kentucky Speedway is one of my favorite places and I’ve ran decent there before,” Allmendinger said. “It’s definitely got a lot of bumps in it. It is not like it is rough, but it is wavy and tough to get around. It will be warm this weekend, so the track will be slick. That makes it tough for the guys to set up the SCOTT® Products Chevrolet SS and on top of that you practice during the day and race at night.”

Get into the groove:  “Kentucky Speedway is one of those places where you have to get into a rhythm,” Allmendinger said. “The track is not really wide, but you have lines you can choose. If you can get your car working over the bumps, then you have an advantage. You have to have finesse for this track and you cannot be aggressive. You have got to be patient because the track changes a lot and it gets slick.”

A lot of positives last weekend: “I think everything was a positive except the end result at Sonoma Raceway,” Allmendinger said. “We had a car capable of winning and the way things were playing out, we would have had a shot at it. It hurts because we know we had a chance to win the thing. We’re a small team and any time you can say you had a race winning car and led the most laps, it feels good to be able to say that. We didn’t do anything wrong. Everyone did an outstanding job from the road crew, the pit crew to the guys back at the JTG Daugherty Racing shop. Our pit crew has really come together these past few weeks. Basically, everything was good this past weekend – especially the announcement of our multi-year Clorox sponsorship extension – except the race result and that hurt us points wise.”

Full steam ahead:  “We have a newer car for Kentucky Speedway,” crew chief Brian Burns said. “It’s the one we raced at Michigan International Speedway. We’re going to take another big stab this weekend to try to improve our mile-and-a-half program. We are going to be aggressive to try to make some big gains. ECR Engines has made improvements and they are giving us even more steam for this weekend and that’s exciting. I think Kentucky is one of the more bumpy tracks and we seem to have a better handle on those type of tracks as opposed to the smoother ones. I believe AJ likes this track. We will have a better handling package for the night race and being a night race makes it seem more action-packed.”

Coming together: “Like AJ said, the road crew and the pit crew (and the guys back at the shop) just really did a great job at Sonoma Raceway,” Burns said. “Although, we didn’t get the finishing position we were there for, everybody knows we were definitely a strong contender. We are going to try to carry that momentum into the next few races.”

Focus on the future: “I think it took us a day to digest the disappointment of Sonoma,” JTG Daugherty Racing co-owner Tad Geschickter said. “The positive side is that we know we can run up there to compete for a win. We have to focus on the future and not dwell on the past. We have continued to work hard on our mile-and-a-half program and are looking ahead to Kentucky Speedway this weekend. The team took the Michigan (International Speedway) car that was new and turned it around so we can race that car Saturday night. I know our partners Richard Childress Racing, ECR Engines and everyone here at JTG Daugherty Racing are really working hard on the program and as we continue to learn what formula AJ likes at the mile-and-a-halfs.”

Another significant race for the team:  “This is a big race for us because we will have a lot of partners coming out to watch us race at Kentucky Speedway,” Geschickter continued. “45 minutes up the road in Cincinnati is our Daytona 500 sponsor Kroger. They will bring their executives out to the race and as a result of that, a lot of our sponsors are coming. We will be putting our best foot forward like we always do.”

Big news for fans:  “We’ve got some big news coming up around the corner,” Geschickter said. “NASCAR fans are what make our sport thrive and we wanted to give them some insider access. We will be announcing a new platform to do just that and we are thrilled about it. We will have more details in the coming weeks. We’re planning to launch early July. Stay tuned.”

AJ Allmendinger has three starts at Kentucky Speedway and one top-10 finish. Allmendinger’s best finish is ninth-place (6/30/12). His average start is 18.667 and his average finish is 19.667.

 

 

AJ ALLMENDINGER, NO. 47 KINGSFORD® CHEVROLET SS JTG DAUGHERTY RACING / SONOMA RACEWAY PREVIEW

Track: Sonoma Raceway

Event: Toyota/Save Mart 350

Race Date / Time:  Sunday, June 22nd, 3 PM ET

TV / Radio:  TNT / PRN Radio / SiriusXM

TEAM QUOTES:

Under pressure “We can’t put every egg in one basket and say we have to win this race because if we do then it’s just disappointing if we don’t,” Allmendinger said. “If we go there and have a solid day and just have a chance to win the race, that’s all we can do. I hope we can do that. We had two days of testing there and we had really good speed in the Kingsford Chevrolet.”

Coming home:  “It’s our sponsors home race – you know with Clorox and Kingsford – it’s also my home race,” Allmendinger said. “There is a lot going on there. I think we have a shot there to win it. I don’t want to say it’s all about this one race though.”

Getting a grip on the track: “It all comes down to rear grip at Sonoma Raceway,” Allmendinger said. “ECR Engines have a lot of horsepower and you want to put it down to the racetrack. That place especially if it gets hot out there, it’s so easy to burn off the rear tires in five or six laps. Then it’s a long stint when you do that. You have to just ease the rear tires. If you can make your rear tires last longer than most people, then you have a shot to win the race.”

In it to win it:  “With these cars, there’s not a lot of grip anyway,” Allmendinger said. “Sonoma is narrow and slick and it is so easy to make a mistake. I think it’s about not locking up the tire because if you lock up a tire in the brake zone, it just kills the tire when you do that. Other than that, if you have a fast car, you have a shot to win it. That’s all you can really ask for during your day at Sonoma.”

Tested Sonoma earlier this month:  “With our race team being as small as we are, we don’t get much test time, so any track time we get helps us focus on the weekend and future,” Allmendinger said. “These tests are good because for me, as a driver, you don’t have to focus on other people, you just focus on your car and what feels good.”

Feels good about chances: “The test went great at Sonoma Raceway with AJ during the first week of June,” crew chief Brian Burns said. “It’s just with the new rules package change this season, we wanted to go out there. Obviously, this is one of the races that you put on your list or on your refrigerator that we feel like you can go run and potentially win the race. We showed up there and were very grateful that we got to test at Sonoma Raceway because when we did unload, we were pretty far off. We felt like last year’s stuff that made us good definitely was not the answer for this year. After two days of testing, we walked away really happy and excited about going back.”

There’s a chance: “Road-course racing, I’ve always thought, you can wring a bit more out of the car, whether it’s braking or how you use the curbs or the lines you choose,” said Allmendinger. “So, that’s why I enjoy it and that’s why I feel like we can come here and have a shot to do well. And, if we put ourselves in position to win the race, then that’s great.”

“Sonoma Raceway is not far from the home office of one of our largest sponsors – The Clorox Company – and it’s a home track for AJ”, JTG Daugherty Racing co-owner Tad Geschickter said. “We will have all of them out there cheering for us and we want to do well in front of a group of people that have supported us through thick and thin for nearly two decades. We’ve almost won that race before. We would like to give them something to cheer for again this time with AJ.”

Faith in his driver:  “AJ is really good at Sonoma Raceway,” JTG Daugherty Racing co-owner Brad Daugherty said. “We feel like it’s one of the racetracks – and there’s several, not just the road courses – – that AJ and our team can win. We’re going to go out and be as prepared as we can possibly be. We built him a car specific to Watkins Glen (International) last year and we had a great run there. We feel if we do the same for Sonoma, it gives him a great opportunity. We will need to qualify well, run up front all day and have great pit stops. All we need is a chance on that last green-white-checker to have an opportunity to race to the checkered flag.”

 

 

 

AJ ALLMENDINGER, NO. 47 CHARTER CHEVROLET SS MICHIGAN PREVIEW

JTG DAUGHERTY RACING MICHIGAN INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY PREVIEW

Track: Michigan International Speedway

Event: Quicken Loans 400,

Race Date / Time:  Sunday, June 15th, 1 PM ET

TV / Radio:  TNT / MRN Radio / SiriusXM

Date: June 11, 2014

TEAM QUOTES:

Michigan International Speedway:   “Michigan is a tough place because with the repave I feel like the track has always got a lot of grip in it especially during practice and it is really fast,” Allmendinger said. “Then after the sun comes out for the race, it will turn on you in a heartbeat and be really slick.  That is a place that if you are loose, it’s a real tough track to get around.

“I enjoy it though,” Allmendinger continued. “I think Michigan is a fun track to be able to race on. Since the repave, the groove is starting to widen out a little bit.  The racing is even better now. More than anything, we are trying to keep getting better as a team. The guys have been working so hard and I am looking forward to this weekend because of the car we are bringing to the track.”

New Charter Chevrolet SS: “I think the main thing that comes to mind is having a brand new race car for the first time this year beside the superspeedway races,” Allmendinger said. “That is something that hopefully makes a difference. I feel like on the bigger tracks we haven’t been way off, but we have not been where we need to be either so hopefully that will help a little bit.”

High hopes:  “We have high hopes for Michigan International Speedway and we should unload with a competitive car,” crew chief Brian Burns said. “We feel like we have a good baseline setup because we ran really good at California (Auto Club Speedway) and we also have a brand new No. 47 Charter Chevrolet SS that we are rolling out this week. We feel like we will have a little more to showcase this weekend. Also, we were able to get a little rest this week and spend some time with our family after being on the road for nearly two weeks going from Dover International Speedway to Sonoma Raceway to Pocono Raceway.”

Time flies: “The team has been though a lot, from where we were last year to having the RCR (Richard Childress Racing) alliance and such a quick turnover in the off season,” Allmendinger said. “The guys have put a lot of hard work into getting to the track every weekend.”

Enjoying JTG Daugherty Racing: “It’s a really fun race team,” Allmendinger continued. “I definitely see a lot of improvement just from this one year period and where we are running.  Our expectations are different from what we expect when we go to the track and where we should be running.  I look at last year doing the first race with the team and if you said this is where we will be this time next year, I would have been pretty happy.  At the same point, it shows to me at least the potential in the team because where we are at I’m not yet satisfied.  I always want to be better and I think we have the potential to be even better. We just have to keep working at it.”

Michigan top of mind: “I think there are good things ahead for us at Michigan International Speedway,” JTG Daugherty Racing co-owner Brad Daugherty said. “I know the Childress (Richard Childress Racing) guys are working on some pieces and parts. Our guys back at the race shop are really working hard on giving us the best car we can have when we get there. We will have a brand new car for that race. Speeds are going to be tremendous. The guys that tested there were going 217 to 218 miles per hour off into the corners.  I know AJ enjoys real high-speed racetracks. I think our high-speed, high-grip program is getting better. We don’t have the tremendous depth and that’s where a team our size could struggle throughout June and July. We’re doing our best to have a good start to the dog days. If we can get some good finishes the latter part of the season. Who knows? We could make this Chase and win some races.”

On the road again: “Being on the road for so long is tough and it takes me out of my routine,” Allmendinger said. “Even though, I haven’t been home since before Dover (International Speedway), I’ve got to do some good things these past couple of weeks on the road. We got to test Sonoma for two days. It was a big deal because it made a big difference. I feel like if we had not did that test, we would have shown up and we would have been way off. That trip out west was tough on all of us – – some of the road crew, my crew chief (Brian Burns), engineer (Tony Palmer) and myself.

“Then to be able to go from Pocono Raceway to New York City and go in studio for The Chew was a great experience and really something else,” Allmendinger continued. “I had a great time with Carla Hall and the entire crew. You can’t really complain about being on the road so much lately because our team owner (Tad Geschickter) does it every week. He sets the example for all of us to make the race team better. I have been on the roads a couple weeks straight and it’s definitely tough. I get home tonight and basically take my clothes out of my bag, wash them and put them right back in because I have an early flight in the morning to Orrville, Ohio to spend some time with the folks at Hungry Jack. It will be neat to meet some people that is new to our program. That experience will be a lot of fun welcoming a new partner to our family. Then we are driving from there to Michigan. I’m going to play a couple rounds of golf with Tad, my team owner, and he is someone that’s become a really good friend. Then Friday, it’s back to work at the track. I’ll get a couple days home next week. So, I’m also looking forward to that.”

 

 

 

AJ ALLMENDINGER, NO. 47 BUSH’S® BEANS CHEVROLET SS

JTG DAUGHERTY RACING COCA-COLA 600 PREVIEW

Track: Charlotte Motor Speedway
Event: Coca-Cola 600
Race Date / Time:   Sunday, May 25th, 6 PM ET
TV / Radio:  FOX / PRN Radio / SiriusXM

TEAM QUOTES:

Coca-Cola 600:  “I have had decent runs in the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte (Motor Speedway) and I feel good about the race after the way we ran in the Sprint Showdown and then in the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race before we were knocked out running in the top 10,” Allmendinger said. “More importantly, we learned some stuff that we can apply.  Hopefully, everything translates over and we unload fairly close and work on our No. 47 BUSH’S® Beans Chevrolet from there.”

Timing and patience:  “Our schedule has both practices in the middle of the day and the race is at night,” Allmendinger said. “The guys will be working hard to get our BUSH’S® Beans Chevrolet really close so we can keep up with the track and not be way off. It is such an uphill battle if you go a lap down early in the race. It is a long race where you have to be patient and there are a lot of changing conditions during 600-miles.”

A different car:  “We had to bring a different car because our other one was damaged in the All-Star race,” Allmendinger said. “Since we will have a different car, I’m hoping it will still feel the same. It’s our Martinsville (Speedway) and Richmond (International Raceway) car. Obviously, it’s a good car for us.”

Good energy in the shop:  “Even though we have a different car for the Coca-Cola 600, Brian Burns (crew chief) and the guys said we will still have a good car for Sunday night,” Allmendinger said. “The car we had in the All-Star was a bullet and it’s a shame are not able to race it. The big positive right now is that everybody is happy and excited and there’s a lot of good energy in the JTG Daugherty Racing shop.”

Ready to run: “Our car that we are taking to Charlotte is one of those that have given us the best results even though it was at short tracks,” crew chief Brian Burns said. “The guys have done so much work on the body to make it an intermediate car. We all feel pretty good about that car. We have all the intermediate track updates on it. We had so much potential last week with the car that got wrecked, but we feel just as good about this car. We all have a little pep in our step with the way we ran last weekend to get this car ready to run just as the same.”

Insight:  “Last week gave us some insight on how different the track conditions will be from day to night,” Burns said. “Our car was good in practice when it was hot and sunny and it was just as good at night. We got a good handle on it and know what adjustments to make to keep up with the track conditions.”

Happy with team’s progress:  “I’m really pleased,” JTG Daugherty Racing co-owner Brad Daugherty said. “We were really trying to use the opportunity of racing in the Showdown and the All-Star as a test session for us. We ended up running a lot better than I thought we would. AJ did a great job driving our car. The thing I was really pleased about was just the speed we had.  We have really kind of struggled a little bit on the high-speed, high-grip tracks and Charlotte Motor Speedway is all of that. I’m excited about the Coca-Cola 600 because we have showed a lot of speed, showed a lot of grip and good platform. Last Saturday night, we were really tooling along. I think this Sunday will be a good opportunity for us that is if we can get through the day, not have attrition and make good changes throughout the night. Man, I think we can have a great weekend.”

NASCAR Sprint All-Star recap:  “The All-Star weekend was a great learning experience for us,” Allmendinger said. “The biggest thing that came out of it was learning the direction we need to go. We did a lot of homework and tried some things setup-wise that worked for us.  Before, we had been so far off from the moment we unloaded at mile-and-a-half tracks. Now, we at least have a good idea. We had really good speed in our car last weekend.”