Richard Petty Motorsports' AJ Allmendinger ready to race way into Daytona 500
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - AJ Allmendinger, like others in his situation, says he doesn’t understand how NASCAR is allocating the top-35 owners points from last year, but he is resigned to the fact that he most likely will have to qualify or race his way into the season-opening Daytona 500.
The Richard Petty Motorsports driver had thought a few weeks ago that his team, 37th in owners points last year, would be considered a top-35 team and thus be locked into the field for the first five races.
But a couple of teams in the top 35 that did not plan on running this year have formed partnerships with other teams looking for points, resulting in Penske Racing’s Sam Hornish Jr. and Richard Childress Racing’s Clint Bowyer receiving top-35 positions. Team spokesmen for both of those teams have confirmed they are locked in, which leaves Allmendinger having no guarantees for the Daytona 500.
“I’ve come to learn with all of this that happens, you just go with the flow,” Allmendinger said Thursday. “It’s bizarre, it’s weird, it’s not final yet, so I don’t know. All I know is I’m ready to get in a race car. I’m happy to be here and be here with Richard Petty Motorsports. … I’m just ready to drive because, like everybody else, I’m tired of listening to what people say and what’s happening.”
Allmendinger failed to race his way in to the Daytona 500 in his first two Sprint Cup seasons at Red Bull Racing, but he remains optimistic.
“Third time’s a charm,” said Allmendinger, whose Daytona frustration continued two weeks ago when his car broke while leading in the early stages of the Rolex 24 At Daytona sports-car race. “This place has been nothing but bad luck for me so far, so eventually it’s got to turn around.
“I’m hoping that we can turn it around, but it’s racing. Nobody owes you anything, and you never feel like you get back in return. You just go out there and make your own luck. … I've been here two years in a row, so it's no different for me. So I've got a lot more confidence over the last two years of coming here and having to race my way in and knowing how to do that.”
One thing in Allmendinger’s favor is that he is in the field for the Budweiser Shootout on Saturday.
“Ultimately, I just need practice in superspeedway racing,” Allmendinger said. “I haven’t done a lot of it, and that’s the way I’m taking the Shootout. … I’m going to just try to run all the laps and get all the practice I can.”
Allmendinger said his team just found out Sunday or Monday that it wouldn’t be locked in for the Daytona 500 and virtually had to pull the car off the hauler to get it adjusted to put emphasis on qualifying.
“When we got the news, the guys had to stay late at the shop,” he said. “The worst thing was just how late this has been. Whether it’s right or wrong, you can argue or whine or [complain] about it all you want, but it is what it is.
“The guys stayed until midnight, 1 in the morning putting in the best motor they had in the shop.”
Allmendinger said he has a contract for the first eight races in the No. 44 car this year with Richard Petty Motorsports and has an option for 2010. He said he has Valvoline sponsorship for the first two races, Super 8 for one (Bristol) and Paralyzed Veterans of America for the Daytona race in July.
“I want to run the whole season,” Allmendinger said. “If not, they have been gracious enough even with the contract to allow me to go race for other teams if they don’t have opportunities for me in the 44 car.
“The main goal is to try to go run up front and find sponsorship.”
Being without a job in the offseason and uncertain about his Daytona 500 status has been stressful for Allmendinger, but he’s trying to remain positive.
“I’m still at Daytona, we’re still talking about racing cars, and I’m still going to be in a race car, so life is pretty good,” he said. “It’s just one of those things you have to fight through. There are two options: You can keep fighting through and find a ride and find sponsorship or you quit. I’m not going to quit. I’ve just got to keep digging.”
