AJ Allmendinger Making A Comeback

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In: Xfinity Series News

It’s been a year since AJ Allmendinger’s world came crashing down around him and everything that he had worked so hard for seemed to be gone forever. Since that awful day, Allmendinger is making a comeback and seems to be doing better than ever before.

It was the weekend of the Coke Zero 400 that we learned of AJ Allmendinger’s failed drug test when he tested positive for amphetamines, a test taken randomly after the race at Kentucky. Allmendinger was immediately suspended from NASCAR and was no longer allowed to drive his No.22 Shell/Penzoil Dodge, leaving Mr. Roger Penske scrambling to get Nationwide Driver Sam Hornish Jr to Daytona in time to pilot the car.

Allmendinger tested positive for Adderall, used to treat deficit disorder, a pill he said he took from a friend the night before the race because he wasn’t feeling 100%. That one pill changed his life and his motorsports career; setting it back farther than he could believe.

After Allmendinger was suspended from NASCAR, he had to complete NASCAR’s Road to Recovery program in order to be reinstated, which he did, and completed by mid-September. When Allmendinger was reinstated and allowed to compete in NASCAR sanctioned events again, some thought he would never get a ride again, but his former boss, Roger Penske, who had previously released him from his contract, stood by his side.

Penske, one of the most powerful owners in the motorsports industry, showed his support for his lost driver after Allmendinger completed the Road to Recovery program and eventually put Allmendinger behind the wheel of one of his cars; in the IndyCar Circuit.

Since being reinstated, Allmendinger has found himself behind the wheel of five different cars, in four different series. Allmendinger got his first taste of life on the IndyCar circuit when he debuted at Birmingham. In just his third IndyCar start, at the Indianapolis 500, Allmendinger led 23 laps and finished seventh; his best appearance in five starts the series. Allmendinger has also made one start in the NASCAR Nationwide Series piloting the No.22 for Penske Racing. In his lone start this season, Allmendinger put the car on the pole then took it to Victory Lane, on the winding roads of Road America. He also made an appearance in the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series, making his 8th consecutive appearance in the 24 hours at Daytona race in January where he and his team finished third.

Probably the place where Allmendinger is most familiar and most comfortable is the Sprint Cup Series in NASCAR. With 180 starts spanning seven years, Allmendinger is no stranger to NASCAR’s top series. This season he has made seven starts, for two different teams. In his five starts with Phoenix Racing, Allmendinger has four top-20 finishes and three top-15s. He has also made two starts for JTG-Daugherty Racing in the No.47, replacing Bobby Labonte.

Allmendinger is still searching for that eluded full-time ride and whether that will come in NASCAR or IndyCar, I believe he will be happy with anything. Don’t count him out just yet; he is a talented racer who made a mistake. Running on the high of his first NASCAR win, Allmendinger is bouncing back and is better than ever.

Katie Copple
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