Sometimes there are benefits to a mediocre qualifying effort.
Uncertain about the durability of the Earnhardt Childress Racing engine in AJ Allmendinger’s No. 47 JTG/Daugherty Chevrolet, the team opted to replace it.
Accordingly, Allmendinger will drop to the rear of the field to start Sunday’s CampingWorld.com 500 at Phoenix International Raceway, but it’s not a catastrophic disadvantage, given that Allmendinger had qualified mid-pack in the 22nd position.
“We didn’t qualify as well as we wanted to anyway, so we decided to take the opportunity to change (the engine) now and eliminate any doubts,” said Brian Burns,
Allmendinger’s crew chief. “We have a good race car, and ECR Engines have been awesome all year. We are just taking some precautionary measures to make sure we’re good to go to the end.”
If Allmendinger can’t improve on his Happy Hour session after the engine change, however, he may be in for a long day. Allmendinger was 30th on the speed chart in final practice.
- Tyler Reddick takes checkered in wild Talladega finish for Michael Jordan’s first win while in attendance - April 22, 2024
- McDowell captures pole for Sunday’s race at Talladega - April 20, 2024
- NASCAR WIRE: Weekend Preview: Talladega Superspeedway - April 18, 2024