AJ Allmendinger using the high line to his advantage during the Straight Talk Wireless 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway (Photo Credit: Erik Smith | The Podium Finish)
HOMESTEAD, Fla. — AJ Allmendinger continued to show why he’s always a threat when the NASCAR Cup Series makes the yearly trip to the Homestead-Miami Speedway, finishing seventh in Sunday’s Straight Talk Wireless 400.
The 43-year-old road course specialist has not finished worse than eighth at Homestead-Miami Speedway since the beginning of the Generation 7 NASCAR Cup Series car, which debuted in 2022.
Allmendinger qualified his No. 16 Action Industries Chevrolet in the 10th position for the 267-lap race, starting alongside Bubba Wallace’s No. 23 Toyota.
Allmendinger had successfully competed for stage points during the first 80 laps of the race, closely battling with Josh Berry and eventual race winner Kyle Larson for crucial track positions as they approached the finish for the end of the opening stage.
The native of Santa Clara, California, slid past Berry for seventh after restarting ninth after Christopher Bell spun on the front stretch with 10 laps remaining in the opening stage. This would be the only time that Allmendinger earned stage points of the day as the caution flag flew for the first stage break caution in the race.
The Kaulig Racing pit crew wasted no time on pit road, advancing the No. 16 Chevrolet Camaro to fifth place for the restart at the beginning of Stage 2.
Allmendinger netted his fourth consecutive top-10 finish on Sunday at Homestead-Miami Speedway. (Photo Credit: John Arndt | The Podium Finish)
The Cup Series veteran dropped to ninth by Lap 95, trailing behind the No. 2 Ford of Austin Cindric, sitting three seconds behind the race leader, Alex Bowman.
Allmendinger struggled in the later part of Stage 2, dropping out of the top 10 and finding himself in 11th place after a tough battle with Tyler Reddick. He fell back to as low as 13th by the end of Stage 2.
The No. 16 Kaulig Racing crew geared up for the final restart as Allmendinger would fire off from 14th place with just under 100 laps remaining in the event.
Allmendinger navigated through the field during the restart, quickly moving into the top 10 after a clash between several drivers fighting for seventh place as they approached Turn 3. Allmendinger would not leave the top 10 for the rest of the race as he slowly picked his way through towards the top 5.
Allmendinger advanced to sixth place before Ryan Blaney’s engine and chances of winning went up in smoke on Lap 209, bringing out the caution which set the field back up together with 50 laps to go.
Allmendinger climbed the latter inside the top 10, working around Ryan Preece and Austin Dillon with just under 35 laps to go.
The driver of the No. 16 made his final move of the race with exactly 30 laps remaining, working around the fading No. 45 Toyota of Reddick, hanging onto seventh for the rest of the way to claim his second consecutive top-10 finish of the season.
“The car helps for sure.” Said Allmendinger after a challenging day that resulted in his seventh career top-10 finish at the 1.5-mile facility.
“Just searching for lines, I can figure out enough lines to make speed and do the things that certain guys rip the fence where I can keep up the momentum. Just didn’t quite have enough there in the long run, but in general, I was really happy just fought hard, lost a little bit in the second stage, but Trent Owens did a great job to adjust the car and getting it back to being competitive.”
Allmendinger also commented about how the long runs had affected him, but also how Allmendinger’s intermediate skills propelled himself and his Kaulig Racing team to a great finish.
“We fell off a little bit more than I would’ve liked, we were on the free side as the run went on, but generally it was about how we fight and kind of the race we’ve had in the past.”
Allmendinger has now moved up three positions in the NASCAR Cup Series standings, currently ranked 20th in points as the series heads to Martinsville Speedway next Sunday for the Cook Out 400.
