AJ Allmendinger can go for being twice as nice for his Martinsville race weekend. (Photo: Ryan Daley | The Podium Finish)
AJ Allmendinger continually elevates his craft as he heads into Friday night’s Call 811 Before You Dig 250 at Martinsville Speedway.
As the top three NASCAR series seemingly change into a young drivers’ sport, Allmendinger, at the still young age of 40, is having a sensational start. Ahead of the eighth race of the NASCAR Xfinity Series season, the driver of the No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet Camaro leads the points standings by 20 markers over Ty Gibbs.
While Gibbs tallied his third win of the year at Richmond Raceway, Allmendinger scored a workmanlike fourth.
Still, the new points leader, as most competitors, wants more than just another stellar points day. He wants victories for his hardy team at the track and shop.
Allmendinger seeks his second XFINITY win of the year while preparing for his fourth Cup start in 2022. (Photo: Ryan Daley | The Podium Finish)
“A top-five finish,” Allmendinger said when asked about some positives about his Richmond efforts. “We missed out on the Dash 4 Cash, but we get to be in next week at Martinsville, another place that I enjoy. So, if we keep running inside the top five, top 10. …of course, we’d like to be contending for more wins, but we’re getting everything we can out of each weekend.”
Candid and passionate, Allmendinger takes pride in carrying his team and support system on his shoulders, even when the pressure is intense. Although he wears his heart on his sleeve, it’s what keeps him sharp during the grind of a NASCAR Xfinity and Cup Series season.
“I’m probably still not great at it,” he said when responding to question about balancing his mental health. “I do take it very serious and I’m sure Carly or anybody around me sees it at times when it’s not going well. I don’t hide my emotions. In the past, it was one of those things where maybe I thought, ‘OK that’s not the right way to be, but I am who I am.’
“I’ve talked about it right? I’m 40, I’m not changing. I always want everybody that works around me to be like yeah, he is intense, but man he cares. And I do. I care about everybody on our race team. When we don’t run well, I personally take it bad because I feel like OK, I’m not doing the right things to help us.
For a driver who’s been successful in INDYCAR, sports car and stock car competition, Allmendinger has a strong support system that appreciates his genuine personality and mindset.
“I always want everybody that works around me to be like yeah, he is intense, but man he cares.” (Photo: Ryan Daley | The Podium Finish)
“It’s a little bit different, especially winning races now, going out there and having Matt (Kaulig) and Chris (Rice) around me, it allows me to be who I am and not maybe feel bad about it,” he said. “They let me do that and then we go have fun with it. I get over it quicker.
“It’s always a challenge. The mental health side of it’s always a challenge. There are good weeks and bad, but it’s far better than it’s ever been for me. It’s a daily grind that you keep trying to learn from.”
Besides optimizing his mental health, the Los Gatos, California native has a new crew chief atop his pit box. Allmendinger has been paired up with Bruce Schlicker, Kaulig Racing crew chief since 2020.
Suffice to say, the 11-time Xfinity Series race winner enjoys building on his chemistry with Schlicker as they extract the maximum from their cars.
Allmendinger enjoys time with his crew ahead of a chilly race at Richmond. (Photo: Ryan Daley | The Podium Finish)
“Well, I’ve known Bruce now since since I’ve really been at Kaulig Racing,” he observed. “And that’s what makes Kaulig Racing so good and so much fun to be a part of. When you get to the racetrack, you work with a certain crew chief. But when you’re at the shop, you’re working with everybody.
“So, I’ve known Bruce and we learn each other’s tendencies on the radio and stuff. But, I love working with him. We kept trying to work on making the car better. And at the end, it was the best we could have.
Following a fourth at Richmond, Allmendinger and his No. 16 team look to improve upon their finishes of 13th and seventh at the famed paperclip. Likewise, he hopes for improvement upon his next Cup start, also at Martinsville.
“The oval side of it at least on the 16 side of it, I’m not speaking on Justin (Haley)’s side of it on the 31 side, I feel like we’ve got some work,” he observed. “It’s one of those things that I feel like I’m learning how to drive the car on the oval.
“We need to improve. The good thing is, even though the races haven’t went well on the ovals, the same characteristics of the car have been there.”
At the end of the day, the tenacious driver realizes the potential with the No. 16 team for this weekend and his upcoming starts this summer. Ultimately, the Xfinity Series title contender appreciates each time out in the new Cup car to improve Kaulig Racing’s efforts.
“Even though the races haven’t went well on the ovals, the same characteristics of the car have been there.” (Photo: Molly Gastineau | The Podium Finish)
“We’re going to try some new stuff going into Martinsville and see if we can make it better,” he shared. “The road course side of it, especially after COTA, I’m really super pumped to get to some road courses and run the car again.
“I think we can have a lot of speed. It’s a first year Cup team that we’re going to keep building. We’re going to have our ups and downs and hopefully I can help with going the right direction.”
Editor’s Notes
Nathan Solomon contributed to this feature last Saturday at Richmond Raceway in Henrico Country, Virginia.
