AJ Allmendinger may not love superspeedways but he still extracts the most from his No. 16 Chevrolet at these events. (Photo: Christopher Vargas | The Podium Finish)
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – AJ Allmendinger finds himself in a position like the 2004 Boston Red Sox in the bottom of the ninth inning in Game 4 of the American League Championship Series.
In that infamous game against the New York Yankees, the Red Sox were three outs away from being swept by their biggest rival. Instead of resigning to their likely fate in front of their hometown fans at Fenway Park, Boston rallied and belted hits and utilized great base stealing to tie and eventually beat their Empire State archenemy.
Eventually coming from an 0-3 series to win four games in a row, the Red Sox won the American League pennant en route to sweeping the St. Louis Cardinals for their first World Series championship since 1918.
Now, that is not to say that Allmendinger has all the racing gods on his side. Still, he has quick superspeedway cars prepared by Kaulig Racing, a testament by the men and women who work ardently on his No. 16 Action Industries Chevrolet Camaro ZL1.
“Our cars have been really good at superspeedways this season,” Allmendinger said in a Team Chevy press release. “Daytona is a racetrack I never look forward to, to be quite honest, but I know that if we go put ourselves in position, we’re going to have a shot to win the race.
“We’ll take everything we can get, try to be the guy that doesn’t make the mistake and avoid the big one. If it’s meant to be, it’s meant to be.”
For Allmendinger, he is in a must win situation. He cannot point race his way to the 16th position, the final, coveted spot to advance to this year’s postseason. However, a victory is not totally out of the question as he showcased his abilities to win at a superspeedway when he won last October’s NASCAR XFINITY Series race at Talladega Superspeedway.
As for the 41-year-old’s pre-race preparation for Saturday night’s Coke Zero Sugar 400, it is a take what you will response knowing the Los Gatos, California native’s sense of humor.
“I drink a lot,” he said jokingly to FOX NASCAR journalist Bob Pockrass. “A lot of vodka with Celsius and I just try to numb myself up for the whole weekend. It starts Monday. And then I start hydrating by Thursday again. That’s pretty much it.”
In all seriousness, the blunt but kindly acerbic driver understands the rigors and stresses of pursuing a Playoffs spot at a track where fate is not totally left in the racer’s hands in their car.
“It’s rough,” he said. “Honestly, I’ve done it for so long, you just know that races like this, especially the situation that we’re in, you just gotta go out there and just lay it all on the line and we know what that means sometimes when you have to do that and the consequences that you have to face.
“It’s just a part of the way this racing is. That’s why I love superspeedway racing.”
So far in 2023, Allmendinger placed sixth in the Daytona 500, finished 16th at Atlanta, crashed at Talladega and scored a podium last month at Atlanta. He has been like Johnny Cash’s 1996 hit song “I’ve Been Everywhere” when it comes to this year’s superspeedway races.
Starting 17th for the 160-lap race, Allmendinger does not need to dominate or score stage points. All that he needs to do is win at “The World Center of Racing,” a feat he is familiar with when it comes to the road course with his Rolex 24 efforts.
That task sounds simple until considering the 38 other drivers who will be vying for stock car glory at the 64-year-old Florida coastline speed palace. If Allmendinger is asked about his feelings on superspeedway racing, he makes it quite clear where he stands.
At the end of the day, like the 2004 Red Sox, perhaps Allmendinger might turn to the Kevin Millar school of thought of saying the opposite intent. Before Game 4, Millar infamously said, “Don’t let us win tonight” when of course his intent and those on the Boston squad was to stage a comeback against New York.
Maybe the beginnings of a rally by the venerable, well liked racer begins tonight even if he does not always have the biggest optimism at a track like Daytona.
“It does give me optimism that we’ve run so well,” Allmenidnger said to Pockrass. “And I have confidence in myself that when it’s time to be there in the end, we’ve shown that we’ve put ourselves in that position at least to go out there and give yourself a chance to win.
“Is it optimistic of it working out? I don’t think I ever have a lot of optimism at superspeedways as it’s going to truly work out. But I feel like we have fast enough racecars at Kaulig Racing. As much as I don’t like it, I still feel like I know how to get up front and try to make it work.”
