AJ Allmendinger celebrates his 13th NASCAR Xfinity Series road course victory. (Photo: Dylan Nadwodny | The Podium Finish)
AUSTIN, Texas – AJ Allmendinger and road courses like Circuit of the Americas must be like Michael Jordan and Madison Square Garden.
When an athlete and team congeal with a venue or specific stadium type, it can make for an interesting moment at one of the highest levels of sports. In Allmendinger’s case during Saturday’s Pit Boss 250 at Circuit of the Americas, it was a truly roller coaster experience at the 3.41-mile, 20-turn road course.
While Allmendinger started on the pole and won Stage 1, an early race caution split Allmendinger and Parker Kligerman, the notable contenders, against the lot of the lead lap contenders. As the latter opted to pit, it put Allmendinger and Kligerman in precarious positions to make up incredible amounts of on track position.
Although both drivers found their way back into the top 10, Allmendinger had his work cut out for him during a Lap 20, Turn 1 incident.
As the field took to the Lap 20 restart, Allmendinger carefully approached the first corner before Kligerman, in his efforts to rally toward the front, drove in deep. With the latter gaining plentiful positions, Allmendinger was in a precarious place, unintentionally making contact with Aric Almirola’s No. 08 Ford Mustang.
Despite Chris Rice’s frustration with the moment, the stressful ordeal was temporary for the No. 10 Celsius Chevrolet entry fielded by Kaulig Racing. On Lap 21, Brandon Jones brought out the caution as his left front tire cut down from the contact in the Lap 20, Turn 1 fracas.
With debris piling up around Turns 13 and 14, it was the fresh reset that Allmendinger needed on the Lap 23 restart.
After two laps into the restart, Allmendinger drove from 25th to ninth. Much like Jimmie Johnson during his initial title runs, Allmendinger kept working his way up the scoreboard akin to the tone of the Jaws theme song.
Not long after, the Californian worked his way to place sixth in Stage 2 while Sheldon Creed basked in a Texas-sized stage victory.
From there on, it was not about wondering if Allmendinger could regain the lead, but more of when he would retake the number one spot.
There was no quit in Allmendinger and the No. 10 team on Saturday afternoon. (Photo: Dylan Nadwodny | The Podium Finish)
Like a skilled Zelda II: The Adventure of Link gamer, Allmendinger skillfully brought himself into the picture by Lap 30, driving back into the second position as another caution period ensued for Cole Custer’s No. 00 ride was stuck in the gravel in Turn 4.
The race’s final 14 laps offered classic NASCAR road course excitement with close quarters racing, some tense moments and a cat and mouse game for the finish.
Once Creed led the Lap 32 restart, he gave it his best to stave off Allmendinger’s No. 16 car. For a while, it appeared to be a bit of Martinsville-like suspense before Allmendinger made contact with Creed for the lead.
Allmendinger re-assumed command of the lead, albeit in a way he did not want to, with a determined William Byron ready to capitalize on a potential race winning moment.
At times, Allmendinger’s lead fluctuated from nearly a comfortable second margin to a matter of car lengths over Byron.
Nevertheless, the race belonged to Allmendinger as he won his second consecutive Pit Boss 250 at COTA.
Following an exciting Victory Lane celebration with his No. 10 crewmates on the frontstretch, Allmendinger offered his thoughts about his 13th road course win in the NASCAR Xfinity Series.
“That first yellow flew kinda like, made it a tough time because it was going to split the strategy up,” Allmendinger said. “We just made a decision that we were going to pit on Lap 15. That was our first pit stop to get through the first stage and that was what we were going to run to.
“It worked out well because even when I restarted with those guys on new tires, I was still able to pull away. So I knew my car was good.”
Things got a bit heated for Allmendinger following the second caution period when he was in no man’s land on Lap 20.
“That second caution hurt because it allowed them to stay out and me have to restart in the middle of the pack, he said. “That’s what kinda happens on a restart where you get pile driven into the field. So, it’s part of it.”
From that point, the two-time NASCAR Xfinity Series regular series champion focused on marching his way back to the lead.
“I knew being back there that’s something that’s going to happen, especially the way this Turn 1 is,” he said. “Once I kinda calmed down, because I thought the car was damaged and that was the frustrating thing… once I calmed down and realized the car was OK, then it was just about trying to make back up to the lead.”
Much like Arnold Schwarzenegger’s T-800 character in Terminator, Allmendinger refused to lose despite his No. 10 car’s battlescars.
“We had a really good restart in the next one to kinda get right on the edge of the top 10 right away,” Allmendinger said. “I can see we were starting to run them down. All the damage we had would definitely hurt the speed of the racecar. But it was just good enough there in the end.”
Allmendinger celebrates the thrills of a victory with his Kaulig team. (Photo: Sean Folsom | The Podium Finish)
Stage 1 Top 10 Finishers
Allmendinger-Creed-Kligerman-Gibbs-Byron/Herbst-Allgaier-B. Jones-S. Smith-Mayer
Stage 2 Top 10 Finishers
Creed-R. Sieg-Nemechek-Almirola-Berry/Allmendinger-Byron-Gibbs-S. Smith-J. Burton
Pit Boss 250 Top 10 Finishers at COTA
Allmendinger-Byron-Gibbs-S. Smith-Allgaier/Hemric-Mayer-Berry-Creed-Herbst
