AJ Allmendinger keeps building his case to become Mr. October. (Photo: Christopher Vargas | The Podium Finish)
LAS VEGAS – Maybe AJ Allmendinger is a fan of The Cars, a classic rock band who reminded us to let the “Good Times Roll.”
After capturing riveting wins at Talladega Superspeedway and the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL, the 40-year-old Los Gatos, California scored his second consecutive pole within a six day span.
This time, Allmendinger drove his No. 16 SRS Distribution Chevy Camaro, prepared by Kaulig Racing, to the top of the speed charts with a time of 29.716 seconds or 181.72 mph.
While Allmendinger was the last driver to qualify on Friday evening, he did more than hold a pretty wheel around the 1.5 mile Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
“I held my breath,” Allmendinger said to NBC NASCAR’s Parker Kligerman. “Thank god we didn’t have to do two laps. We’ve got some work to do in race trim. But when we’re able to tape it up, we get the balance that we need.”
As the sole Kaulig Racing effort remaining in the NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs, Allmendinger, who posted the sixth fastest time in pre-qualifying practice, gave kudos to his hardy stablemates in Daniel Hemric and Landon Cassill.
Hemric and Cassill, who tallied the 15th and 10th fastest times in practice, provided valuable feedback to Allmendinger and his No. 16 team, which was not lost upon the championship contender.
“A lot of the credit goes to Daniel and Landon. Overall, it’s great to start up front,” he acknowledged. “The ultimate goal is to try to win this race. If not, (we will) maximize like we have all year.”
Admittedly, Allmendinger and crew chief Bruce Schlicker have fought a pitched battle at the intermediate tracks against the Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota efforts and fellow Chevrolet manufacturer mates in JR Motorsports.
Much like Al Unser Jr. initially conceded during the 1992 Indianapolis 500, the 15-time Xfinity Series race winner had to vie for best in class. All told, the tide may be turning as evident with a sterling fourth place result by Allmendinger at a rough and tumble Playoff race at Texas on Sept. 24.
Although Allmendinger recognized the differences between Texas and Las Vegas, he considered the positives gained from his fourth place finish following the Andy’s Frozen Custard 300.
The pace keeps getting faster for Allmendinger at the intermediates. (Photo: Christopher Vargas | The Podium Finish)
“Yea, I mean, it’s stuff we learned for sure that we can go to Vegas and Homestead and hopefully feel a little bit better about,” he said. “Obviously, it’s a completely different racetrack. But speed is speed. And if you can have it at one racetrack, you can bring it to the next, so we’ll keep digging.”
Perhaps Allmendinger can duplicate his efforts at Las Vegas, specifically from Mar. 6, 2021. After all, it was a day in which the Californian captured his first Xfinity Series win as a full-time competitor.
One of the hardest tasks is in the books with a pole winning effort. Now, Allmendinger and his team will work on finding the balance with his car’s race setup.
Similarly, the focus is on maximizing results during the Round of 8’s races at Las Vegas, Homestead and Martinsville for another shot at the championship.
“Honestly, both corners, I was sliding. It’s a good day,” he shared. “We know in race trim, we need to be better, but we’re starting up front. I think right now, we’re in a position of where we race it the same way
“At the end of the day, if we make it to Phoenix, that’s fantastic. We don’t change anything that we’ve done.”
