FONTANA, Calif. – Quietly, A.J. Allmendinger and his JTG-Daugherty Racing team had a solid weekend at Auto Club (Calif.) Speedway, where the one-car team was able to capitalize on a strong qualifying effort Friday and transform it into the team’s first top-10 finish of 2016.
“It was really good for about 20 laps on each run,” Allmendinger said. “The take-off speed was awesome and I don’t know I just couldn’t get the thing to last for a whole run. We just kind of struggled there at the end on each run, that kind of hurt us, but short-run speed that was a lot of fun.
“I thought we were as competitive as anybody on short-run speed. We just needed something there for the last 10 to 15 laps. We will work on it. The pit crew was awesome. They bounced back with great stops all day.”
What made the run more impressive on Sunday, however, was the Los Gatos, California native was able to maneuver through the field after starting at the rear when his team opted to make a rear gear change following final practice Saturday.
“It was a good catch by our crew to see the burnt gear, from the sound of it; it wasn’t something you really notice, the detail they put into building these race cars and going over them was big,” he mentioned. “They caught it and saved our day. It was tough starting back there, but I didn’t realize I had driven through half the field so quick. The car was fast. We just need to work on trying to figure out these tires with this package, what makes the car last a little longer.”
Despite less than desirable finishes in the opening two rounds for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway and Atlanta (Ga.) Motor Speedway respectively, Allmendinger and crew chief Randall Burnett have been making solid gains since, which started with the opening round of the West Coast Swing at Las Vegas (Nev.) Motor Speedway, where the No. 47 Chevrolet finished 14th after starting 12th.
The finish is a much-needed boost for Allmendinger and his one-car team, who are hoping to put themselves back in Chase contention after missing out last season.
“It’s just important this whole West Coast swing, after an okay run at Daytona, a fast car at Atlanta, but didn’t get anything out of it and then got the penalty on top of it,” added the 2014 Watkins Glen Sprint Cup winner. “To come out to the West Coast go 14th, 17thand then an 8th, that might put us inside the top-16 to go into Easter break. Big momentum for everybody here at the shop. Just keep digging.”
Allmendinger didn’t get to 16th, but moved up one spot in the standings to 19th, sitting just two points behind fellow Chevrolet teammate Chase Elliott who occupies the Chase cutoff in 16th after five races.
The first off-weekend of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season leaves JTG the opportunity to let the solid finish sink it, but it’s also ammunition to improve when the series resume at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway on April 3.
Allmendinger will make his 16th start at NASCAR’s smallest track and look for his fourth top-10 finish and first top-five since a track-best of second in 2012.
Follow Chris Knight on Twitter @Knighter01.
