Not very often does a victory in NASCAR feel good for almost everyone in the garage or the grandstands. Because in this sport, there can only be one winner and 42 losers on any given weekend.
Saturday at the road course in Wisconsin, AJ Allmendinger mastered Road America from the pole to earn his first career Nationwide Series victory. His first victory in any of NASCAR’s elite divisions and it became a moment well received around the NASCAR world.
What a difference a year makes. The loveable Allmendinger had never been a serious contender. He’d driven for teams that were, but always seemed to find himself in the wrong position. He looked good at Richard Petty Motorsports from 2009-2011. Finding himself in contention at Dover a few times before bad luck struck.
Then came 2012, where Allmendinger caught a big break. Moving to Penske Racing and the 22 car that was vacated by Kurt Busch. But halfway through the season he was gone and his career looked over. Allmendinger was suspended by NASCAR just hours before the green flag in Daytona last July for violation of the sport’s substance abuse policy.
When his ‘B’ sample also failed, Allmendinger chose to participate in NASCAR’s Road to Recovery program, in hopes of one day being reinstating and getting back on track. In the meantime though, he was done in the Penske machine.
That didn’t, however, mean team owner Roger Penske was done with him. A year later he’s given Allmendinger his second shot, after NASCAR in fact reinstated him last fall. He’s driven for the Captain in the IndyCar Series, where he came close to winning the Indianapolis 500 last month. And he’s been behind the wheel of his NNS car a few times, too.
Saturday, Allmendinger completed his NASCAR comeback and repaid the man who never gave up on him, never lost touch and promised when the right opportunity came around he’d be back in a car.
“What Roger’s done for me career wise is great, but personally it’s meant a lot more to me. After it happened last year, just making sure that I was OK. I wouldn’t have thought twice if he would have kind of wrote it off and not called and went on,” said Allmendinger after his win.
“He kept checking up on me. I didn’t expect anything from it, it was just nice to have a friend, somebody I could bounce ideas off of, life ideas. Figure out where I was going. Once the IndyCar thing starting happening that was a bit of a surprise and a great motivation to really be focused this year.”
As is tradition at Penske Racing, banners hang for each victory. All Allmendinger wanted was one from him, something to show what he’s done and a small gift that he could give back to Penske.
“Everybody on this race team, this organization from top to bottom, they’ve never I felt like they looked down on me or kind of put me aside or treated me differently. When I came back, I felt like they wanted me back,” Allmendinger revealed.
“The IndyCar side of it, they wanted me back, I felt like. And here, as soon as I showed up for the test at VIR [Virginia International Raceway] everybody seemed excited. It’s just meant the world to me. This is the only way I could repay them. I was trying so hard out there, at times probably over trying.”
Once Allmendinger took the checkered flag and before he had even started his celebratory burnout, he was already receiving congratulations and pats on the back from his peers and fans. Calling it a refreshing win, a story of redemption and proof that when you don’t give up, good things can come of it. 
Those who Allmendinger was racing on Saturday didn’t view the driver any different. Admiring the work he’s put in. Former Penske Racing driver Justin Allgaier, now at Turner Scott Motorsports, finished second and said Allmendinger doesn’t have to earn his respect; he’s already got it.
“From knowing Roger Penske and knowing the situation he puts his employees and his people in, obviously he has a trust and a respect of what AJ has told him and what AJ has done for him,” Allgaier said.
“I trust Roger’s opinion a lot and I have more respect for Roger Penske than most people in the garage and so if he’s taken him [Allmendinger] back in and put him back in his racecars, he’s done every step that Roger feels is necessary and I have respect for that.”
Third place finisher Parker Kligerman, also with a past Penske connection, was just as proud to see Allmendinger in Victory Lane. Kligerman said he and Allmendinger are not only friends, but neighbors, and he’s seen how far the California native has come over the last year.
“All your life you’re told everyone deserves a second chance, he made a mistake, he was probably in a bad spot,” Kligerman said.
“You could see that he probably wasn’t in the best place, personally at that time as a human being, not just a racecar driver, you can totally understand that. And to come back for any athlete or any competitive situation once you’ve lost it all, once you come back, you’re better at what you do.
“I think we’re seeing that with AJ, he’s in his prime, he’s leading the Indy 500, he’s doing well in the Indy cars, he’s doing well in the stock cars and he’s really at the point where he’s lost it all before and now he has nothing to lose and he’s showing what he really has talent wise.”
Allmendinger will continue to run for Penske in both the NNS and IndyCar Series as the 2013 racing season rolls on. Giving him more opportunities to prove he’s earned and ready to take advantage of the chance that he’s been given. And to continue to repay one of the only people who didn’t give up and walk away from him when his life took a dramatic turn almost one year ago.
