Track: Phoenix International Raceway
Event: The Profit on CNBC 500, Presented by Small Business Fueling AmericaCoverage Begins/Race Start: 2:30 PM/3 PM
TV/Radio: FOX, MRN, SIRIUSXMTEAM QUOTES:
Phoenix International Raceway:
“I look forward to racing at Phoenix International Raceway (PIR) because it’s a fun track for me and it is a technical track,” AJ Allmendinger said. “I have just always enjoyed it. Hopefully, we can go there and get some momentum going. I finished 11th there in the No. 51 car last year. Richard Childress Racing (RCR) had a good test there and hopefully we can go to PIR and feed off them.”
Clean start: “We have a clean start this weekend at Phoenix International Raceway after a brake issue at Daytona International Speedway and we have the perfect brand on the hood to play that up with Clorox Fraganzia,” AJ Allmendinger said. “Clorox Fraganzia is a multi-purpose cleaner that comes in three great scents – Spring, Forest Dew and Lavender. I use it at my house and it leaves the whole place smelling great.”
Technical alliance advantage: “We feel like we will be at an advantage at Phoenix,” crew chief Brian Burns said. “The RCR camp has tested at that track. So, we have a notebook to look at now going in with the new rules package. They have already done some work and it gives us a head start as opposed to some teams going there not having that luxury.
“There’s also the new qualifying format, which is obviously new for everybody,” continued Burns. “We feel like we’ve got a good plan going into it and feel like it’s not going to blindside us.”
Welcoming change: “To have for the fans a constant 30 minutes of cars running there’s going to be so much strategy,” AJ Allmendinger said about the new qualifying format. “You will probably see some tempers flare because you will see some blocking at the end to make sure either they advance to the next group or get the pole. I think as a driver for qualifying, say you don’t get that perfect lap the first round, but it’s just good enough to get into the next group. You really have a shot at the pole.
“Those format changes are going to be a lot of fun,” continued Allmendinger. “The Chase format doesn’t change how I drive. Every weekend you’re out there trying to win the race anyways. If you can’t win the race you are trying to get the best finish possible.
The Chase format: “With the Chase format, you can be having a terrible year and all the sudden you win a race and the next thing you know that can light up your season and you’re in The Chase,” Allmendinger said. “Then you gain some momentum, you’re right there and you have a shot at the championship. I think that’s what makes the new format fun. It’s cool to see what NASCAR is doing whether it’s The Chase or qualifying format. It leads to so many more varieties of things that can happen. For us, I think it gives us a good chance. It is just such a long season. It is all about pacing yourself and taking everything as it comes. Each year that I have done this, the more I have learned and the better I have gotten at that. That is what makes the best guys so good at it. They can take a couple bad weekends in a row and forget about it and move on to the next week and almost start over.
“Like I said, if it comes down to you having that bad season, and even with the old format you could win a couple races, but you had to be top 20 in points,” Allmendinger continued. “If you really struggled at the beginning of the year, it was hard to get out of that hole. Now, you can have 12 bad weeks in a row and be 30th in points and next thing you know, you go and win the 13th race. You are in the Chase and you have a shot at it. It really lends itself to making every week like Richmond (International Raceway) to a certain degree for the fans, TV and teams. It will be fun.”
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FAST FACTS:
AJ Allmendinger has nine starts at Phoenix International Raceway and two top-10 finishes. His average start is 12.444 and his average finish is 15.667. He has led 17 laps. Allmendinger’s best finish at Phoenix is sixth-place (11/13/11).
Career Starts: 192
Top-fives: 5
Top-10s: 30
Pole Awards: 2
First Start: 3/25/2007 Bristol
First Pole: 4/10/2010 Phoenix
Last Pole: 4/22/2012 Kansas
Best Start: 1 4/10/2010 Phoenix
Best Finish: 2 4/1/2012 Martinsville
Driver DOB: 12/16/1981
Hometown: San Jose, Calif.
Crew Chief: Brian Burns
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FAN OF THE WEEK:
Enter NOW for a chance to ride along with AJ Allmendinger during a race this season!
Each week, the JTG Daugherty Racing “#47 FAN OF THE WEEK” will have their photo featured on AJ’s car.
Every Tuesday this season, we will post the “#47 FAN OF THE WEEK” theme, with instructions on how you can enter. The best fan photo submitted to us VIA Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram will be chosen the following Monday and will be featured on the #47 car the following weekend.
IT’S TIME TO GET OUT & GRILL!
We had some great entries last week, who wants to be the next #47FanOfTheWeek ?
It’s time to Fire Up The Grill with Kingsford Charcoal and break out your cameras because we are looking for some great GrillMaster photos!
Whether you tailgate at the track or grill out with friends and family in the backyard, we know that many of you are masters of the grill. So, send us those photos, and if we pick you as the #47FanOfTheWeek we’ll put your image on AJ Allmendinger’s car and you can be his co-pilot at the race in Las Vegas next week… ENTER NOW!
DON’T FORGET TO INCLUDE THIS HASHTAG – #47FanOfTheWeek and send your picture to us on Twitter: @NASCAR47 or Facebook: JTGDaughertyRacing
