Allmendinger’s welcome back to NASCAR complete with first win
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.
Kurt Busch admits ‘My bad’ for team’s long day in Sonoma
A levelheaded Kurt Busch prevailed Sunday in Sonoma and carried his team to a fourth place finish. Carrying them after he was the one who made a mistake that cost them a shot at their first win.
Busch was busted for speeding on pit road, not once but twice. He had to serve two penalties and went a lap down to the leader. Through strategy and with an excellent racecar, Busch rallied and put himself back into contention with less than 25 laps to go. Driving into the top 10 than the top five before running out of time.
“We were fast, even on pit road, twice,” Busch said with a chuckle after he climbed from his No. 78 Furniture Row Racing Chevrolet.
“I messed up, flat out. I didn’t hit my tachometer right and I was speeding both times. It was one of those where I’m like how does that happen? I just put myself in a position that was poor trying to get too much on pit road. But man, this Furniture Row Chevy was fast. Congrats to [Martin] Truex. When we were running a lap down with him, I was trying to pace myself. I wanted to get back on the lead lap.”
Before the penalties Busch had driven from his seventh staring spot to the lead, and remained there for 15 circuits. Holding off road course ace Marcos Ambrose and others. When he pulled off to pit road for the team’s first stop and to start their race strategy he was busted for speeding and told to serve a pass through penalty. Things got worse when he was caught speeding while serving the penalty and left to serve a stop-and-go penalty.
That put Busch back on track and soon a lap down. He un-lapped himself once by driving past the leaders, only to go back down a lap again before he muscled his way back to the lead lap right before a caution came out. It gave him his track position back and when pit stops began and contenders began to fall, Busch starting driving back towards the front.
Late in the race Busch apologized again over the radio, telling the team that it was his fault, the car was awesome. Even taking the blame for other problems they’ve has had throughout the season. Never once though, losing his temper or unleashing on the radio, keeping focused on the task at hand and getting back to where the car was capable of running.
“We did get back on the lead lap when he [Truex] pitted, but we had to battle hard,” said Busch.
“We came back up through there. You’ve got to run guys and move guys and we gave guys room and just made one mistake. I think we could have gotten all the way up to second, but we never would have caught Truex.”
Busch and Jeff Gordon, who was also attempting to rebound from a pit road penalty, drove their way through the field together. Gordon made it to second but Busch felt he had a chance to race amongst the leaders had he not wasted a lap in which he radioed the team that he felt he could have grabbed three spots.
Instead he finished fourth and remains winless, his last coming in the fall of 2011. But the team is getting closer and Busch remains a skilled a driver as he’s always been. The calmness with which he handled himself on Sunday helped parlay the team to their fourth top five finish of the season.
A win might be coming however, if the last few weeks have been any indication. Busch just needs to keep himself out of trouble, something he was unable to do last weekend in Michigan where he also led laps but crashed while running up front. Next weekend, the series heads to Kentucky with Busch having moved up three spots to 17th in points, yet still looking for that complete race.
“I just have to thank the Furniture Row guys. We have Simmons, Serta, and Sealy as our mattress sponsors,” said Busch.
“But I got busted speeding on pit road. My bad.”
Commentary: Writing Stewart off early was a mistake as he continues to prove
Tony Stewart has never had a problem silencing his critics. In fact, he quite enjoys doing so.
As the Sprint Cup Series approaches the midway mark of their season, as well as closing in on the 10 races that will mark the race to the Chase, Stewart has silenced everyone. Five weeks ago he sat 21st in points and had many already questioning his possibility of making the Chase, before a win and back-to-back top five finishes catapulted Stewart to 10th in points entering Sonoma, where he’s won twice.
“It’s definitely been gratifying for sure. The thing is that, ‘A,’ we have to stay there and ‘B,’ we got to be consistent,” said Stewart Friday in Sonoma about his point position. “Getting there has been a lot of fun, it’s been very trying to get to this point, but it just shows how quickly you can get things turned around.
“There’s other teams that can make gains like that too. It’s a constant moving target. You have to consistently keep up with it and I’m proud of our group. The hard work that they’ve put to get us caught back up. The hard thing is that you can’t stop and they can’t stop with that intensity. We all have to keep working hard and keep that intensity up to get through the rest of the year.”
Stewart’s win in Dover came as a pleasant surprise, not so much for him – who proudly said the team had the ability just not the finishes – but perhaps his fans and others in the garage. Muscling his way past Juan Pablo Montoya with three laps to go, it began a hot streak for the team. Stewart-Haas Racing as company was the talk of the garage for their struggles and uncharacteristic performances.
It started to irk Stewart, who continuously defended his team and the work they putting in. Things didn’t get any better however, when rumors started swirling that crew chief Steve Addington should and would be fired. The owner-driver called it ‘unprofessional’ and said it ticked him off to have to worry about his race teams and what everyone else was saying.
Don’t wake the sleeping bear, a mistake that we made. Stewart’s awake now – with Addington still atop the pit box – and making his charge towards more visits to Victory Lane and another Chase appearance. And it’s got the attention of his competitors.
Clint Bowyer, who won this race last year, when asked what winning does for a race team simply noted what Stewart was doing.
“Look at Tony Stewart. I have no idea what it does, but you win a race, the confidence boost it gives you and your team and your organization – Stewart is a prime example,” said Bowyer.
“What was it four weeks ago, [the media] were hammering him to the point where he was fighting back, snapping back a little bit. He wins, now he’s running the top five ever since. He’s one to beat. He’ll be the one to beat here. He’ll be one of the cars you’ll have to beat to win the race.
“I don’t know what it does. It’s hard to explain momentum, the roll that you get on and probably all of sports, but this sport in particular.”
The Mobil 1 / Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet starts 11th on the grid Sunday for the Toyota-Save Mart 350. Stewart, looking to add another victory in the summer months where he’s often so strong, said he was encouraged with his machine because every time he’d been on track the team was making it better. Get him in the ballpark and Stewart can do the rest as he’s shown on more than one occasion.
Sunday should be no different. As he and his team continue to prove a little bad luck to start the season wasn’t enough to already be writing them off. For Stewart’s used to doing what has been said to be impossible, after all, he rewrote the Chase record book in 2011 on his way to a championship.
Since Charlotte in late May, he’s finished no worse than seventh. Before that Stewart only had one top 10 finish this season, an eighth at Phoenix in the second race of the year.
The Toyota-Save Mart 350 from Sonoma will air on TNT on Sunday, at 3 p.m. Eastern Time.
