As we head to Richmond Raceway after a controversial race at Pocono, getting into the playoff bubble has taken precedence for the drivers. With 5 more races on the regular season, with two of them being, the playoff spots are all for the taking as NASCAR Cup Series drivers look to make the most out of the 2023 season. And that is what the Kaulig Racing sensation AJ Allmendinger has in sight too.
Currently ranked 17th, the #16 driver is a fan favorite, considering his road racing prowess. While the NASCAR nation is headed to Richmond this week, the part-time television broadcaster for NBC has revealed his bizarre plan of getting over the curse.
Kaulig Racing driver, AJ Allmendinger ups the antics, revealing his bizarre plan
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
Heading into another exciting race week at Richmond Raceway, the field has changed gears, with drivers putting in everything to make it into the playoffs. Wedged between Michael McDowell and Daniel Suarez is AJ Allmendinger, the 41-year-old NASCAR sensation. With 4 top 10s this season, the road racing specialist has shown excellent performances.
He finished a spectacular 6th finish at Sonoma, earning himself praise. However, as we head to the race at Richmond, the #16 driver has revealed his strategy. And it’s a bit awkward to be honest.
He said, “We still wanted to do this you know, Richmond is a place that in the with this car probably we struggled at so in a way whether we practice twenty minutes at a time it doesn’t really make a huge difference, starting at the back is a challenge but I think Richmond is a racetrack that we have the setup right that you can still move forward.”
Instead of qualifying for Sunday’s race on Saturday afternoon, the #16 driver is all zoned in for his Xfinity Series race on Saturday. While the community finds it odd, given the driver’s capabilities, Allmendinger explained it was Matt Kaulig’s decision and the rest was left for to decide. And starting at the back on Sunday’s Cup Series race doesn’t faze him.
Playoff bubble driver AJ Allmendinger to start at the rear Sunday in Cup race at Richmond so he can run Xfinity at Road America (Derek Kraus to run Cup car Saturday). Huh? AJ: “Some people won’t understand it, but at the end of the day, we don’t care. This is what we want to do." pic.twitter.com/UJffMtJTDW
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) July 26, 2023
He said, “We wanna just have fun while we’re doing it and this is part of it like I love the Xfinity Series, I love just driving road courses in general, and something that I told Chris that I’d be ready to go on Sunday and we’re still gonna, however, the race is gonna play out, the race to me it’s still gonna play out the same way whether we start upfront or middle or back of the pack and you know if we have a good race car we can still driver forward.”
Furthermore, the zealous driver concluded his take, saying, “So I’m confident in it, and at the end of the day it’s about enjoying what we’re doing and this is part of it. I know and I get it Bob, people won’t understand it but at the end of the day we don’t care, its this is what we want to do.”
Talking to Fox’s Bob Pockrass, the #16 driver also expressed his joy seeing the team making resounding developments with the car and the team.
“We’re making gains” – AJ Allmendinger on Kaulig Racing’s 2023 season
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
Trending
Historic NASCAR Track Shutting Its Door After Final Run Has Racing Community Heartbroken
NASCAR Rumor: 66-YO Surprise Daytona 500 Winner Could Make a Return to NASCAR in 2025
1 Year After Heartbreak, Shane van Gisbergen Dominates Rivals in Dirt Track Return
Shane Van Gisbergen Discloses a Major Problem in NASCAR After Leaving Supercars
Amid Sleepless Nights, Tony Stewart’s Wife Leah Reveals Their 1-Month-Old Son’s 4 ‘Responsibilities’
With the driver leaving out practice, we sure have every right to be alarmed, but he has a point. Like the saying, it’s not wise to push an elephant up the stairs. And that might be what the 41-year-old veteran had in mind when he talked about his Richmond plans.
Though he is of the opinion that practicing on a tough track might worsen the problem even further, the driver also shared about the team’s improvement. When asked about his chances of winning at the upcoming courses at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Watkins Glen and making his way into the playoffs, he chimed in with a realistic approach.
He said,” I think you know the best way is to go win one of those 2 races, Michigan is a racetrack at least last year Noah (Gragson) was really fast in the #16 car so I think we can have speed, I was really happy with last week with ho we were at Pocono, it definitely showed that we’re making gains on our race car you know.”
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
WATCH THIS STORY: “The worst anti-NASCAR Karen” gets destroyed by fans amidst grave uncertainty over historic track’s comeback
What do you think of the driver’s decision? Is he giving more attention to Xfinity Series and not making the most out of NASCAR’s top-tier division? Tell us your thoughts.