NASCAR
Can AJ Allmendinger Win at Watkins Glen Again? Recent History Favors the Road Course Ace
Perhaps nobody has higher expectations or more pressure on their shoulders for each road course race than AJ Allmendinger. The driver of the number 47 JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet won his 1st Cup race at Watkins Glen in 2014. He is looking for a repeat of this magic now in 2018. A win for this team would also mean a 2nd appearance in the Playoffs. With his recent performance at this track, it’s reasonable to consider Allmendinger a favorite for the Watkins Glen win.
Allmendinger’s Watkins Glen Stats
In his 3 starts at the New York road course since his win, Allmendinger has 3 top-10 starts and 2 top 10 finishes. This includes a pole in 2015, and 21 laps led. His best Watkins Glen result since 2014 was a 4th-place finish in 2016.
In his 9 overall starts at The Glen, Allmendinger has 6 top 10s, and has finished every lap competed. Only Kyle Busch beats AJ’s average start (9.8) and average finish (9.3) at the 2.45 mile facility. Besides Busch, no other driver with multiple starts at The Glen is more consistent that Allmendinger.
Recent Highs and Lows For AJ
In this season’s 1st road course race at Sonoma in June, AJ had a promising start but unfortunate early retirement. He would win the 1st stage then miss a shift, which led to a dismal 38th place result. More recently has had brighter results for Allmendinger. His season-best finish was P3 at Daytona last month. Last week at Pocono also led to a 14th place finish for the 47.
Managing Expectations at The Glen
Upon his early exit at Sonoma, Allmendinger stated that he perhaps had a top-5 car. However, he did not have a car capable of winning on speed. A top 10 or better run may be in the works this weekend at The Glen. However, his team must bring another solid car and be flawless in the pits. While AJ may not be a favorite for a dominating win, a race result inside the top 10 is very possible for the California driver.
Be sure to not miss a moment of the action as AJ Allmendinger looks to make the Playoffs for a 2nd time at Watkins Glen. Race coverage of the GoBowling.com at The Glen will be Sunday, August 5 at 2:30 PM EST. Catch every lap on NBC, MRN, and SiriusXMNASCAR Radio Channel 90.
