Is Allmendinger the Xfinity Title Favorite?

Photo Credit to Logan Riely/Getty Images for NASCAR 

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How Much of a Threat is AJ Allmendinger for the Xfinity Series Championship?

BROOKLYN, Mich. – What a week it’s been for AJ Allmendinger. Only six days after upsetting in the Cup Series race at Indianapolis, Allmendinger won again in the Xfinity Series at Michigan. As the Xfinity Playoffs near, AJ now has three wins on the season. Is he a true contender for the 2021 Xfinity Series championship? Kaulig Racing made the Championship 4 last year, does this year’s finale favor the 16 team?

A Tale of Two Drivers in Michigan

Last week’s race at Michigan was largely a microcosm of 2021 as a whole. Stage 1 was largely the Austin Cindric show. Although Allmendinger led early, Cindric set sail not long after. The 22 took a commanding Stage win, his ninth of 2021. However, Cindric’s day ended quickly in Stage 2, getting collected with multiple others in a restart crash.

The Penske No. 22 team certainly did not have the result they wanted in Michigan. However, their speed, performance, and execution has been unmatched all-season long. As the defending champion, Cindric is heavily favored to make another deep Playoff run. As the regular season championship leader, the 22 looks as strong as ever.

Cindric and others being taken out of contention opened the door in Michigan for Allmendinger. The 16 had to fight off the field in a triple-overtime finish. A faster car in the closing laps belonged to Josh Berry, as he was substitute-driving for Michael Annett in the No. 1. Allmendinger was passed by Berry in a daring three-wide outside pass. Later restarts though did allow AJ to retain position on the 1.

Never short on excitement after a win, Allmendinger attempted to climb the fence in a nod to his friend Helio Castroneves. “Whoa, I’m more tired from the celebrations than I am the driving,” Allmendinger said. “Thank you so much, guys. When you restart on the front row, the outside was the place to be. And you also have to just hope you got a push and Brandon Jones, thank you so much. He pushed me every time. I don’t want to wake up from this dream,” Allmendinger added. A dream season it is for Allmendinger, as the postseason nears.

A two-man fight atop the standings

While the 22 may appear to be the class of the Xfinity field in 2021, AJ Allmendinger has been lurking. Over the past 10 races dating back to Mid-Ohio, the 16 has made up over 60 points on Cindric’s lead. With another win and the Playoffs right around the corner, can Allmendinger rival Cindric for this title?

Last year saw Kaulig Racing’s Justin Haley put together a Playoff run consistent enough to make the Championship 4. Allmendinger’s team is absolutely riding high of recent momentum into the Playoffs. There’s little reason to doubt another Phoenix run out of this organization. Allmendinger’s experience at the upcoming Playoff tracks could be the difference in him knowing how to handle championship pressure. Especially look out for Allmendinger to be the man to beat at the Roval and Martinsville. The road racing veteran is going for a third-straight win at Charlotte. AJ has also been close to multiple Cup Series wins at Martinsville; a win at the half-mile venue could be the 16’s pathway to Phoenix.

If Cindric isn’t the sole title favorite, then Allmendinger is not far behind. With both drivers making up the top two in the regular season standings, they’re both heavily favored to make the Phoenix finale.

Next Faceoff for AJ and Austin

The next stop for the NASCAR Xfinity Series is Daytona, for the Wawa 250. Coverage begins Friday night, August 27 at 7:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN, MRN, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90. Kaulig Racing has been nearly undefeated in recent years on superspeedways, but that ended in February. The season-opener at Daytona was a dominant victory for Austin Cindric, who enters Friday night as a favorite for another win.

Written by Peter Stratta

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Photo by Logan Riely/Getty Images for NASCAR