AJ Allmendinger ready for Sonoma after tough weekend in Portland

By Jonathan Fjeld and Joseph Eigo

After a disappointing weekend in Portland, AJ Allmendinger comes to Sonoma Raceway with his sights set on a win – or two.

Allmendinger is racing the Kaulig Racing No. 16 Chevrolet twice this weekend. He’ll race this Sunday in the NASCAR Cup Series and this Saturday in the Xfinity Series.

Allmendinger was among the favorites to win the Xfinity Series race in Portland last Saturday. The last time he drove an Xfinity Series car in Portland was when he led just six laps there in 2022 and won.

He set his sights on the checkered flag at the end of 75 laps Saturday in Portland. But he left disappointed.

Allmendinger struggled to advance into the final round of qualifying. After he did get a lap in that was good enough to advance, Allmendinger crashed. His team then had to pull out a backup car to start the race at the rear of the field.

Allmendinger had an uphill battle. He didn’t secure any stage points in the first two 25-lap stages, placing 15th and 12th respectively. He entered the top 10 with 14 to go. Multiple restarts ensued, vaulting him to fourth at the finish.

“What a day. Proud of our team for preparing the backup car and getting it ready to race after qualifying. Disappointed for my guys we came up short,” Allmendinger said.

In his return to full-time Xfinity Series racing, Allmendinger is still winless. He has seven Top-10 finishes, including three Top-5s, in the first 13 races. He has also led just 32 laps and sits sixth in points with 380 points.

At this point in 2021, he had two wins, eight Top-10s (all Top-5 finishes), led 127 laps and earned 82 more points than he has so far this season. In 2022, he had a win, 6 Top-5s, 12 Top-10s, led 142 laps and earned 150 more points.

Luckily for Allmendinger, he should be optimistic about securing his 18th career Xfinity Series victory in the coming weeks.

Last year at Sonoma Raceway in the Xfinity Series, Allmendinger muscled his car to a second-place finish.

To close out June, the Xfinity Series will head to Nashville Superspeedway where Allmendinger won last year – before they head to the Chicago Street Course where he’s an instant favorite.

It’s safe to say Allmendinger is an instant favorite on really any road course. It’s why he’s a favorite to win in the Cup Series as well, despite just one Top-10 finish – sixth last year – in his last seven Cup races at Sonoma. Adding to his favorite status, Allmendinger has started inside the Top-5 in all but one race in that seven-race span.

Many drivers say the new surface at Sonoma Raceway could make it hard to pass. That would then play into Allmendinger’s qualifying prowess at the track.

First up for AJ Allmendinger is the Zip Buy Now, Pay Later 250 this Saturday at Sonoma. Then, Sunday will feature Allmendinger in the Toyota/Save Mart 350.

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