Allmendinger on Sonoma DNF: ‘It’s on me’
A deflated A.J. Allmendinger stood in the garage area at Sonoma Raceway Sunday, knowing a strong day was wiped away because of driver error.
Allmendinger started fifth in the Toyota/Save Mart 350. The JTG-Daugherty Racing driver led five laps and captured the win in Stage 1, the first of his Cup Series career.
During the second stage of the race, Allmendinger missed a shift on lap 33, a move that ended the day for his No. 47 Chevrolet. He would go on to finish in 38th, last.
Allmendinger said he was “trying to be so patient and so smooth. It was unexpected. It’s on me.”
Sonoma marked Allmendinger’s third DNF of the season.
“Just trying to be patient back there and set-up each move,” Allmendinger said of his race. “The car was pretty good. I don’t know if it was race winning we needed to work on the long run but believe me when it happened I was in a lot of disbelief and shock.
“I wasn’t ready for it and let everybody down on this race team.”
In his previous four starts at Sonoma with JTG-Daugherty Racing, Allmendinger has finished 37th (2014), 37th (2015), 14th (2016) and 35th (2017).
SOURCES
Racing-Reference.info
Team Chevrolet
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Dominic Aragon View All
Dominic Aragon is currently the editor-in-chief for The Racing Experts.
From Grants, New Mexico, USA, Aragon started watching NASCAR in 2004 and has been covering the sport since 2009. Aragon is a 2012 graduate of Grants High School and a May 2016 graduate of the University of New Mexico with a B.A. in Mass Communications & Journalism. Aragon has worked in local and national media, as a musician, and an educator. He is co-author of the 2024 book "All of It: Daytona 500 Champion Tells the Rest of the Story" with racer Geoff Bodine.
Aragon, his wife Feliz, and son Christopher currently reside in Grants, New Mexico, USA.
You can reach Dominic at daragon@theracingexperts.net.