AJ Allmendinger, who has competed in NASCAR since 2006, will reach a milestone at Sonoma Raceway when he takes the green flag for his 500th NASCAR Cup Series start.
While victories have not come in bunches for him, the driver has remained part of the sport’s top tier for the past 19 years, finishing almost 1/5th of his total starts (90 races) inside the top 10. He has also bagged five pole positions and three race wins along the way.
In the latest race at San Diego last weekend, the Kaulig Racing driver crossed the line in fifth place, marking his first top-five finish of the season.
He had also turned in strong runs at COTA and Watkins Glen this season, where he finished ninth and seventh, respectively, as road courses remain his bread and butter in the Cup Series.
Next up, Allmendinger heads to Sonoma Raceway in California, the circuit he calls home, where he will reach the milestone in front of family, friends, and the fans who have backed him from the start.
For years, Allmendinger has carried the reputation of one of NASCAR’s finest road-course racers, and he now has another chance to add another good finish to that record at Sonoma.
With two road-course events of completely different layouts arriving back-to-back, teams and drivers will have their hands full, opening the door for many of NASCAR’s strongest road racers to stamp their authority.
Even so, Allmendinger has produced steady results at Sonoma, at least across his past three starts, finishing two of those races inside the top 10. Across 14 Cup starts at the California circuit, he owns an average finish of 20.6.
During last July’s race, he started from fifth on the grid but could do no better than an 18th-place finish when the race ended. This time, however, Allmendinger will have every reason to make his 500th NASCAR Cup Series start one to remember.
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