Allmendinger Returns to Kart Action at Daytona

AJ Allmendinger returns to WKA Manufacturer’s Cup competition this week as he travels south for the WKA Daytona Kartweek event which takes place on the 0.7-mile sprint track located inside the famous Daytona International Speedway oval.

Allmendinger last competed in the WKA Manufacturer’s Cup in March when the series raced at Carolina Motorsports Park in Kershaw, South Carolina. As he raced against some of the country’s most talented karters, Allmendinger drove to a second place finish in both the TaG 1 and Parilla Leopard classes and earned sixth in the TaG 2 event. He will participate in those same three categories this week and will run the No. 29 Arrow provided by KartSport. The TaG 1 and Parilla Leopard finals take place on Thursday, December 29 with the TaG 2 final on Friday, December 30.

Allmendinger, who was recently signed to drive the No. 22 Shell-Pennzoil Dodge for Roger Penske, has been keeping busy in the off season with a pair of previous karting outings at PRI and the Indy Motorsports Show.

The Daytona Kartweek event features the best sprint karters from across the nation with 700 entries expected. As Allmendinger prepares for both the Rolex 24 and Daytona 500 events at the World Center of Racing in the coming months, he hopes to jump start the festivities with victory on the kart track.

“It’s great to come out and stay sharp with some karting, but it is always so tough to jump in and go against the guys who do this week in and week out. I just want to say that in case I don’t win anything!" joked Allmendinger. “It is really very competitive, so I sometimes have to remind myself that I am out here to have fun and hopefully do well. My man Pappas will be taking care of the kart and I’m looking forward to doing a lot of karting over the next few days."

Live timing and scoring throughout the week can be found on www.worldkarting.com.