Allmendinger Completes First Day of Two-Day Test
Allmendinger, a Los Gatos native, and his JTG Daugherty Racing team are testing in advance of the Toyota/Save Mart 350 later this month (June 20-22). The team completed approximately 63 laps of testing on Tuesday, all in race trim, and will return for a second full day on Thursday.
"With our race team being as small as we are, we don’t get much test time, so any track time we get helps us focus on the weekend and future," Allmendinger said. "These tests are good because for me, as a driver, you don’t have to focus on other people, you just focus on your car and what feels good."
Allmendinger made the move to NASCAR in 2007 after a successful career in open-wheel racing, and 2014 marks his first season with JTG Daugherty Racing. So far this year, Allmendinger has posted three top-10 finishes, including a best finish of fifth at Talladega. He is currently ranked 20th in Sprint Cup Series point standings. Allmendinger’s best finish at Sonoma Raceway came in 2009, when he placed seventh. Not only is Sonoma Raceway a home track for Allmendinger, it’s also a home track for his sponsor, The Clorox Company, based in Oakland.
"Road-course racing, I’ve always thought, you can wring a bit more out of the car, whether it's braking or how you use the curbs or the lines you choose from," said Allmendinger. "So, that’s why I enjoy it and that’s why I feel like we can come here and have a shot to do well. And, if we put ourselves in position to win the race, then that’s great."