Driver Profile: A.J. Allmendinger

Driver of the #22: Anthony James Allmendinger (Sprint Cup Series)

   Nickname: A.J., "The Dinger"
   Birthdate: December 16th, 1981
   Hometown: Los Gatos, California
   Resides: Charlotte, North Carolina
   Marital Status: Married (Lynne)
   Children: None

   Rookie Season: 2007
   Years in Sport: 5
   Starts: 152
   First Race: 2007 Food City 500 (Bristol)
   Poles: 1
   First Pole: Subway Fresh Fit 600 (April 2010)
   Wins: None
   First Win: N/A
   Top-Fives: 4
   Top-Tens: 26

  
   Team: Penske Racing
   Years with Team: First Year with Team
   Owner: Roger Penske
   Sponsor: Shell Oil Company/Pennzoil
   Car Make: Dodge
   Highest Points Finish: 15th (2011)
   Lowest Points Finish: 43rd (2007)

   Career Highlights:

• Attempted and failed to qualify for his first Cup race at Atlanta in October 2006 due to qualifying being rained out.
• Failed to qualify for the 2007 Daytona 500 and the next four races of the 2007 NASCAR season.
• Allmendinger finishes 40th in his first Nextel Cup. (Bristol 2007)
• After failing to qualify for the 2008 Daytona 500, he was replaced in the 84 Red Bull car until Talladega.
• Won the 2008 Sprint Showdown and finished 17th in the All-Star Challenge.
• Joined  Gillette Evernham Motorsports to complete the 2008 season in the #10 car.
• Joined GEM part-time in 2009 to drive the #44 car.
• Made his Daytona500 debut in 2009 finishing 3rd in the race.
•  For the 2011 NASCAR season, Allmendinger drove the legendary 43 Ford Fusion with sponsorship from Best Buy.
•  For the 2012 NASCAR season, Allmendinger will join Penske Racing in the #22.

Courtniee's 2012 NASCAR Prediction for A.J. Allmendinger:
       A.J. Allmendinger has been close to winning on numerous occassions, however, he always seems to come up short. Not this year!!!! I predicted A.J. will win two races in 2012, one of those wins will be on a road course, the other will be on a short track (perhaps Bristol or Richmond). And for all you Dinger fans, come September, do not panic. A.J. WILL make the 2012 Chase for the Sprint Cup!!! but he will finish 10th in points. Not to bad for his first Chase appearance though!!!