AccessMyLibrary provides FREE access to over 30 million articles from top publications available through your library.
Create a link to this page
Copy and paste this link tag into your Web page or blog:
THE NATURAL; The new A.J. is wearing shades, but where will he shine next?(Motorsports)(A.J. Allmendinger )
Byline: J.P. VETTRAINO
In January 2001, A.J. Allmendinger was a go-karting whiz, and brash. Definitely brash. Yet, just past his 18th birthday, Allmendinger hadn't driven a race car. His opportunity came compliments of Team Rahal, which offered a test to five of the best karters in the country.
Allmendinger's first race car was a Rahal CART Reynard, which made about 800 hp then, and his test track was the California Speedway parking lot.
"We got 40 laps and I was third to go, and the first two guys took, like, 30 of those laps to get up to speed,'' Allmendinger says. "I thought, screw that. I may never get in one of these again. So on the second lap I hammered it and it was uh-oh, losing it... losing it, and I did several donuts and took out every cone they'd set up, and I probably took almost as long as the other guys to start making real speed. I didn't learn much, but I think I got their attention.''
Indeed. Less than three years after his first drive in a race car, Allmendinger has won 15 car races in three national series, and championships in two of those series. He was runner-up in the other. This year, on his way to the Toyota Atlantic championship, Allmendinger won nine poles in 12 races (matching the record Gilles Villeneuve set in 1976) and more races than any Atlantic rookie before him (seven).
As the Atlantic series closed its season in Miami, the buzz was about Motorock and rock 'n' roll shows and CART's future. But A.J. Allmendinger truly is CART's future, or maybe American open-wheel racing's future. He is five feet, six inches and 135 pounds of blond flat-topped racing talent, and as a racer he has shown no obvious flaws. The scariest thing is that he is so levelheaded-basically just a good guy.
"He's something special, there's no doubt,'' says three-time CART champion Bobby Rahal, who raced against Villeneuve in Atlantic and launched an Atlantic team for driver Danica Patrick this season. "He's had the best of everything this year-engines, engineering, everything-but he hasn't squandered it.
- Allmendinger ready to continue momentum.(Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)
- Newspaper article from: Knight Ridder/Tribune News Service Kallmann, Dave August 3, 2004 700+ words
...as champion of the Barber Dodge Pro Series in 2002...Championship in 2003, Allmendinger knew he'd have his...else does there." Allmendinger saw more of the gravel...America while racing in Barber Dodge (although he finished...year. Consequently, Allmendinger will experience ...
- Allmendinger decides to shift to NASCAR.
- Newspaper article from: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (Milwaukee, WI) October 25, 2006 700+ words
...Kallmann Oct. 25--A.J. Allmendinger, a tireless cheerleader...Car announced Tuesday. Allmendinger, 24, won titles in the Barber Dodge and Atlantic Championship...what's out there," Allmendinger said last month. "I still...
- Allmendinger says he won't be set in his ways.
- Newspaper article from: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (Milwaukee, WI) September 20, 2006 700+ words
...Dave Kallmann MILWAUKEE _ A.J. Allmendinger's life as a racer is full of fast...ride is as inevitable as crashing in Allmendinger's profession. But he had invested...Champ Car World Series, and suddenly Allmendinger needed a new job. No, he needed a...
- Allmendinger to NASCAR.
- Newspaper article from: San Jose Mercury News (San Jose, CA) October 25, 2006 700+ words
...open-wheel racing Tuesday as A.J. Allmendinger, the Champ Car driver from San Jose...Team Red Bull's Nextel Cup team. Allmendinger, 24, will drive the No. 84 Toyota...racing over time." Team Red Bull hopes Allmendinger can make his debut Sunday in the Bass...
- Allmendinger misses out on chance for Daytona.
- Newspaper article from: San Jose Mercury News (San Jose, CA) February 15, 2007 700+ words
...DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. _ As A.J. Allmendinger stared at the totaled heap of sheet...That's racin'," he said quietly. Allmendinger's last, desperate hope to race his...just another learning lesson," said Allmendinger, a San Jose native. And he has enrolled...
- Allmendinger's set for a different track.
- Newspaper article from: San Jose Mercury News (San Jose, CA) October 24, 2006 700+ words
...experienced a better or wilder year than A.J. Allmendinger. Think about it. Allmendinger, the race car driver from Leigh High School...one event remaining. But Tuesday morning, Allmendinger made his biggest score of 2006. He signed...
- Allmendinger mastering the NASCAR learning curve.
- Newspaper article from: San Jose Mercury News (San Jose, CA) June 21, 2007 700+ words
...fast, said San Jose native A.J. Allmendinger. A year ago he was arguably America...after making the leap to NASCAR, Allmendinger is just a raw rookie struggling even...everything in your memory," said Allmendinger, 25. "You have to start over. What...
- Allmendinger works through growing pains: S.J. NATIVE'S MOVE TO NASCAR BUMPY.
- Newspaper article from: San Jose Mercury News (San Jose, CA) June 22, 2007 700+ words
...fast, said San Jose native A.J. Allmendinger. A year ago he was arguably America...after making the leap to NASCAR, Allmendinger is just a raw rookie struggling even...everything in your memory," said Allmendinger, 25. "You have to start over. What...
Source: HighBeam Research, THE NATURAL; The new A.J. is wearing shades, but where will he shine...