Is AJ Allmendinger a Chase contender?

47 team in the Chase

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    44
3wideinturn1

3wideinturn1

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As I'm sure some around here have noticed AJ Allmendinger in the 47 car, has put up some solid runs so far this season. He's been driving with a fire under his butt since coming back from his suspension. With the new RCR alliance at JTG Daughtery, looks like AJ might be able to surprise some.

Question is this...Is he able to pull off something like Kurt did last year? Take a small single car team to a Chase berth?
 
Yes. The RCR alliance is already paying dividends for them. They had a slow start but with five Top 15s in the last six races they certainly have a shot, especially with AJ being more than capable of winning at Sonoma and Watkins Glen.
 
Maybe, I do think he will get his first win this year at the glen
 
hawg dawg said:
dinger ...larson...dillon.............. `1 gets a win w/ balls ta tha wall.
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Out of those 3 Larson would be my pick, Dillon just hasn't impressed me yet, maybe he will later in the season, but so far I'm not convinced he gets a win.
 
Allmendinger in...Johnston out ...Does anyone really care ? It's all just for fun right ? Some random driver will win the Championship and we'll move on to next year .
 
3wideinturn1 said:
As I'm sure some around here have noticed AJ Allmendinger in the 47 car, has put up some solid runs so far this season. He's been driving with a fire under his butt since coming back from his suspension. With the new RCR alliance at JTG Daughtery, looks like AJ might be able to surprise some.

Question is this...Is he able to pull off something like Kurt did last year? Take a small single car team to a Chase berth?
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Probably not.
 
I certainly think he has the abilities but I am not sure he has enough to push an RCR car into the chase... I'd love to be proven wrong tho.
 
AJ imo is absolutely the best of the rest when you look at the top tier cars. He has made that 47 team look a lot better this year kind of like Kurt did with the 78 team. I dont know if he can win a race but I hope so. Of all the rookies n lower tier teams I expect him to do the best.
 
Only diff is last year you didn't the need a win to get in. Kurt made it in on points. With Gordon maintaining the points lead like he has been and guys like Johnson, Kenseth, Kahne, Biffle, Stewart, and Gordon being winless... hell even Larson or Dillion could hit the setup right and run away with one - I say no way josé. He's gotta win.
 
I say yes. He most likely needs a win at Sonoma or Watkins Glen. I don't see a win anywhere else this year.
I think you need to be good enough finish around T5 or better a few times to turn one of those into a W. I dont think they are there yet.

But every race is a new day, and if you are in the top 30 in points entering the September Richmond race you still are a contender.
 
I doubt it. It would take a miracle for him to win at the Glen, where it's been KB, Brad and Ambrose leading the field the last 3 years.
 
FenderBumper said:
I doubt it. It would take a miracle for him to win at the Glen, where it's been KB, Brad and Ambrose leading the field the last 3 years.
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A miracle? In 2011 he had the car to beat and got punted by a lap down Kurt busch. Last year he ran 4th the whole day but had bad pit strategy
 
If he was racing as a N'wide regular, I would say he would win a race or more. He has never won a race in cup in 9 years, but he won his only two races in Nascar running in the N'wide last year. Anything is possible I guess. It would be cool if he did, a real underdog win.
 
Yes. Some may laugh but on tracks outside the super speedways, the 47 team is a top 20 team with the team's worst finish being 26th. AJ's finished every race and he's really good at road courses. If he can win just one road course, continue the solid finishes, he'd be a lock.
 
That 47 has been really really good this year with AJ in the car. Consistent every week. There's no way you can say that's a legitimate top 16 team by any stretch right now but it's a lot better than recent years. The dude just loves racing. Said he picked the 47 ride over a potential good IndyCar ride simply because "we get to race every week in NASCAR."
 
The Dinger is a wheel man, he's been really fast for sup-par teams (JTG, RPM, and Phoenix racing). If he never wins a cup race, you could argue he'd be the best never to do so
 
I think the 47 is so much better this year because they made a drastic change from Triad to RCR. I'm not saying Allmendinger is a bad driver, but I don't understand why he gets some of the love he does. What's he ever done in Nascar? Won two road course races in NW last year? I'll give him credit, he performed well enough in the 43 to get a shot with Penske, but didn't do jack with it before the whole suspension thing.

On the other hand, he's doing better than the other RCR affiliates (Mears and Truex), so maybe I'm not giving him enough credit.
 
Not this year. That team is much better this year but not yet a chase contender. I hope he proves me wrong though.
 
When your best shot at winning a race and likely making the Chase as well is either WG or Sonoma, the road courses are going to get wild this year.

Ambrose, Allmendinger, Patrick and that bunch will be all in. If guys such as Biffle, Stewart, Kahne, Kenseth, Gordon, Johnson don't have a win by then, look out :)
 
#17D500winner said:
When your best shot at winning a race and likely making the Chase as well is either WG or Sonoma, the road courses are going to get wild this year.

Ambrose, Allmendinger, Patrick and that bunch will be all in. If guys such as Biffle, Stewart, Kahne, Kenseth, Gordon, Johnson don't have a win by then, look out :)
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Yep I am betting the road courses will be the best races this year for Cup and Nationwide. Last years Nationwide's were both barn burners. The race at mid Ohio that Allmendinger won was insane. They tore that place a new one.
 
StandOnIt said:
Yep I am betting the road courses will be the best races this year for Cup and Nationwide. Last years Nationwide's were both barn burners. The race at mid Ohio that Allmendinger won was insane. They tore that place a new one.
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What do you suppose the likleyhood is of teams using "ringers" when there's a chance - even slightly - that their regular driver could sneak out a win and maybe make the chase?
 
If a "ringer" wins would he be the one that would qualify for the chase? He wouldn't have enough starts to be in it, but the regular driver would not have the win. It would be interesting to see if it's the car or driver that gets in. If it is the car, could the owner get somebody else to drive in the chase since the regular driver didn't get a win?
 
I say sure, Why not?
This guy has almost run himself out of the sport and came back fighting hard to prove himself.
Win it - no, but make it in, I say yes, A road course win sure would help his efforts.
 
Yogisd1 said:
If a "ringer" wins would he be the one that would qualify for the chase? He wouldn't have enough starts to be in it, but the regular driver would not have the win. It would be interesting to see if it's the car or driver that gets in. If it is the car, could the owner get somebody else to drive in the chase since the regular driver didn't get a win?
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Must be in top 30 points & have a win to qualify. If a ringer wins it'll just go down as a winner not in the top 30 so neither the ringer nor the car would qualify.
 
DaBiff1618 said:
A miracle? In 2011 he had the car to beat and got punted by a lap down Kurt busch. Last year he ran 4th the whole day but had bad pit strategy
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In 2011 he was driving for RPM, which is a step up from where he is now. In 2011, the finishing order was Marcos, Kez, Kyle. 2012 it was Marcos, Kez and JJ. 2013 it was Kyle, Kez and Truex Jr.

AJ is doing great in that JTG car, but it would take a miracle for him to beat all 3 of the drivers who have owned WG the past 3 years.
 
DaBiff1618 said:
My point was that he's proven he's capable of winning. Unlike the Danica's, menards, and gillilands of the world, on any given Sunday with a little luck he could steal a win.
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How has he proven that? Menard has won, and his stats are very similar to AJ's. He does have 3 top 10's with JTG, which is very impressive, but I'm not seeing the same threat to win that you see. Perhaps some day he'll get another quality ride. I wouldn't be surprised if he landed back at RPM if he keeps getting good results............ and looks close before he swallows something.
 
#17D500winner said:
What do you suppose the likleyhood is of teams using "ringers" when there's a chance - even slightly - that their regular driver could sneak out a win and maybe make the chase?
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Ringers havent done well in the cup series lately IMO so why bother wasting tires and fuel
 
I think the fact that he is even in the conversation for a Chase berth speaks volumes to what he is doing with that 47 team.

Before the start of the year most would have said he'd be lucky to be in the top 30 with that car. Now he has at least put himself in position to vie for a late spot on points. If any of the top drivers goes on a summer hot streak, there could be anywhere from 2-5 spots up for grabs just on points.
 
He'd probably win the championship if all the races in the Chase were road courses.
 
It's still a no. Doesn't take anything away from his win.
 
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