Allmendinger Claims NASCAR Xfinity Pole at Road America; Series Gets New TV Partner
Photo by Logan Riely/Getty Images
A.J. Allmendinger set a track record in qualifying for Saturday’s NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Elkhart Lake’s Road America. His average speed of 111.666 mph late Friday afternoon on the recently repaved 14-turn, 4.048-mile circuit easily eclipsed the previous record set by Alex Tagliani in 2016 of 109.866 mph.
“You know, with the repave, it’s definitely a different race track, trying to get the car set up for it,” the Kaulig Racing driver said. “Coming into the weekend, we were just trying to make our best guesstimate of what we needed. Talked to Mike Shank a little bit about their Indycar weekend, Scotty McLaughlin just a little bit about what they thought about it. So, from there, just trying to make our best guess about what we need to do to the race car, knowing that the racetrack had the potential for more speed in it.
“I think just through practice we were just trying to make the car better. It was never really comfortable and I thought the first round of qualifying we made it better, but seeing Justin (Allgaier)’s lap with what he run, and I know Cole (Custer) was really quick, I felt like I was really going to have to put it together to even have a chance in the second round. Honestly, I come out of (turn) 13 and I crossed the line I thought to myself that was about all I had. Not as smooth of a lap that I could’ve put around the racetrack.
“We improved the race car, it’s better, but I think we need to keep making it better. Long run speed is still probably not quite there, but I’m just really proud of all the men and women at Kaulig Racing for bringing fast race cars and from the start of practice to improving enough to get this pole.”
According to Allmendinger, who will miss practice and qualifying for the NASCAR Cup Series race this weekend at Richmond Raceway, starting up front, and staying there, will be important for Saturday’s race.
“With the way the strategy of the race is now with no real live pit stops, if you pit, you don’t lose any spots to the guys that pit with you. I don’t know what tire wear is going to be, it’s definitely not going to be as big of a deal as in the past where you could still, if you got off the wrong strategy on tires, you paid the price, or if you chose the right strategy, it could make up the deficiencies of where you were at.
“So, starting up front and staying up front, not making any mistakes is going to be ultra important just because you don’t have the strategy now of pitting before the end of the stage, or something like that, to really make a difference. When the race is more straightforward, it’s important to be upfront.”
Allmendinger also believes it’ll be important to be up front for another reason.
“I do think it’s going to be hard to pass, honestly. There’s enough speed and these cars get in dirty air. Even when I caught someone and got behind them and it kind of got the car loose, and things like, so, yeah, it’s not making any mistakes and staying up front is going to be ultra important.”
Cole Custer will start second, followed by Justin Allgaier and Riley Herbst.
Earlier in the day NASCAR announced the CW Network will become the exclusive home to the NASCAR Xfinity Series beginning in 2025 and extending through the 2031 racing season. The CW will broadcast 33 live NASCAR Xfinity Series races annually, along with practice and qualifying events each weekend. Starting in 2025, for the first time in series history, every NASCAR Xfinity Series race will be available on free, over-the-air broadcast television with additional content available through The CW’s digital platforms. All NASCAR Xfinity Series races and ancillary content will be fully produced by the Emmy Award-winning NASCAR Productions group, in close collaboration with The CW Network.