By: Zach Catanzareti, Staff Writer
Each week, Kickin’ The Tires will highlight the 20th-place finisher from the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. Standing as the middleman in weekends with 40-car fields, there is sure to be a story behind each one.
For a guy who’s flirted around the top 20 all year, it’s shocking that Sunday’s AAA Texas 500 was AJ Allmendinger’s first 20th-place finish in 2018.
Indeed, with 20th spot earned for JTG Daugherty Racing in the 500-miler at Texas Motor Speedway, Allmendinger continued on a consistent path, only slightly improving on his 21.6 average finish in 2018.
In fact, Sunday has continued his best six-race stretch of the year; finishing no worse than 22nd since Richmond in September. Since then, the No. 47 driver has two top 10s and now four top 20s while teammate Chris Buescher also has placed among the top 20 more consistently.
However, days like Texas are not what will pound down the door for 2019 opportunities for Allmendinger, who will lose his ride in place of Ryan Preece for JTG in the season to come. And for JTG overall, you start to wonder how long top-20 days will be considered solid for a race team now in their 10th Cup season.
With only one win and 15 top fives in their 428 starts, when is the next step on the ladder going to be reached? 2018 was another year to forget for the team. Though they have been the top underdog team of 2018 and did kick tail in terms of surviving to finish the restrictor plate races (finishing top 10 in three of the four events), there is a clear cap on their success.
Outside plate races and road courses, Allmendinger tends to plateau around the 21st-24th spot, finishing in that area 11 times this year. This has put the veteran 22nd in points with next to no shot at catching 21st-place Jamie McMurray, who is more than a full race of points ahead.
The 22nd spot, however, will be a five-position gain from 2017, where he finished the season 27th in driver standings.
This weekend, Allmendinger will run his 19th race at ISM Raceway in Phoenix. He finished a highest of sixth in 2011, earning only two top 10s and 17 laps led at the desert track.
List of 20th-Place Finishers So Far in 2018
Daytona: Gray Gaulding
Atlanta: Alex Bowman
Las Vegas: Trevor Bayne
ISM: Trevor Bayne (2)
Auto Club: Darrell Wallace Jr.
Martinsville: William Byron
Texas: Gray Gaulding(2)
Bristol: Landon Cassill
Richmond: Ty Dillon
Talladega: DJ Kennington
Dover: Chris Buescher
Kansas: Michael McDowell
Charlotte: Kasey Kahne
Pocono: Clint Bowyer
Michigan: Jimmie Johnson
Sonoma: Kasey Kahne(2)
Chicagoland: William Byron(2)
Daytona: Trevor Bayne(3)
Kentucky: William Byron(3)
New Hampshire: Chris Buescher(2)
Pocono: Jamie McMurray
Watkins Glen: Chris Buescher (3)
Michigan: Chris Buescher (4)
Bristol: Kyle Busch
Darlington: Michael McDowell (2)
Indianapolis: Regan Smith
Las Vegas: Ross Chastain
Richmond: William Byron (4)
Charlotte ROVAL: Cole Whitt
Dover: Matt Kenseth
Talladega: William Byron (5)
Kansas: Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
Martinsville: Ryan Blaney
Texas: AJ Allmendinger
Mid-Pack With Zach: AJ Allmendinger, JTG Daugherty Racing
By: Zach Catanzareti, Staff Writer
Each week, Kickin’ The Tires will highlight the 20th-place finisher from the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. Standing as the middleman in weekends with 40-car fields, there is sure to be a story behind each one.
For a guy who’s flirted around the top 20 all year, it’s shocking that Sunday’s AAA Texas 500 was AJ Allmendinger’s first 20th-place finish in 2018.
Indeed, with 20th spot earned for JTG Daugherty Racing in the 500-miler at Texas Motor Speedway, Allmendinger continued on a consistent path, only slightly improving on his 21.6 average finish in 2018.
In fact, Sunday has continued his best six-race stretch of the year; finishing no worse than 22nd since Richmond in September. Since then, the No. 47 driver has two top 10s and now four top 20s while teammate Chris Buescher also has placed among the top 20 more consistently.
However, days like Texas are not what will pound down the door for 2019 opportunities for Allmendinger, who will lose his ride in place of Ryan Preece for JTG in the season to come. And for JTG overall, you start to wonder how long top-20 days will be considered solid for a race team now in their 10th Cup season.
With only one win and 15 top fives in their 428 starts, when is the next step on the ladder going to be reached? 2018 was another year to forget for the team. Though they have been the top underdog team of 2018 and did kick tail in terms of surviving to finish the restrictor plate races (finishing top 10 in three of the four events), there is a clear cap on their success.
Outside plate races and road courses, Allmendinger tends to plateau around the 21st-24th spot, finishing in that area 11 times this year. This has put the veteran 22nd in points with next to no shot at catching 21st-place Jamie McMurray, who is more than a full race of points ahead.
The 22nd spot, however, will be a five-position gain from 2017, where he finished the season 27th in driver standings.
This weekend, Allmendinger will run his 19th race at ISM Raceway in Phoenix. He finished a highest of sixth in 2011, earning only two top 10s and 17 laps led at the desert track.
List of 20th-Place Finishers So Far in 2018
Daytona: Gray Gaulding
Atlanta: Alex Bowman
Las Vegas: Trevor Bayne
ISM: Trevor Bayne (2)
Auto Club: Darrell Wallace Jr.
Martinsville: William Byron
Texas: Gray Gaulding(2)
Bristol: Landon Cassill
Richmond: Ty Dillon
Talladega: DJ Kennington
Dover: Chris Buescher
Kansas: Michael McDowell
Charlotte: Kasey Kahne
Pocono: Clint Bowyer
Michigan: Jimmie Johnson
Sonoma: Kasey Kahne(2)
Chicagoland: William Byron(2)
Daytona: Trevor Bayne(3)
Kentucky: William Byron(3)
New Hampshire: Chris Buescher(2)
Pocono: Jamie McMurray
Watkins Glen: Chris Buescher (3)
Michigan: Chris Buescher (4)
Bristol: Kyle Busch
Darlington: Michael McDowell (2)
Indianapolis: Regan Smith
Las Vegas: Ross Chastain
Richmond: William Byron (4)
Charlotte ROVAL: Cole Whitt
Dover: Matt Kenseth
Talladega: William Byron (5)
Kansas: Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
Martinsville: Ryan Blaney
Texas: AJ Allmendinger