After three races to start the 2011 season, AJ Allmendinger enjoyed top-10 status, a rarity for a driver still learning the nuances of NASCAR Sprint Cup Series racing (he has run every race in a season just twice).
A couple hiccups dropped the Richard Petty Motorsports driver outside the top 10, but a recent charge – in the form of a top-10 finish at Richmond – has him back in contention.
Currently 11th, 12 points outside the top 10, this is the highest through nine races Allmendinger has been in his career. Last year he was 24th after nine races; in 2009 he was 27th.
Allmendinger was the guest on this week’s NASCAR national teleconference.
With his 11th-place position, Allmendinger currently sits in the second Wild Card spot. After race No. 26 at Richmond, the top 10 drivers in points will earn a berth in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. Chase spots 11 and 12 will go to the drivers outside the top 10 with the most wins, provided they are in the top 20. The tiebreaker goes to the driver highest in points. So, as it stands right now, Jeff Gordon – due to his win at Phoenix – would get the 11th Chase spot, with Allmendinger sitting in Wild Card spot No. 2 thanks to his 11th place points position.
Kyle Busch, who at Richmond won his second race of the season, figures three victories would be the number to land a Chase spot, saying, “Two’s probably going to be borderline. I think if you get three, you can probably guarantee yourself a spot. If you get four, yeah, you locked yourself in.”
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