Kaulig's AJ Allmendinger sets road course boundaries, cites aggression must not damage aero

Ahead of the Go Bowling at Glen race at Watkins Glen International, AJ Allmendinger discussed drawing a line when it comes to racing on road courses. As a part-time driver, Allmendinger will compete for Kaulig Racing, piloting the #13 Chevy on the intricate New York track.

In a recent interview, the veteran NASCAR driver talked about keeping the aggression in check and refraining from damaging the aero of the stock car. When asked about what moves he would avoid irrespective of the benefits he would gain during the race, Allmendinger said:

"I think for Watkins Glen especially aero is important. So if you try to make a move and you beat up the fenders of the race car or you do something, knock the nose in a little bit, it's just going to kill the speed of the race car. You can't kill the aero of the race car and think you're going to still have speed there. So I mean, there's one part of it of how aggressive to be because if you mess the race car up at all, I mean, you pay the price for it." [0:30]

Furthermore, Allmendinger believes there's a set of boundaries for everyone and continued by adding:

"I've always thought with how that person races you is kind of how you race them and we all have our lists of who maybe has done you wrong, who races you clean, things like that. So I mean, that all goes into it. But yeah, I think that line is different for everybody. And it's hard to speak on it when you're not in the moment."

---

"I feel better than I ever have"- AJ Allmendinger on his age being a factor in racing

In a recent interview, the 42-year-old Allmendinger was asked if the physical aspect of his age has affected him during race weeks. To this the California native had a very natural yet optimistic response. He said (via motorsport.com):

"It hurts a lot more, I'm not gonna lie. I don't let my body rest very much between golf and racing. And constantly just having to move. But in the race car, I feel better than I ever have. I think maybe it's just knowing how much I’ve got to hydrate. Especially a weekend like this on Saturday, after the Xfinity race — whether I feel great or not, I’ve still got to do the right things to make sure I’m good for Sunday."

Allmendinger then added:

"I had to laugh at Nashville [with five overtimes]. I got out of the race car and all the young guys looked like they were dying while trying to get out of the race car. I was like, man, I feel good. In that sense, I feel like I'm the best that I've been. But yeah, definitely during the week it hurts a lot."

With his return to full-time racing in the Cup Series starting from the 2025 season, the Kaulig Racing driver has shown great speed in this Xfinity season.

Although without a win, Allmendinger stands P5 in the overall Xfinity Series standings. He has accumulated three top-fives and 11 top-10 finishes in 23 starts this season.