Yahoo Autos Allmendinger hopes fans ‘respect’ the emotion after Roval win
A NASCAR Cup Series victory is no small accomplishment, so it’s worth celebrating with an abundance of enthusiasm.
On Sunday, AJ Allmendinger did just that at the Charlotte Roval. And in the process, he wanted to send a message that it’s OK to appreciate the moment.
“I actually told [Kaulig president] Chris [Rice] that I was going to do it,” Allmendinger said of climbing into the grandstands after his emotional television interview. “He said yesterday when I talked to him, ‘What time are you getting to the track?’ I told him. He said, ‘Well, I might be going for a run.’ I said, ‘Yeah, the only run I’m planning on running is running into the crowd after we’re done racing.’
“I think you see my emotion, and that’s real. It’s raw. I don’t want to be crying on TV, but it comes down to that’s how much I care. I hope fans respect that.”
Allmendinger fully embraced his emotion and the accomplishment of Sunday’s victory because, frankly, a driver doesn’t know when or if the next one is going to come. Charlotte was Allmendinger’s third career victory and his first in the series since 2021.
It’s been a career of highs and lows at NASCAR’s highest level for Allmendinger. Since 2007, he has driven for icons such as Richard Petty and Roger Penske, gotten suspended, and returned to the series with JTG Daugherty where the team fought for every result. And in the last few years, has had his career rejuvenated by Kaulig Racing.
“The thing I hate most is watching somebody win a race and it’s because they win too much, and they get out of the car, and they’re like, ‘Yay … next,’” Allmendinger said. “Like, that’s how you know you win too much. Don’t get me wrong, I’d like to be like that. It’s just raw emotion. You just want to go up there and celebrate.”
Allmendinger also joked that part of the emotion comes from not being able to celebrate with anyone the first few times because of the pandemic, which left him having to give himself a high-five. NASCAR policies included social distance within race teams, so only the driver did the post-race celebration and required photos.
“I was just trying to have fun with it,” Allmendinger said. “Especially [for] kids. You don’t have to be my fan, but I think we all love this sport. There’s a reason why we’re all in this sport, and it’s because at some point in your life, and a lot of it was when we were kids, you fell in love with it, for whatever reason. To me, to go up there and celebrate, especially when there are kids up there that’s memories.
“Maybe it’s a kid that’s never been to a race and didn’t really care. Next thing you know, they’re celebrating next to a driver. It’s pretty special. I don’t think about it at the time, but you just want to celebrate with everybody. It was cool. I told everybody coming to the start/finish line after, all the men and women that are here, come celebrate with me on the front straightaway, and then you go up there, and it’s just about making memories and having fun. You don’t ever know if you’re going to win another Cup race, so you’ve got to celebrate like it’s your last. That’s why I celebrate, because you never know when it’s your last.
“I spent many years not even coming close to winning. You’re never going to see me get out of the car, do the ‘Hey’, and walk away. It’s raw emotion.”
