Allmendinger wins Darlington's first practice

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A.J. Allmendinger posted the fastest single lap of the first practice session with a speed of 173.271 mph. He also posted the quickest average speed among drivers inside the top 35 in points with a mark of 170.542 mph during 34 laps.

Our View Most importantly, he avoided the wall and was not one of the seven drivers who suffered a Darlington stripe. For a complete list of these drivers, check out Darlington Stripes, a rolling list of drivers who have made contact with the wall this weekend.

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Allmendinger to change engine

A.J. Allmendinger will change engines before for the start of the Daytona 500, according to a tweet from @DustinLong.

Our View The engine was spewing a lot of steam during practice, so this is likely a precaution. Teams are allowed one engine change during the 500 weekend, but this should be his second and will force him to the back of the pack. That shouldn't really matter on a restrictor-plate superspeedway track, however.

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Several NASCAR drivers highlight Rolex 24 entry list

Six active NASCAR drivers will add some stock car spice to this weekend's Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona DP roster. Max Papis will be in Chip Ganassi's No. 01 car, DEI teammates Juan Montoya and Jamie McMurray will also team up in the Ganassi No. 02, A.J. Allmendinger will run the No. 6 Michael Shanks entry, Paul Menard is in the No. 90 Porsche Coyote and Jimmie Johnson will team with Alex Gurney and Jimmy Vasser in Wayne Taylor's No. 99.

Our View While this has no direct correlation to NASCAR races at Daytona or even on the road courses—since the Daytona Prototypes are distinct from the stock cars—track time is always helpful.

Complete Daytona Prototype entry list
Complete Grand Touring entry list

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BAM Racing due to return?

Beth Ann Morganthal Racing is developing a relationship with Warner Music Nashville that may allow them to return to the track competitively, according to their Web site. No details were given at this time.

Our View In this age of start and park operations, any attempt to be competitive is rewarded with consistent results in the 30s. Just look at John Andretti's effort this season.

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Allmendinger charged with DWI

A.J. Allmendinger failed a field sobriety test, according to ESPN.com, after blew a .08 on a Breathalyzer test. He immediately apologized for the incident and is taking full responsibility for it.

Our View According to unconfirmed sources, Richard Petty Motorsports expects to allow him to race this weekend at Talladega, where he finished 35th this spring.

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RPM – Yates to merge

Richard Petty Motorsports and Yates Racing announced an intention to merge their companies in 2010. Kasey Kahne, A.J. Allmendinger, Elliott Sadler and Paul Menard will be the drivers and the entity will race Fords.

Our View That leaves Bobby Labonte and Reed Sorenson out of rides next year.

This has to be one of the most convoluted entities of all time since RPM is made up of a merger between Petty and Gillett-Evernham Motorsports and Yates, who absorbed Hall of Fame Racing at the start of this year. The economy makes strange bedfellows, and it is not improving competition.

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Crown Royal Russ Friedman 400

Update: Allmendinger not going to backup

The No. 44 team has decided not to roll out a backup car for the Carfax 400. A.J. Allmendinger likes this car and does not want to give up his 13th-place spot on the grid.

Our View That's the good news, but Allmendinger is not going to get very much track time, which will hamper him during the opening segments of the race.

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Allmendinger scrapes wall in Michigan practice 2

A.J. Allmendinger scraped the wall at the 20 minute mark of the first practice session on Saturday.

Our View The damage might be enough to cause him to roll out a backup car and drop to the back of the pack. The right rear quarter panel was pushed back deeper than the tire, which suggests he may have suspension damage.

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Sorenson out at RPM?

Reed Sorenson is part of the latest rumor mill. According to Autoracingsport.com, Richard Petty Motorsports is considering shuttering the No. 44 team, moving A.J. Allmendinger over to the No. 43 and releasing Sorenson.

Our View All four RPM teams have been improving this year, but the weakest link seems to be Elliott Sadler. After abortively trying to release him at the start of the season, however, it would be hard to ring that bell again. Sorenson could become a victim of circumstances.

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Allmendinger posts single fast lap in Infineon Happy Hour

A.J. Allmendinger posted the single fastest lap in Happy Hour for the Toyota / SaveMart 350k at Infineon Raceway.

Our View Allmendinger has a lot of road racing experience in the Indy Racing League and Indy Lights, but unfortunately his average speed during this session was only mid-pack. You will find much better values at his level.

Michigan pit stall selections

Jayski.com has posted the pit stall selections. As expected, pole winner Brian Vickers took the final pit at the turn one end of pit road. Other drives with openings in front of them are Kyle Busch, Kurt Busch, A.J. Allmendinger, Juan Montoya and Jimmie Johnson.

Our View: This could be one of the tie-breakers you use for drivers who are evenly matched in your estimation.

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Dodge withholds support

The bankruptcy proceedings of Dodge/Chrsyler have put factory support on hold for the moment, according to NASCAR.com.

Our View: In this economy, with sponsorship at a premium, this support was extremely important. This impacts Richard Petty Motorsports' four teams and Penske's three teams. The effect won't be immediate, but without some additional support, money will eventually be tight.

Petty wants more consistency

Richard Petty wants more consistency from all four of his drivers, according to SceneDaily.com. “They really were a two-car team, and we brought two cars in and kind of got us behind, I think, on some of the stuff,” Petty said. “Hopefully, we’re going to get it together. If it don’t, we'll keep working until we do."

Our View: We all want that Richard… we all do.

Allmendinger fastest in Showdown practice

A.J. Allmendinger posted the fastest single lap in All-Star practice with a speed of 182.223 mph.

Our View: In normal conditions, we are also concerned with how quick a car is during longer runs—but this is a sprint to the checkers and the Dinger's fast speed makes him a favorite to advance in the All-Star race on Saturday night.

Reddin resigns from RPM

Tom Reddin has resigned from his post as CEO of Richard Petty Motorsports (RPM), according to ESPN.com.

Our View: Reddin has taken much of the heat leveled at RPM. A former CEO of Lending Tree, he may have found out how difficult this sport can be to industry outsiders. It is unlikely that Foster Gillet will help this team perform much better in the short term and the organization needs to look for someone who knows racing.

RPM teammates struggle to keep Kahne company

Only Kasey Kahne is locked into the All-Star race by virtue of winning it last year, which leaves Elliott Sadler, Reed Sorenson and A.J. Allmendinger hoping to win the Sprint Showdown or get voted in by the fans, according to SceneDaily.com.

Our View: Until last year, we would have said that none of these drivers would be a very good value, but Kahne won after the fan voted him into the big show and Sam Hornish Jr. finished seventh after racing his way into last year's field.

Happy Hour stripes

Here is a partial list of the cars that received stripes in Darlington's Happy Hour:

In Happy Hour:

Sam Hornish Jr. scraped the wall and spun
David Stremme slammed the wall; into backup
Denny Hamlin got a light stripe
Max Papis striped his car
Greg Biffle striped his car
A.J. Allmendinger striped his car
Scott Speed got another stripe
Reed Sorenson changed an engine
Bobby Labonte striped his car
Marcos Ambrose big stripe (backup?)

Allmendinger brings out caution

We've stopped blogging each time a car received a Darlington stripe (partly because the frequency of posting about these incidents has Blogger thinking I'm a spammer), but A.J. Allmendinger did enough damage to bring out a caution flag at the 32 minute mark.

Our View: The durability of this car makes it hard to wave a red flag over every effected driver. Allmendinger, however, does not have a very good Darlington record, so he should be avoided on Saturday.