RICHMOND INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY RACE RECAP
Race Summary: AJ Allmendinger lined up for the start of the Heath Calhoun 400 in the 15th spot on the starting grid and made his way into 12th by the 4th lap of the event. Allmendinger remained in the top 15 until the first caution flag of the day, which occurred at Lap 45. Crew Chief Mike Shiplett called for four tires and fuel during the first stop, as well as an air pressure adjustment in an effort to help his driver with the loose condition he was encountering driving into the corners of the .75-mile track. After those changes were made and four fresh tires were bolted on, Allmendinger lined up for the restart in the 20th position. Allmendinger struggled with a car he described to his crew chief as “not having any grip,” but never gave up and drove back into the top 15 by Lap 130 of the 400-lap race. Shiplett made additional air pressure adjustments during the next pit stop and Allmendinger let him know several laps later that his Valvoline Ford was more to his liking, but just a bit tight. At the halfway point of the race, Allmendinger held down 18th place and spent the next 100 laps of the Saturday night event maintaining his track position and working through the changing track conditions. A caution flag flew with 20 laps remaining in the event and the crew opted for four fresh tires and fuel as well as a wedge adjustment during the ensuing pit stop. Allmendinger lined up for the restart in 16th position and when the checkered flew, the Valvoline Ford held down 17th place.
Allmendinger on the Richmond Event: “It was a bit of a tough night. I am proud of this Valvoline pit crew. They fought hard all night. I am proud of Mike and everybody on the No. 43 team. At one point I thought we had our Ford Fusion really good and then another point the track got loose and we were just a little bit off. We fought really hard though. I was hoping to get a little better finish out of that, but all in all, for as much as I was complaining and as much as I was hanging on, 17th is respectable.”
The following is the finish position of the other Richard Petty Motorsports drivers:
Kasey Kahne, driver of the No. 9 Budweiser Retro Ford 21st
Paul Menard, driver of the No. 98 Schrock/Menards Ford 27th
Elliott Sadler, driver of the No. 19 Reynolds Ford 38th
Next Race
Date: May 8, 2010
Race: Showtime Southern 500
Track: Darlington (S.C.) Raceway
Laps: 367 Laps/501.3 Miles
TV Information: 7:30 p.m. ET on FOX
Radio Information: 7:30 p.m. ET on MRN and Sirius/XMSatellite Radio