Allmendinger assumes blame for accident, not for being aggressive
Related: Newman says Allmendinger has one coming
AJ Allmendinger started Sunday's Axalta 'We Paint Winners' 400 in hot water and ended it the same way. In between, he methodically moved up the leaderboard before ending the day for himself and Ryan Newman.
By Lap 2, Allmendinger reported, "Water temps already 255."
Crew chief Brian Burns asked Allmendinger to turn on his fans, but the No. 47 JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet SS fell back to 28th by Lap 20.
"I don't know what else to do," Allmendinger said at Lap 16. "I'm not a miracle worker. How to find speed!"
As Allmendinger tweeted Sunday night, thanks to strategy and strong pit stops, he had climbed to 11th by Lap 130.
Racing Ryan Newman for seventh at Lap 139, Allmendinger got into the Richard Childress Racing driver, sending his fellow 2014 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup driver into the wall. JTG Daugherty shares information in an alliance with RCR, and as Allmendinger tweeted following the race, that relationship is important to his one-car organization.
Allmendinger defended his attempt to get spots on the track as he sought his third top-10 finish of the season and first top five. But he apologized again for the results of his actions that dropped him to 39th and Newman to 40th.
After earning his first DNF since last August at Watkins Glen, Newman warned the winner of that road-course race that payback may be coming.
"The No. 47 (Allmendinger) just ran out of talent," Newman said. "He has got one coming now."