AJ Allmendinger appeared at Auto Club Speedway this weekend as a guest of Roger Penske. While Penske Racing released Allmendinger following a positive test for a banned substance it was not without regrets as the team owner noted how his drivers were like sons to him.
While Allmendinger completes NASCAR’s “Road to Recovery” the veteran team owner noted this weekend that there may be options in the future with his team.
“I told AJ I wanted him to come to a race; I think he had been kind of undercover for quite a bit of the time, and I thought it would be good for him to get out and see people here, talk to some of the team owners,”
Penske believes that Allmendinger has options remaining in racing following his completion of NASCAR’s drug program.
“This is a speed bump in his career, but he’s certainly an option for people on the NASCAR side and the Indy side. He did a great job when you think about what he did in Champ Car.” Asked if he’d hire Allmendinger again, Penske said: “He could be an option for us, for sure.”
What type of ride or how much of an option there is remains to be seen. Michael Shank and AJ Foyt have also expressed interest in Allmendinger for the future.
Allmendinger joined Penske Racing on a one year deal to drive the No. 22 car this season. The team recently Joey Logano to drive the car in 2013.
