'Better than we deserved': Allmendinger pleased with Atlanta result

By foxsports
Published

For much of Sunday's Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500, JTG Daugherty Racing's AJ Allmendinger ran mid-pack and out of the limelight. However, by avoiding two big wrecks in the closing laps of the race, the driver of the No. 47 Chevrolet was able to work his way through the field and into the top 10.

When Jimmie Johnson crossed the finish line to score the victory, Allmendinger followed behind in seventh place, earning his first top-10 finish of the 2015 season.

Climbing from the car, Allmendinger shook hands with Martin Truex Jr., who finished ahead of him in sixth, and talked about how fun the racing was in the closing laps.

After running mid-pack for much of the afternoon, Allmendinger was pleased to end the day inside the top 10.

"Solid, seventh is probably just a tick better than we deserved," said Allmendinger. "I thought we were a 10th to 13th place car. Just fought a little bit too loose all day, but we were on the lead lap. The guys did a great job. My pit crew, Michael Klein, the jack man that leads this pit crew, he really got on these guys last year. The pit stops were awesome."

Heading to another mile-and-a-half track next weekend at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Allmendinger said he learned a few things during Sunday's race, but expects to learn even more during the upcoming test later this week.

"We will take more of the Goodyear tire test when we went there and learn from that," he said. "This place is a lot different than Vegas. Just momentum that is the big key."

With his seventh-place finish, Allmendinger jumped to eighth in the overall driver standings, up nine spots after a 20th-place finish in the season-opening Daytona 500. 

VIDEO: Atlanta Motor Speedway highlights