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NASCAR: A.J. Allmendinger returns to Rolex 24 at Daytona

By Alex Herbst

SPARTA, KENTUCKY - JULY 08: AJ Allmendinger, driver of the #47 Kroger ClickList Chevrolet, looks on before the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Quaker State 400 presented by Advance Auto Parts at Kentucky Speedway on July 8, 2017 in Sparta, Kentucky. (Photo by Jerry Markland/Getty Images)
SPARTA, KENTUCKY - JULY 08: AJ Allmendinger, driver of the #47 Kroger ClickList Chevrolet, looks on before the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Quaker State 400 presented by Advance Auto Parts at Kentucky Speedway on July 8, 2017 in Sparta, Kentucky. (Photo by Jerry Markland/Getty Images) /
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After a one-year hiatus, NASCAR driver A.J. Allmendinger will race again for Michael Shank Racing in the Rolex 24 at Daytona.

NASCAR over the years has attracted drivers from all over motorsports, including IndyCar, Formula One, and sports cars. However, the pipeline of talent is not one-sided, with many stock car drivers moonlighting in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship for the Rolex 24 at Daytona. A.J. Allmendinger will once again be part of the round-the-clock race, driving for perennial contender Michael Shank Racing.

As reported by NBC Sports, Allmendinger will return to the team after a one-year hiatus where the team transitioned from the prototype class to the GTD category. The driver who normally handles the #47 Chevrolet for JTG-Daugherty Racing will share the #93 Acura NSX GT3 machine with Justin Marks, Lawson Aschenbach, and Mario Farnbacher. It will be one of two entries for Michael Shank Racing in the category.

A.J. Allmendinger had this to say about rejoining the Michael Shank Racing team, according to NBC Sports:

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"I am pumped to be back racing for Shank in the (Rolex) 24. I missed the race last year and I hated to, so I’m really glad to be back. His whole team did an awesome job with the Acura last year and it is awesome to be back with him for the Rolex. After racing for the overall win so many years in Prototypes, it will be a completely different experience to be racing in the GTD class, but I’m looking forward to it. Mike (Shank) always puts an awesome team together and this year is no different so I am counting down to get my first shot in this car."

Shank has a lot to be excited about beyond just the return of Allmendinger to his team for the Rolex 24. The team recently confirmed a part-time entry in the Verizon IndyCar Series with Jack Harvey, in partnership with Schmidt Peterson Motorsports. The team also locked down their entries from Acura in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, both in the GTD category.

Allmendinger, of course, will not be the only NASCAR driver racing in the endurance event around the Daytona International Speedway road course. In IMSA’s junior division, the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge, Ford Performance development drivers Cole Custer, Chase Briscoe, Ty Majeski, and Austin Cindric will drive a Ford Mustang in the season opener. Other NASCAR stars from Team Penske could join in the fun of the Rolex 24 for their new Acura-based IMSA operation.

Next: Top 100 NASCAR drivers of all-time

Stay tuned to Beyond The Flag throughout the offseason to see what all the NASCAR drivers are up to during the winter months. Also watch for more coverage of the Rolex 24 at Daytona, coming in January 2018.

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