Fast Facts: AJ Allmendinger

AJ Allmendinger made his NASCAR debut in 2006 following a promising career in the now-defunct Champ Car World Series. Here’s a look at the young driver of the #43 Best Buy Ford Fusion for Richard Petty Motorsports.

• Anthony James Allmendinger was born December 16th, 1981 in Los Gatos, California. He began racing BMX bikes at age five, moving to quarter midgets at age eight and later to karting, where he won two IKF Grand National Championships as a teenager.

• In 2001, Allmendinger made the leap to open-wheel racing in Formula Dodge, moving on to the Barber Dodge Pro Series in 2002. He moved to the Toyota Atlantic Series in 2003 with RuSport, earning the championship and Rookie of the Year titles on the strength of nine poles and seven wins in 12 races.
• RuSport moved to Champ Car in 2004, and Allmendinger continued to impress: he earned another Rookie of the Year award on the strength of 11 top-10 starts and nine top-10 finishes; he was also the first American driver to earn the AUTOSPORT International Rookie of the year award.
• Allmendinger moved on to NASCAR late in the 2006 season, running a handful of Camping World Truck Series races for Bill Davis Racing. He was named a full-time driver for Team Red Bull in 2007, remaining with the team until his release late in the 2008 season.
• Allmendinger came to his current position with RPM late in 2008 as a part-time driver, staying with the team through the 2009 merger of RPM with Gillett Evernham Motorsports and into 2010. In 2011, he was named the driver of the famed #43 for the revitalized Richard Petty Motorsports.

• Find out more about AJ Allmendinger at http://www.ajallmendinger.com/.

Image: Getty Images for NASCAR/John Harrelson