NASCAR: A.J. Allmendinger Won’t Return to JTG-Daugherty Racing in 2019

“A.J. Allmendinger has been a valuable asset to the growth of our company, and we are grateful for his professionalism with our brands and the passion he has shown for this race team over the years,” JTG-Daugherty Racing car owner Tad Geschickter said in a press release. “As hard as it may be, we’re moving in a different direction for the 2019 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season and will be parting ways at the end of this season. It’s not an easy decision and change is never easy. We wish him the very best in his endeavors, and he will always be family to us.”

Allmendinger joined JTG-Daugherty in the second half of the 2013 season for a part-time schedule, going full-time with the team as driver of the No. 47 the following year. Allmendinger’s lone Cup Series win came from behind the wheel of the No. 47 at Watkins Glen International in New York in 2014.

In 363-career Cup Series starts, which include stints with Red Bull, Richard Petty Motorsports, Team Penske, and Phoenix Racing, Allmendinger has 11-career top-five finishes and 55 top-10s. Allmendinger has only one top-five and three top-10 finishes through 28 races this season and is 24th in the points standings, one position behind teammate Chris Buescher.

JTG-Daugherty Racing is not revealing specific future plans, but an ESPN.com report cites sources claiming part-time NASCAR Xfinity Series driver Ryan Preece as the leading candidate to replace Allmendinger in the No. 47. Preece has two Xfinity Series wins and eight top-five finishes in 13 races so far in 2018.

Allmendinger has a diverse racing background that includes success in the now-defunct CART Series and IMSA.