“I know I’ll be the weak link”: NASCAR star AJ Allmendinger doesn’t want to disappoint IndyCar legend at Rolex 24 at Daytona

AJ Allmendinger, who will join Acura Meyer Shank Racing w/Curb Agajanian for his 16th Rolex 24 at Daytona, has shared his doubts about his pace and role within a star-studded lineup. He said that he did not want to disappoint IndyCar legend and team owner Mike Shank in his GTP debut next month.

The NASCAR veteran will return to the 64th running of the 24-hour classic IMSA season opener after a four-year gap. He last raced in the Rolex in 2021 and finished fourth overall. This time around, he will drive the new Acura, a car he tested in November and has been working to learn and master.

Allmendinger will share the No. 60 Acura ARX-06 in the GTP division with full-season drivers Colin Braun and Tom Blomqvist. Six-time IndyCar champion Scott Dixon will also join the endurance lineup for the long stints.

"There's lots of buttons and it's tricky to drive. ... I'm trying to learn as quick as I can. I don't want to be the slow guy and let them down. I know I'll be the weak link, I just don't want to be the weakest link in the chain," AJ Allmendinger said (via imsa.com). "It's my job to run good stints and hand the car back off looking the same as it started. I told Mike [Michael Shank, team owner], 'I don't want to let you down.' He said, 'Ain't gonna happen, you never have.'"

Shank first teamed with Allmendinger in 2006. That partnership led Allmendinger to win the Rolex overall in 2012 with Justin Wilson, Ozz Negri, and John Pew.

"It's been a fun ride" - AJ Allmendinger hopeful for more 24 Hours of DAYTONA starts

AJ Allmendinger, who competes in the NASCAR Cup Series for Kaulig Racing's No. 16 Chevy, started as an open-wheel racer and moved to full-time stock car racing with Red Bull's NASCAR team in 2007.

The 44-year-old reflected on his run with Mike Shank, which began when the former asked Allmendinger to join his team in 2005, and hoped for more Rolex 24 starts.

"We ran it January '06 and it just kind of took off from there. He called me back the next year and it grew for every year straight. It's been a fun ride and hopefully this isn't the last one. We'll see if there's more," AJ Allmendinger said.

The 2026 IMSA Rolex 24 at Daytona weekend will start late afternoon on Saturday, January 24, and will end on Sunday afternoon. The Roar Before the Rolex 24 test sessions are set to begin a week before, on January 16.

Trackhouse Racing's Cup Series 19-year-old rookie Connor Zilisch will also debut in the Rolex 24 GTP class next month.

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Edited by Hitesh Nigam