“This will be good,” Allmendinger said. “It’s been a few months since I’ve been in a stock car. I haven’t been in one of the Gen-6 cars yet, so I think it will take a little time to get acclimated to it. Phoenix International Raceway is a great place for me to get back behind the wheel. I’ve always enjoyed the race track. It will definitely feel different, but I’ll be ready to go.”

Allmendinger made four Sprint Cup starts from behind the wheel of the No. 51 at the end of the 2012 season after being reinstated by NASCAR. Before that, he drove the No. 22 Dodge for Penske Racing before he was indefinitely suspended by NASCAR just prior to the July race at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway for violating the sanctioning body’s substance abuse policy.

PIR is one of Allmendinger’s favorite tracks on the Sprint Cup circuit. In eight series starts there, he has four top-15 finishes, two of those being top-10s.

“It definitely helps to go to a track that I enjoy already,” Allmendinger said. “It’s a tough race track, especially with the repave. It starts off so slick when we make our first few laps, then it gains grip. It picks up a ton of grip pretty quickly, then it goes back to being slick for the race. It’s definitely a challenging race track.”

– Photo courtesy of Getty Images for NASCAR

Follow Stock Car Spin on Twitter @SCSblog or like Stock Car Spin on Facebook. Amanda’s also on Twitter @NASCARexaminer and has a fan/like page on Facebook: NASCAR Examiner

A.J. Allmendinger has driven the No. 51 in the last couple of races while Smith has driven the No. 88, but Smith’s availability hasn’t put Allmendinger out of the No. 51 seat just yet. Allmendinger will be behind the wheel of the No. 51 for two more races — Sunday’s event at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway and next weekend at Texas Motor Speedway.

Smith will then climb into the car to drive it in the last two races of the season at Phoenix International Raceway and Homestead-Miami Speedway in Novemeber.

Smith will also show up in Nationwide Series competition in the season-ending weekend at Homestead-Miami, driving a No. 5 entry for JR Motorsports. JRM announced on Wednesday that Smith would be in that car full-time in 2013.

No 2013 plans have been announced for Allmendinger, as of yet. He started out the year driving the No. 22 Dodge for Penske Racing, but lost that ride in early July when he was indefinitely suspended by NASCAR for violating the sanctioning body’s substance abuse policy. He was reinstated by NASCAR in September, and made his first-start since his return at Charlotte Motor Speedway a couple of weeks ago when he first climbed into the No. 51.

Smith started the year behind the wheel of the No. 78 of Furniture Row Racing. He lost that ride a few weeks ago when team officials decided to get a head start on 2013 with its new driver, Kurt Busch, former driver of the No. 51.

– Photo courtesy of Getty Images for NASCAR
– Follow Stock Car Spin on Twitter @SCSblog or like Stock Car Spin on Facebook
– Amanda’s also on Twitter @NASCARexaminer and has a fan/like page on Facebook: NASCAR Examiner