AJ Almendinger

AJ Almendinger is a former IndyCar Racer from 2007-2019 full-time for his team called AJ Racing from 2007-2011 and then from 2012-2019 The Dinger Motorsports. Since 2020 he is racing full-time in the Indy Lights Series for his team The Dinger Motorsports and is also racing select starts for his team in IndyCar. AJ races part-time for Kaulig Racing in the NASCAR Xfinity Series whenever he is close to the NASCAR races since 2022.

## Career

### Dr. Pepper IndyCar Series

In 2007 for his own team AJ Racing, AJ Almendinger made the jump full-time to IndyCar. Like many expected a new team wouldn't have too much success to begin with and Almendinger had no experience in this series yet. Almendinger got no top 5s or top 10s. He got no top 15s and 1 top 20. He got 34th in the standings. He had no sponsor this season.

In 2008, still with no sponsor, AJ started out to improve himself and his team by getting no top 5s or 10s but a top 15 and 2 top 20s got him 30th in the standings.

In 2009 AJ once again was sponsorless until everything from 2010 and on changed forever. Up to the point in the season he had 0 top 5s and 0 top 10s with 2 top 15 finishes and 2 top 20 finishes. 28th in points and starting 18th in the Cafés do Brasil Indy 300 which is the season finale he got up 4 spots from 18th to 14th in the first 4 laps of the race. By the next 10 laps he was 12th. With the 4th fastest lap of the race, AJ new this would be his best chance currently to land a sponsor for him and his team. By lap 50 he was in 9th. He didn't stop as he still wasn't even being talked about as Scott Dixon and Danica Patrick battled for the lead. Danica charged to the front like AJ was doing. On lap 79 he was mentioned for the first time today still running 9th. On lap 120 he was in 8th. The unsponsored black number 00 car with white decals was in 7th by lap 150. On lap 189 with 11 to go AJ caused Ryan Briscoe to spin which bumped him into 6th and also brought the caution out. AJ got the best start of the race with only 8 to go at this point. AJ drove up to 4th by the second corner and came so close to winning but Scott Dixon beat him by a second gap. This season standings had AJ get 24th in the standings with 1 top 5, 2 top 15s, and 4 top 20s. No top 10s unless you count the 1 top 5.

In 2010 AJ got a 1 year deal from Live Nation which wasn't so big at the time to sponsor every race on the 00 Honda for the season. AJ got no top 5s, 1 top 10 of 8th, 4 top 15s, and 2 top 20s with a 20th points finish in the standings.

In 2011 Live Nation renewed their deal for another year with AJ getting 1 top 5, 1 top 10, 2 top 15s, and 2 top 20s for 2011 and finishing 20th again in the standings.

In 2012, Live Nation left the team leaving AJ unsponsored for the first half of the season in 2012 but he was able to save enough fuel at the Firestone 550 at Texas to stretch the gap and win his first ever IndyCar race. AJ signed Dollar General for the rest of 2012 and the whole entire 2013 season as a sponsor. He got 2 top 5s, 2 top 10s, 4 top 15s, and 4 top 20s in 2012 getting him 16th in the standings. He also changed the team name this season to The Dinger Motorsports.

In 2013, Dollar General and The Dinger Motorsports were looking to excel greatly. AJ got 2 top 5s, 3 top 10s, 4 top 15s, and 5 top 20s giving him 15th in the standings. No wins.

In 2014, Dollar General signed for the whole season again. But this season had AJ get NO TOP 5S. 1 Top 10 at Iowa. He got 2 top 15s and 4 top 20s. He got 18th in the standings.

In 2015, Dollar General left the team but AJ quickly signed XYQ as the sponsor for 2015. AJ had his best season ever in 2015 with 5 top 5s, 6 top 10s, 7 top 15s, and 8 top 20s. All the top 5s came at road courses, 4 top 15s came at road courses, and most of the top 15s and 20s came at ovals. AJ won the 2015 Indy Grand Prix of Louisiana. Due to this being a bad race in general, this was the only ever Indy Grand Prix of Louisiana. He got 11th in the standings.

From 2016-2019 AJ didn't win any races and got 8 top 5s, 14 top 10s, 20 top 15s, and 18 top 20s. He got in order of year these points standing finishes, 11th, 17th, 20th, and 15th. XYQ sponsored every 2016-2019 race for the team.

He returned to race 1 race in 2020, 2 races in 2021, and 4 in 2022 after dropping down to race full-time in Indy Lights. He got 4 top 5s and all top 10s in every race he raced in IndyCar besides 2 of them which he got a top 15 and top 20.

### Dr. Pepper Zero Indy Lights Series

In 2020, The Dinger Motorsports and AJ Almendinger along with XYQ made the jump down to Indy Lights to build momentum. In 2020 AJ got 4 top 5s, 6 top 10s, 9 top 15s, and 10 top 20s. He got 7th in the standings. He won the 2020 Indy Lights Grand Prix Of Portland.

In 2021, he was able to win the Indy Lights Grand Prix of Barber Motorsports Park Presented by Cooper Tires and the Indy Lights Grand Prix of Monterey Presented by Cooper Tires. He got 4 top 5s and 8 top 10s with over 10 top 15s and top 20s. He got 4th in the standings.

In 2022 so far, he is leading the standings with 4 wins. He has gotten top 5s in all races but 2 races which were top 10s.

## List Of Dr. Pepper IndyCar Wins

1. 2012 Firestone 550
2. 2015 Indy Grand Prix Of Louisiana

## List Of Dr. Pepper Zero Indy Lights Wins

1. 2020 Indy Lights Grand Prix Of Portland
2. 2021 Indy Lights Grand Prix of Barber Motorsports Park Presented by Cooper Tires
3. 2021 Indy Lights Grand Prix of Monterey Presented by Cooper Tires
4. 2022 Indy Lights Grand Prix of St. Petersburg
5. 2022 Indy Lights Detroit Grand Prix
6. 2022 Indy Lights at Iowa Speedway
7. 2022 Indy Lights Grand Prix of Portland