AJ Allmendinger, a veteran of nearly every form of motorsport imaginable, found himself back in familiar territory last weekend, at Daytona International Speedway. The 2012 Rolex 24 at Daytona winner turned laps in the Acura ARX-06 during Friday’s IMSA-sanctioned test, marking his return to the endurance classic after a four-year break. Now preparing for the 2026 Rolex 24, Allmendinger is reuniting with the event that helped cement his reputation as one of racing’s most adaptable drivers. Despite his wealth of experience, this outing was a fresh challenge for him.
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The 15 laps he completed on Friday morning were his first behind the wheel of Acura’s latest GTP prototype, a machine far removed from his regular NASCAR Cup Series car or the older prototypes he once drove at Daytona.
Driving for team owner Michael Shank, Allmendinger joined an elite roster that includes Tom Blomqvist, Colin Braun, and Scott Dixon, three veterans of Acura Meyer Shank Racing’s 2025 Rolex campaign and seasoned experts in GTP machinery. For Allmendinger, the transition was as thrilling as it was humbling.
“I was on old tyres, so that was some of it, but it was definitely tricky to drive. I’m just trying to learn. A lot of it’s the braking, trying to get used to the braking and what the threshold is of not too much, or too much. I found ‘too much’ right away. But it’s alright.”
He likened the experience to starting from scratch. “It’s a proper race car, and it is about as different as you get from a (NASCAR) Cup car than anything. The braking, the grip, the sheer physicality of it all it’s a shock to the system… I wouldn’t say it’s like trying to learn how to walk again, but it’s a big step, trying to jump in it and know that you’re not going to get a lot of laps,” he added.
Though he’s no stranger to learning anything new, the NASCAR Cup Series Kaulig Racing driver’s focus now is on absorbing as much as he can before January. His immediate goal isn’t chasing lap times, but finding comfort in a machine that pushes both man and reflexes to their limits.
Ever the team player, Allmendinger is acutely aware of the talent surrounding him. Sharing a garage with drivers who have collectively conquered Daytona’s high banks countless times, he understands the stakes. He knows that his teammates are world-class, so he is just trying not to be the slow guy and let them down.
