Anthony Allmendinger will race next weekend in the San Jose
Grand Prix
Just a few years ago Anthony James Allmendinger was riding
around the streets of Hollister in a 1989 Ford Ranger that his
parents bought for him.
Today, A.J. Allmendinger spends most of time behind the wheel of
a racing machine that’s motor alone is worth more than most Silicon
Valley homes, and was designed to scream around asphalt tracks at
speeds often exceeding 200-mph.
Anthony Allmendinger will race next weekend in the San Jose Grand Prix
Just a few years ago Anthony James Allmendinger was riding around the streets of Hollister in a 1989 Ford Ranger that his parents bought for him.
Today, A.J. Allmendinger spends most of time behind the wheel of a racing machine that’s motor alone is worth more than most Silicon Valley homes, and was designed to scream around asphalt tracks at speeds often exceeding 200-mph.
This week, the former Hollister resident will be in that finely tuned Forsythe Racing car when the flag is dropped at the start of the second annual San Jose Grand Prix.
And depending on what Allmendinger does today in Edmonton, Canada, the 24-year-old A.J. could have a chance to break the record of the legendary A.J., as in A.J. Foyt, for the most consecutive wins by the time this week’s race gets underway.
The current record of winning four consecutive starts is held by both Al Unser and A.J. Foyt.
“It’s nice now, especially for him,” said Allmendinger’s mother Karen. “We always knew that he had the talent. All he needed was the team and car to show it.”
Prior to heading to Edmonton this weekend, Allmendinger had won three races in a row. His first came on June 18 in Portland, which also happened to be his first victory behind the wheel of a Champ Car.
Allmendinger then followed that up with a victory the next week in Cleveland and made it a trifecta with a win in Toronto two weeks later.
“This is a real exciting time in my life right now,” said Allmendinger, who is the No. 2 driver in the Champ Car 2006 Series and the only American competing on the circuit.
Currently Allmendinger stands behind only France’s Sebastien Bourdais in the overall Series point standings.
“Considering how the season started to even be talking about becoming the Series Champion at the halfway point is unbelievable,” said Allmendinger, who is competing in his third season on the Champ Car circuit. “It’s been a lot of hard work and self-determination. I’ve also been given a lot of great opportunities by a lot of people. My parents have always been behind me 100 percent.”
And this week Greg and Karen Allmendinger will be rooting on their son in car No. 7 as it makes its way along the downtown San Jose track.
“I told all of the relatives and everyone that they’ll know where we are by looking at the whole sea of blue (Allmendinger’s colors) in the stands,” said Karen.
Allmendinger is equally excited for the local race.
“I hear they’re roping off a whole section in the grand stand for me,” he said. “I don’t have a big family but hopefully the fans will show up and root for me. I am the lone American competing in the race.”
A year ago, the inaugural event drew some 160,000 fans over the course of three days. This year, the majority of those fans are expected to get behind car No. 7 in a big way, especially since Live Oak alumni Jimmy Vasser, 40, has entered into semi-retirement.
“It’s going to be a great time,” Allmendinger said. “The track is a bit wider this year so there will be more passing. The City of San Jose and Champ Car has done a lot to improve things for the fans this year too. Last year there was a chicane that slowed the cars down but that has changed too and the track isn’t going to be as bumpy.”
Allmendinger’s trek to the Champ Car circuit all started when he was a young child.
At the age of 5, he started racing BMX bicycles. By the time he was 8, Allmendinger’s interests had moved to racing quarter midget cars. From there, he started racing go-carts at the age of 11. Eventually he would go on to become a two-time International Karting Federation Grand National Champion.
He first was introduced to the world of motor sports by his dad, who spent a number of years himself racing micro-midget cars in the area.
“That’s where it all started,” said Karen.
Although racing was an expensive venture for the Allmendinger’s they were willing to help their only child as much as they could.
Allmendinger’s first big career break came at the age of 18 when he won a Skip Barber Champ Car Karting Scholarship. The scholarship gave him the opportunity to compete at the higher level but it still did not pick up the costs to compete, which weren’t easy to come by for Greg, who runs a carpet installation business, and Karen, who runs a medical office in Los Gatos.
As a result, A.J.’s parents had to mortgage the family home in Hollister and pull $30,000 out of it on three separate occasions.
“I tell him he can thank the California housing market for where he is today,” said Karen, with a chuckle.
After graduating from Leigh High School in San Jose in 2000, Allmendinger kept his foot on the throttle. In 2001, he had a second-place finish in the Formula Dodge National Championship.
The following year Allmendinger won six races, four pole positions, and earned nine podium finishes en route to the series title in the 10-race Barber Dodge Pro Series. His six victories in 2002 also tied him a series record for most victories in a single season.
By 2003, the year Allmendinger moved out of the family home in Hollister, his prowess behind was so impressive that he started competing on the prestigious Toyota Atlantic Championship Series, which is just one notch below Champ Car.
That season, the 21-year-old captured eight poles and eight victories en route to winning the Toyota Atlantic championship. That year he also shattered a number of track records and never qualified outside the top three. His eight wins were the most ever in a single season by a rookie.
After winning Rookie of the Year honors in the Toyota Atlantic Allmendinger shot up the following year to compete on the Champ Car circuit. By the time the season was over, he had won another Rookie of the Year award after finishing seventh in the point’s standings.
Last year, he finished fifth in the Series and is currently running second this season. He has already earned nearly $350,000 this season.
“I’ve always liked driving fast. It’s always been fun,” Allmendinger said. “It’s a great time in my life right now.”
