AJ Allmendinger didn’t just crack a joke ahead of the Rolex 24 at Daytona; he floated a “what if” idea that would make any IndyCar driver instantly wince. It sounded funny in the moment… until you realize the stunt he was talking about could’ve wrecked a multi-million-dollar car and left his teammate walking away sore.

“No, what they do around Phoenix compared to what we do. The only thing I tried to get Scott to do when he went to test, or I was like run the dogleg one time,” he said. “I want to see. I want to shortcut it. I want to see how I don’t think he did it. Yeah, I don’t think you’d be feeling very well after it.”

AJ Allmendinger‘s lighthearted confession revealed a fascinating and slightly terrifying crossover fantasy involving Phoenix Raceway, IndyCar machinery, and one of the sport’s toughest champions.

While joking about his Rolex 24 at Daytona teammate Scott Dixon, Allmendinger admitted he was curious to see what would happen if Dixon tried something common in NASCAR but borderline unthinkable in IndyCar: cutting down onto the apron through Phoenix’s dogleg.

Usually, a kinked section of the oval where cars run slightly below the banking is unique compared to typical short ovals. Part of the apron below the banking is paved as part of the track’s renovation, and NASCAR stock cars are allowed to use that apron as part of the racing surface.

The heavier stock cars can tolerate the abrupt transition, and drivers often use it to gain track position. However, IndyCar is an entirely different story altogether.

With ultra-low ride height, stiff suspensions, and minimal margin for error, dropping onto the apron would subject the car and the driver to violent impact.

“No, it would destroy it, yeah, and it would destroy his back, I’m sure,” Allmendinger admitted.

That’s exactly why Dixon, a six-time IndyCar champion, almost certainly ignored Allmendinger’s suggestion. But Dixon isn’t new to Phoenix’s ways.

During the November 2025 IndyCar Phoenix test, Scott Dixon, alongside Alexander Rossi, was evaluating tire options and setups for IndyCar’s return to the reconfigured track.

Both drivers were expected to stay above the yellow line, meaning not run down onto the apron or into the dogleg that stock cars sometimes use.

In the end, the fan fantasy remained just that, a fantasy. Dixon kept his car intact, his spine unshaken, and Phoenix Raceway avoided becoming the site of a very expensive experiment.

And as the team prepares itself for the upcoming Rolex 24 at Daytona International Speedway, Dixon and Allmendinger are expected to shake up the field.

But while the Cup Series driver enjoys his off time at the event, the Kaulig Racing driver is expected to pull up his socks in 2026.

Great expectations from AJ Allmendinger in 2026

The California native now has 10 full-time seasons under his belt in the Cup Series with 482 starts to his name. Last year wasn’t about wins, but he still had some solid moments, finishing 26th in the standings with a couple of top fives, a pole position, and 42 laps led throughout the season.

What really stood out in 2025 was how he kept popping up when people weren’t expecting him. He grabbed his first pole position in a decade during qualifying at Bristol in September, and it was his first pole on an oval since 2012 at Kansas.

He’s always been tough to beat on road courses, but he also showed he can be quietly competitive on intermediate tracks like Charlotte, Darlington, and Homestead, finishing fourth, fifth, and seventh, respectively.

With another season working alongside crew chief Trent Owens and a better feel for what they have learned, Allmendinger looks like someone who could surprise the NASCAR community again in 2026.