A.J. Allmendinger
CREW CHIEF: Randall Burnett (35 races), Ernie Cope (one race)
TEAM: JTG Daugherty Racing
POINTS: 19th
WINS: 0
LAPS LED: 29 (fewest in last three seasons)
TOP 5s: 2 (ties career best from 2014 and 2010)
TOP 10s: 9 (Most since 2010)
POLES: 0
WHAT WENT RIGHT: His nine top 10s included a career best three in a row late in the season at Kansas, Talladega and Martinsville ... His two top fives came at Martinsville I (second) and Watkins Glen (fourth) ... Finished eighth in both Kansas races ... Best average finish (17.8) since 2010.
WHAT WENT WRONG: Recorded four DNFs (Michigan I, Kentucky, Indy and Charlotte II) ... Finished outside the top 10 at Sonoma Raceway for the sixth time in his eight starts at the road course ... Allmendinger was without his crew chief Randall Burnett at Pocono I for a lug nut violation.
WHAT TO EXPECT IN 2017: Allmendinger enters his 11th season on NASCAR’s premier circuit and his fifth with JTG Daugherty Racing, which adds Chris Buescher as the driver of its new second team.