Team Penske has announced the addition of AJ Allmendinger to its IZOD IndyCar Series program for 2013. Allmendinger will compete in at least two IndyCar events for Team Penske this season: the road course race at Barber Motorsports Park in Alabama on April 7th and the historic Indianapolis 500 on May 26th. IZOD will be a primary sponsor of the No. 2 Team Penske Dallara/Chevrolet.
Allmendinger competed in the Champ Car World Series from 2004 to 2006, earning five wins, two poles and 14 podium finishes during the three-year period. This will mark his second go-round with Penske Racing, as he drove for penske’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series team for 17 races in 2012 before he was suspended for violating the league's substance abuse policy. He successfully completed NASCAR's Road to Recovery program shortly thereafter, and returned to compete in four Cup Series events at the end of the season.
"It is exciting to welcome AJ back to Penske Racing," said Roger Penske on the Penske Racing website. "He obviously went through a tough time last year but he has done everything he needed to in order to get back to racing at the top level of the sport. We have always believed in AJ and his ability and he deserves this opportunity. We think he will be a strong competitor this season in the IZOD IndyCar Series for Team Penske and we look forward to racing with him in the IZOD car at Barber and at the Indianapolis 500."
"I'm really looking forward to getting back to my roots and racing in the IZOD IndyCar Series," said Allmendinger, who tested for Team Penske at Sebring International Raceway on February 19th. "I have to thank Roger (Penske), Tim (Cindric) and everyone at Team Penske for this opportunity. I think it's every driver's dream to race for Team Penske at the Indy 500 and that experience is going to be incredible. I also have to thank IZOD for their support and for giving me a chance to show what I can do. I definitely intend to make the most of it."
Learn more about Penske Racing at www.penskeracing.com and more about the IZOD IndyCar Series at www.indycar.com.
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