NASCAR Sprint Cup Driver Jamie McMurray is racing for the first time in the Daytona KartWeek. (Photo: LAT Photographic)

For Allmendinger, this week marks the beginning of a busy race schedule at DIS. He will make his fifth start in the Rolex 24 At Daytona on Jan. 30-31 with Michael Shank Racing and then tackle the stock-car portion of Speedweeks and the Daytona 500.

“It kick-starts my two months of living in Daytona,” Allmendinger said of this week’s kart racing. “It’s OK with me as long as I’m racing, I’m happy. I'd like to race go-karts a lot more if I got the chance. Unfortunately, there are not a lot of tracks there in Charlotte to go out and drive in. When I do get a chance, I go out there and have some fun.

“Ultimately, it still turns into wanting to win and if you don’t win, you’re (ticked) off. It’s a lot of fun and hopefully we will come out here, have a good time and run well.”

Like McMurray, Allmendinger says the competitive juices to win in karts are strong.

“I laugh because I almost get more angry in this than a Cup car,” Allmendinger said. “Because in a Cup car, you have what you have, it’s a 36-week grind and you’ve got to pace yourself.

“In a go-kart, it’s all about pride. We’re spending our own money to come out here. I grew up racing go-karts. I grew up racing against a lot of these guys that are here already. It’s more about pride.”

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