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NASCAR Sprint-Cup Series
SPENCER: “Drive It All”
I’m an advocate of jumping in any type of car you can whenever you can to strengthen a driver’s skill set and confidence...
Jimmy Spencer  |  Posted February 01, 2012   Charlotte, NC
Jimmy Spencer calls it like he sees it on SPEED. (Photo: SPEED)
I couldn’t have been happier to see AJ Allmendinger in Victory Lane in Sunday’s Rolex 24 at Daytona. The kid finally caught a break, and on a huge stage.

Allmendinger hadn’t won a race since his Champ Car days, so you can imagine what this prestigious win might do for his confidence. He so needed this morale boost going into the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season after being kicked around a bit at Red Bull Racing and then at Richard Petty Motorsports and never seeming to catch a break at either team. But Allmendinger finally caught a huge break when car owner Roger Penske offered him the job of a lifetime driving his car when Kurt Busch left the team during the off-season.

When NASCAR drivers cross over into other racing disciplines, I think it’s good for them and NASCAR as a whole because it shows the media and fans that our drivers can drive all types of cars. Seat time in other types of cars gives drivers, especially those who have struggled for one reason or another, confidence that they still can get the job done. I’d love to see all drivers who aren’t at the top of the heap venturing out into other series for the simple fact that it gives them the opportunity to prove they have what it takes.

I admire Allmendinger for doing this with the Rolex 24. With his gritty and determined three-hour drive to finish the marathon race, he showed everyone he’s still a talented driver who is on the brink of winning at the Cup level. With Penske equipment and resources, I really think 2012 will be his breakthrough year in NASCAR and the kid just might get that first points win.

Look back at the Seat Swap that Tony Stewart and F1 star Lewis Hamilton did back at Watkins Glen last season. Hamilton had a hell of a time and so did Stewart. I think the Seat Swap was informative for both drivers, their crews and everyone watching on SPEED because the way they drove those cars and their comments afterward showed the true differences between the two driving disciplines.
Winner AJ Allmendinger climbs from his car in Victory Lane. (Photo: LAT Photographic)

You’d have a hard time finding a Cup driver who wouldn’t have loved the opportunity Stewart had then, but that day also was good for Hamilton, his fans and the F1 world to understand just how difficult Cup cars are to drive. I consider NASCAR the ultimate form of motor sports because of the rigorous, lengthy schedule, the stubbornness of these cars and the sport’s large fan base. NASCAR controls the technology so closely that it puts a lot of the responsibility for performance on the drivers and teams. Computers can’t tell them everything like they can in other forms of motor sports, so moments like the Seat Swap shine a light on just how good our NASCAR drivers are and how versatile they can be.

The ‘Dinger proved his versatility last weekend at Daytona. In my opinion, winning the Rolex is much more important to guys like Allmendinger than to guys like Jimmie Johnson because it’s guys like Allmendinger who need the recognition and the reassurance that they are good drivers. I would suspect that Johnson doesn’t need that mental boost because he’s a five-time champion, but Allmendinger has struggled and suffered bad break after bad break during his time in NASCAR. Between being hired by Penske and winning this prestigious race, I bet he has a completely new outlook for the 2012 NASCAR season.

So, I’m an advocate of jumping in any type of car you can whenever you can. It can only strengthen a driver’s skill set and confidence. To hell with worrying about getting hurt in another car on a Wednesday night or an off-weekend. Drivers can get hurt playing pick-up basketball or riding a bicycle. You can’t live your life worrying about that.

Drivers need to spend their lives trying to improve their abilities behind the wheel, and if dabbling in other series helps them toward that goal, then I’m all for it.

Jimmy Spencer calls it like he sees it on NASCAR Race Hub on SPEED. He retired from driving with two NASCAR Sprint Cup, 12 NASCAR Nationwide and one NASCAR Camping World Truck Series victory, putting him in an elite group of drivers who have logged wins in all three of NASCAR’s premier divisions. In 478 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starts, Spencer amassed 28 top-five and 80 top-10 finishes. He won back-to-back NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour championships in 1986 and 1987 on the heels of 15 victories, becoming the first driver ever to earn consecutive titles in the series. He earned the nickname “Mr. Excitement” for his flamboyant and aggressive driving style early in his racing career.
The opinions reflected herein are solely those of the above commentator and are not necessarily those of SPEED.com, FOX, NewsCorp, or SPEED
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Jimmy Spencer

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