Allmendinger Battles Adversity at Daytona, Secures Fastest Lap in No. 16 Celsius Chevrolet

With qualifying washed out by weather, AJ Allmendinger lined up 21st for the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway (submitted photo)

Daytona Recap – No. 16 Celsius Chevrolet

With qualifying washed out by weather, AJ Allmendinger lined up 21st for the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway. The race got off to a challenging start when contact while avoiding the spinning No. 66 on lap 11 caused damage to the splitter. The Kaulig Racing crew made quick repairs, keeping the No. 16 Celsius Camaro ZL1 in the hunt.

Despite the early setback, Allmendinger rallied and drove inside the top 10, showing speed in the draft. Playing it safe in the middle stages, he dropped to the rear of the pack to avoid potential trouble before beginning his charge forward with 20 laps to go. Just as momentum was building, a misfire on lap 140 forced the No. 16 back in the field, costing valuable track position.

Allmendinger closed out the 160-lap event in 26th place. While the result didn’t reflect the team’s pace, the No. 16 secured the Xfinity Fastest Lap of the Race, highlighting the speed of the Celsius Chevrolet on the superspeedway stage.