"She thinks they're all her toys" - AJ Allmendinger's wife Tara shares sneak peek of family’s new addition
AJ Allmendinger’s wife, Tara, has shared a series of Instagram stories welcoming a new member of the family. Tara introduced their new pet named Omologato (a.k.a. Speed Racer), a tabby-calico mixed cat who could be seen playing with Aero’s toy cars.
Allmendinger is a veteran NASCAR driver who concluded the 2024 Xfinity Series season with a Championship 4 run. He got married to Tara in 2019, with the couple sharing a son named Aero James born in September 2023. Aero had surgery for craniosynostosis last December and is now recovering with a special medical helmet.
Welcoming Omologato to the Allmendinger household, Tara wrote on Instagram:
“Aero got a new kitty. Her name is Omologato Aka Speed Racer. ’Racer’ is a tabby cat and a calico = a tabico.”
Tara also shared Chicken Nugget, the cat playing with different toys in the living room.
“She thinks they are all her toys.”
In the latter part of her stories, Tara brought Chicken Nugget and her adopted cat sister Charlotte to a grooming salon in Denver, North Carolina.
Following a P9 finish in the season finale at Phoenix Raceway, AJ Allmendinger is now enjoying the off-season with his bigger family with the addition of Omologato.
The No. 16 Chevrolet Camaro driver finished the season with seven top fives and 18 top 10 finishes. He also bagged one race win at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway that punched his ticket to the Championship 4.
However, Justin Allgaier was crowned the champion after crossing the checkered flag ahead of the other championship-contending drivers.
Allmendinger will return to the No. 16 Xfinity Series car for Kaulig Racing in 2025. The season will commence with the United Rentals 300 at Daytona International Speedway on February 15.
AJ Allmendinger reflected on losing the championship race at Phoenix
AJ Allmendinger made his feelings known about losing in the championship race at Phoenix Raceway. The driver believed the No. 16 team deserved more after working so much on the car but it just lacked pace during the race weekend.
Speaking with veteran NASCAR reporter Bob Pockrass, Allmendinger said:
“I'm not sure what else we can do from a preparation and effort standpoint, honestly. I mean, we spent three weeks working on the car and countless hours in sim. And it just was never there all weekend, honestly. We fought hard, thought maybe we would steal the team championship... So yeah, I mean, how do I characterize the season? I just think they deserved a lot more."
Allmendinger started ninth on the field before finishing in the same position at Phoenix Raceway. Among the final four, the Chevy driver finished third behind Justin Allgaier (P2) and Cole Custer (P8). First-time championship contender Austin Hill ended his run in P10.
While Allmendinger is still looking for his first NASCAR championship, the Californian has won two Xfinity Series regular season championships in 2021 and 2022.