Allmendinger Slated For Full-Time Sprint Cup Return

Just over 13 months ago, AJ Allmendinger was on the outside of NASCAR, looking in. Saturday, he and JTG Daugherty Racing will announce his return as a full-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver in 2014.

Multiple sources say the California native has accepted a multi-year contract offer from team owners Tad and Jodi Geschickter and Brad Daugherty to drive the No. 47 machine, beginning at Daytona in February of next year. He will replace former series champion Bobby Labonte, who has been invited to remain with the team in a non-driving capacity.

An official announcement will come Saturday at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

In three prior races for JTG Daugherty Racing this season, Allmendinger has recorded an average finish of 17^th. Labonte has just four Top-20 finishes to his credit this season, with a best of 15^th in the season-opening Daytona 500 and an average finish of 27.7.

Allmendinger’s return to the Sprint Cup Series caps a 14-month period where he was suspended by the sanctioning body for violating the sport’s substance abuse policy. He completed NASCAR’s "Road To Recovery'' program in near-record time and has resurrected his career with a series of competitive Sprint Cup Series outing with JTG Daugherty and Phoenix Racing, and two Nationwide Series wins in as many starts with Penske Racing. He also finished seventh in the Indianapolis 500 for Penske after challenging for the win.