A.J. Allmendingers 2013 NASCAR plans are less certain. He ran a pair of races for #51 Phoenix Racing late last year after being reinstated by NASCAR, and while team owner James Finch has said Allmendinger will drive for the team again this season, it will apparently not be a full-time effort. Regan Smith is slated to steer the car in the season opener at Daytona, and reliable sources say that third-generation driver Austin Dillon will also run a handful of Sprint Cup Series races for Phoenix Racing.( Godfather Motorsports )(1-11-2013) UPDATE: Austin Dillon, the grandson of Richard Childress Racings owner, will drive a Sprint Cup car with a Hendrick Motorsports engine at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Phoenix Racing owner James Finch said during Fridays Cup test at Daytona International Speedway that Dillon will pilot his #51 Chevy sponsored by TAG Heuer Eyewear at the March 10 race. Finchs cars are powered by HMS engines. Dillon is running a full-time Nationwide Series schedule and about six Cup races for his grandfather, Richard Childress, as he plans to move full-time into Cup in 2014 at RCR. He is at the three-day Daytona test driving RCRs #33 in preparation for his debut in the Daytona 500 next month. Asked how the deal came about, Finch jokingly said, ‘Richard is too old to mess with. Austin says they dont have no fun.” In reality, Finch said, Tag Heuers existing relationship with Dillon helped put the deal together.( ESPN )
