THE NATURAL; The new A.J. is wearing shades, but where will he shine next?(Motorsports)(A.J. Allmendinger )

Byline: J.P. VETTRAINO In January 2001, A.J. Allmendinger was a go-karting whiz, and brash. Definitely brash. Yet, just past his 18th birthday, Allmendinger hadn't driven a race car. His opportunity came compliments of Team Rahal, which offered a test to five of the best karters in the country. Allmendinger's first race car was a Rahal CART Reynard, which made about 800 hp then, and his test track was the California Speedway parking lot. "We got 40 laps and I was third to go, and the first two guys took, like, 30 of those laps to get up to speed,'' Allmendinger says. ...