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AJ Ready for Rolex 24 With Michael Shank Racing

AJ will be back behind the wheel this weekend. But it won't be his NASCAR Sprint Cup ride--AJ is going racing for a watch.

For the fourth consecutive year, Michael Shank Racing has signed AJ Allmendinger to be a part of the Columbus, Ohio-based team's assault on the biggest jewel in North American endurance racing, the Rolex 24 At Daytona. The team has two entries in the top class, called Daytona Prototypes.

The Rolex event also has a GT class field as well, so picture a NASCAR Sprint Cup race going on at the same time on the same track as a Nationwide race, and you get the picture of how hectic the event can be. And, it lasts 24 hours...

The 47th running of the famed race, which will start at 3:30 PM ET on January 24th, is staged on the 3.56-mile combined oval and road course at Daytona International Speedway.

AJ sat on the outside pole for the race last year, and very nearly won the thing in his first run with Michael Shank Racing in 2006, coming up just under three miles short after 24 hours of hard running.

"I really like Mike Shank and working with his whole team is always a great experience," said AJ, who would score a custom-built Rolex watch for a victory. "This is just one of those races that you want to have on your resume. There are so many guys who come out for this from so many parts of the sport, its a great event that just keeps getting bigger. Hopefully we can go all the way and end up on top."

The "Roar Before The 24" test will take place January 3-5th, with the race starting on Saturday, January 24.