CHARLOTTE — AJ Allmendinger's parents attended their first Indianapolis 500 in 1979, when they camped in a grassy lot and watched Rick Mears win his first 400. Their son was born two years later — Greg Allmendinger named him after A.J. Foyt, his favorite driver — and for a time it seemed like the Allmendingers would make it back to Indy with him. Allmendinger had risen through the open-wheel ranks to become one of the top drivers in the Champ Car Series with a five-win 2006 season.