AJ Allmendinger and Aric Almirola were the underdogs of the Chase, the two drivers nobody thought could win the Sprint Cup championship. They knew it, too, when they arrived in Chicago and for the first time in their careers were allowed behind NASCAR's velvet rope. They got the white glove treatment in a private dinner with chairman Brian France and his executives, and were whisked around the city during a celebration of the 16-driver field.
In The Pits: Short stay at the party for Allmendinger and Almirola