Elledge gives Allmendinger a boost

How much of an impact has new crew chief Jimmy Elledge had on A.J. Allmendinger's team? Plenty. Since Elledge became crew chief of the No. 84 Red Bull Racing Toyota, Allmendinger has finishes of 13th at Chicagoland and a career-best 10th last Sunday at Indianapolis. Allmendinger has improved the position of his car to 37th in the owner standings, 63 points behind the 35th-place No. 66 Haas CNC Racing Chevrolet. Next up is Pocono, where Allmendinger finished 12th in June -- his previous career best. ...

In an effort to remedy the tire problems that marred Sunday's race, Goodyear officials most likely will test at Indianapolis Motor Speedway later this year. "This was the same compound we raced last year, and the wear improved over the course of the day last year to the point where we could run the full stops," said Greg Stucker, director of race tire sales for Goodyear. "That didn't happen today, so we need to understand why." ...

Jimmie Johnson's win Sunday was the 35th of his Cup career, tying him with future Hendrick Motorsports teammate Mark Martin. Next on the list is Bobby Isaac at 37. The victory came in Johnson's 239th race. Isaac's 35th win came in his 235th race.