Penske Racing to take AJ Allmendinger to Long Beach without a sponsor for more seat time

FILE - In this March 15, 2012, file photo, NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver AJ Allmendinger looks on during practice for the Food City 500 auto race in Bristol, Tenn. Allmendinger doesn't know why Roger Penske gave him a second chance. All he knows is that he heads to Barber Motorsports Park this weekend in Alabama to make his IndyCar Series debut with an organization that fired him for failing a random drug test last year. (AP Photo/Wade Payne, File) (The Associated Press)

FILE - In this March 12, 2013, file photo, driver AJ Allmendinger gets ready for the afternoon session of IndyCar testing at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Ala. Allmendinger doesn't know why Roger Penske gave him a second chance. All he knows is that he heads to Barber Motorsports Park this weekend in Alabama to make his IndyCar Series debut with an organization that fired him for failing a random drug test last year. (AP Photo/AL.com, Solomon Crenshaw Jr.) MAGS OUT (The Associated Press)

Penske Racing will take AJ Allmendinger to Long Beach without a sponsor to give him more seat time before the Indianapolis 500.

Penske team President Tim Cindric said Saturday the team thought Allmendinger would be comfortable in the April 21 race at Long Beach because he's got familiarity with the track.

Allmendinger is making his IndyCar debut Sunday at Barber Motorsports Park in what was initially his only scheduled race before the Indy 500.

Roger Penske has given Allmendinger this second chance after firing the driver last summer for failing a random NASCAR drug test. The opportunity is with his IndyCar program, and Allmendinger last raced in an open-wheel series in 2006.

Allmendinger ran three times at Long Beach in Champ Car, with a best finish of eighth in 2005.