AJ Allmendinger drops repeated f-bombs on engine manufacturer: ‘Hey, ECR, you guys f***ing suck!’

How exactly do athletes react to adversity? Often with profanity. And NASCAR’s in-car audio is remarkable there for giving viewers a close look into exactly what drivers say when things go wrong, similar to if, say, baseball, had all players mic’d up at all times and presented their reactions when they made an error. The latest case of this came from AJ Allmendinger’s early exit in Sunday’s Cup Series race at Kansas Speedway, which saw him cursing out engine manufacturer ECR Engines. Here’s how that looked on his in-car NASCAR Driver Cam feed, available on Max:

It went on from there:

This kind of reaction is somewhat understandable in the heat of the moment (not even the Asia song). That’s especially true with the stakes for Allmendinger in this race, which he had to exit after the engine issue. But this kind of rant against an actual car partner is interesting, as that relationship’s usually smoother at least in public. Consider, for example, some of the lines from an ECR post on their site last fall about Allmendinger and two other Xfinity Series playoff contenders using their engines:

The key to victory? All the power these drivers can get under the hood and making the correct adjustments from the time the cars hit the track this weekend in Las Vegas

“Each one of these races, regardless of track type, the small things make the biggest difference, whether it be on the vehicle, with the engine, or with the driver,” said Matthew Wiles, ECR’s vice president and COO.

The preparation for these track configurations and their respective engine tunings began when the season initially did back in February, assimilating feedback from teams, drivers, and data-driven analysis.

“We’re taking a look at every aspect that can be influenced by the engines. Some of these races have very complex strategies that are involved,” said Wiles.

…One critical aspect that gives Hill, Allmendinger and Love a leg-up is their shop’s location. RCR’s campus is home to both ECR Engines and Kaulig Racing, making the accessibility to their respective team’s tuners effortless.

“ECR plays a large role in terms of supporting these on-campus cars through our chassis dyno activities, ensuring that the vehicles are ready, and ensuring that the powertrain it is operating at its peak efficiency,” said Wiles.

Allmendinger certainly didn’t feel his ECR engine was working at peak efficiency Sunday. But it’s interesting that these driver cams (new this year, but similar to some previous things caught on radio) gave us such a close look at his reaction. And while the profanity here carries no particular threat of FCC problems (these cams are carried on a streaming service and come with content warnings), unlike some broadcast network moments, it could create some tensions between him and his engine shop.