“As an almost 37-year-old mom, I’m proud”: AJ Allmendinger’s wife Tara shares empowering message as she marks her Fit Model debut

AJ Allmendinger's wife, Tara Allmendinger, celebrated a big personal win this week. The NASCAR Cup driver's wife made her debut in the new Fit Model amateur division and took home top prizes at the NPC Carolina State Championships.

In her latest Instagram post, Tara shared images from the event and reflected on returning to the stage for the first time since she became pregnant with the couple's first son, Aero, who is now two years old. She wrote:

"As an almost 37-year-old mom, I'm proud — proud of the discipline, proud of the growth, proud that I chose to honor the fire inside me instead of letting it dim.

"The last time I stepped on a competition stage was in 2022… in the bikini division… six days pregnant with Aero and I didn't even know it. Life has changed so much since then, but one thing hasn't: my love for pushing myself, refining myself, and showing up with purpose."

Tara, who was crowned Mrs. North Carolina America in 2021, won three awards at NPC Carolina State Championships this year. She earned first place in the Masters 35+ class and the Open Class B Fit Model. She also finished second overall in the Fit Model division.

Meanwhile, AJ Allmendinger finished the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season outside the championship top 20 in points. The Kaulig Racing No. 16 Chevrolet driver scored one pole and two top-5 finishes at Charlotte Motor Speedway and World Wide Technology Raceway.

The 43-year-old is filling up his NASCAR postseason with practice for IMSA's 24 Hours of Daytona at Daytona International Speedway.

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AJ Allmendinger prepares for IMSA return at Daytona

AJ Allmendinger participated in the pre-season testing for the 16th Rolex 24 at Daytona with Meyer Shank Racing on Saturday. His wife, Tara, also shared a video of the driver giving an interview on Instagram.

AJ Allmendinger interview during preseason testing for the Rolex 24. Image: Screenshot via @mrs.allmendinger on Instagram

AJ Allmendinger, who won the 2012 Rolex 24 and ranked the third quickest in the two-day session last week, discussed his confidence about handling the car's heavy steering wheel.

"I've been in the car, nothing has changed on the confidence level," he said, as per @fpkell.

He also explained the challenges of driving a car with three other teammates in another interview, saying:

"You're not fully comfortable in it because you're fitted to four different guys. I'm not overly tall, so I'm usually the short one in the group. It's weird," he said, via dailysportscar.com.

Allmendinger will return to the endurance race for the first time since 2021 with teammates Scott Dixon (IndyCar champion), Tom Blomqvist, and Colin Braun.