A. J. Fike (born December 29, 1980) is an American professional racing driver. He is the older brother of NASCAR driver Aaron Fike. Fike won the 1999 United States Auto Club (USAC) Midget Car rookie of the year title and his younger brother Aaron Fike won the award the following season making them the first brothers to win the award in back to back seasons. He later drove in several NASCAR races.

Racing career

ARCA In Chevrolets and Pontiacs fielded by former ARCA RE/MAX Series driving champion Andy Hillenburg, Fike finished seventh in ARCA RE/MAX Series points in his first season on tour. In 50 career ARCA Series starts, he has eight top-five finishes and 19 top-tens with a career-best finish of second at Berlin Raceway in 2004. He scored his first career win in the ARCA series in 2015 when he led the most laps and won on a green-white-checkered finish at the Illinois State Fairgrounds in Springfield. Fike competed 15 of 20 ARCA Series events in 2016; he finished ninth in points with eight top-ten and three top-five finishes.

Open-wheel Fike finished tenth in the Indianapolis Speedrome midget points in 1997. In 1998 he finished second in NAMARS Midgets points with three feature event victories. He joined the USAC National Midget Tour in 1999 and was the Rookie of the Year. Fike finished a career-best second in USAC Midget points in 2001 with two victories at Lakeside Speedway in Kansas and at the Belleville Midget Nationals, also in Kansas. He finished runner-up in USAC Midget Copper World Classic at Phoenix in 2001. He also finished sixth in USAC Midget national points in 2002; posting a win at Limaland Motorsports Park in Ohio. His career-best Silver Crown finish was a third in the Copper World Classic at Phoenix International Raceway in 2002. Fike also posted three top-ten Silver Crown finishes in five starts in 2002. He finished 11th in USAC Sprint national points in 2002 with two runner-up finishes.

Fike was the Pork Pole winner at the Springfield mile-dirt track. Fike also qualified second at DuQuoin & Berlin. His best superspeedway qualifying effort was tenth at Gateway. Fike led for 48 laps in two races. A veteran of USAC Sprint, Midget and Silver Crown Series competition, NAMARS, Badger and ARCA Midgets and go-karts.

After racing in NASCAR, Fike resumed racing in ARCA and Open Wheel. In 2009, he finished second in the USAC Silver Crown points.

NASCAR

Truck Series Fike made two career starts in the Craftsman Truck Series. In 2003, Fike drove the No. 82 Ninetynine Racing Chevy at Phoenix. He started last in his debut, 36th in the field and finished 27th in the race, six laps off the pace. The next year, Fike would compete again for one race. He drove the No. 08 1-800-For-A-Phone Chevy at Bristol Motor Speedway for Green Light Racing. He once again started 36th and finished 33rd.

Busch Series Fike began running the Busch Series part-time in 2005, splitting time with his brother Aaron in the No. 43 fielded by Curb Racing. He made his debut at the season opener at Daytona, starting 25th and finishing 30th. At Phoenix, A. J. made the field in 36th, but finished in 30th, one lap off the pace. He would race again at Nashville in June, securing his best career finish at that time of 28th. He was 32nd at Milwaukee Mile, 30th at Pikes Peak International Raceway and 33rd at IRP. A.J. started his last race of the season at Memphis Motorsports Park, finishing on the lead lap for the second time that season and finished 21st in his Liberty Village Dodge.

Motorsports career results

NASCAR (key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)

Busch Series NASCAR Busch Series results Year Team No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 Pts Ref 2005 Curb Agajanian Performance Group 43 Dodge DAY30 CAL MXC LVS ATL NSH BRI TEX PHO30 TAL DAR RCH CLT DOV NSH28 KEN MLW32 DAY CHI NHA PPR30 GTYDNQ IRP33 GLN MCH BRI CAL RCH DOV KAN CLT MEM21 TEX PHO HOM 68th 529

Craftsman Truck Series NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series results Year Team No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 Pts Ref 2003 Ninetynine Racing 82 Chevy DAY DAR MMR MAR CLT DOV TEX MEM MLW KAN KEN GTW MCH IRP NSH BRI RCH NHA CAL LVS SBO TEX MAR PHO27 HOM 116th 82 2004 Green Light Racing 08 Chevy DAY ATL MAR MFD CLT DOV TEX MEM MLW KAN KEN GTW MCH IRP NSH BRI33 RCH NHA LVS CAL TEX MAR PHO DAR HOM 108th 64

ARCA Racing Series (key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.) ARCA Racing Series results Year Team No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 Pts Ref 2004 Fast Track Racing 11 Pontiac DAY 18 NSH 10 SLM 15 KEN 17 TOL 6 CLT 12 KAN 16 POC 28 SBO 9 BLN 2 GTW 3 LER 6 TOL 25 TAL 18 7th 4715 Chevy MCH 38 KEN 25 POC 28 NSH 5 ISF 20 DSF 17 CHI 8 SLM 8 2005 10 DAY NSH SLM KEN TOL LAN MIL POC MCH KAN KEN BLN POC GTW LER NSH MCH ISF 8 TOL 83rd 350 RFMS Racing Chevy DSF 17 CHI SLM TAL 2006 12 Ford DAY NSH SLM WIN KEN TOL POC MCH KAN KEN BLN POC GTW NSH MCH ISF 18 MIL TOL DSF 6 CHI SLM TAL IOW 83rd 355 2007 DAY USA NSH SLM KAN WIN KEN TOL IOW POC MCH BLN KEN POC NSH ISF 35 MIL GTW DSF 4 CHI SLM TAL TOL 87th 285 2008 DAY SLM IOW KAN CAR KEN TOL POC MCH CAY KEN BLN POC NSH ISF 30 DSF 26 CHI SLM NJE TAL TOL 102nd 180 2009 10 DAY SLM CAR TAL KEN TOL POC MCH MFD IOW KEN BLN POC ISF 4 CHI TOL DSF 4* NJE SLM KAN CAR 66th 445 2010 DAY PBE SLM TEX TAL TOL POC MCH IOW MFD POC BLN NJE ISF 5 CHI DSF 25 TOL SLM KAN CAR 65th 330 2011 DAY TAL SLM TOL NJE CHI POC MCH WIN BLN IOW IRP POC ISF 28 MAD DSF 28 SLM KAN TOL 98th 180 2012 18 DAY MOB SLM TAL TOL ELK POC MCH WIN NJE IOW CHI IRP POC BLN ISF 24 MAD SLM DSF C KAN 118th 110 2013 11 DAY MOB SLM TAL TOL ELK POC MCH ROA WIN CHI NJE POC BLN ISF 14 MAD DSF 9 IOW SLM KEN KAN 71st 350 2014 27 DAY MOB SLM TAL TOL NJE POC MCH ELK WIN CHI IRP 21 POC BLN 13 ISF 13 MAD 24 DSF 11 SLM KEN KAN 32nd 750 2015 DAY MOB NSH 23 SLM TAL TOL 4 NJE POC MCH CHI WIN 10 IOW 12 IRP12 POC BLN 10 ISF 1* DSF 6 SLM 7 KEN KAN 18th 1645 2016 DAY NSH 2 SLM 14 TAL TOL 21 NJE POC MCH 7 MAD 8 WIN 7 IOW 12 IRP 13 POC BLN 5 ISF 2 DSF 16 SLM 10 CHI 12 KEN 8 KAN 14 9th 2945 2017 DAY 34 NSH 15 SLM 15 TOL 16 ELK 9 POC 18 MCH 13 MAD 12 IOW 15 IRP 15 POC 20 ISF 8 ROA DSF 22 SLM 8 CHI KEN KAN 12th 2970 Chevy TAL 11 Fast Track Racing 10 Toyota WIN 12

References

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