If you're a NASCAR fan, you know that last week A.J. Allmendinger finished the prestigious Daytona 500 in third place, which is a pretty big deal.

Race fans have lots of ideas about what gives A.J. an edge over the competition: his quick reflexes, his talented pit crew, his years of experience, but there's one thing they're all overlooking.

A.J.'s cat Mr. Tickles, who was found under a dumpster when he was a kitten, may just be the driver's secret weapon. Sure, he doesn't ride along with A.J. during his races, but they do pretty much everything else together.

He helps A.J. train:

Mr. Tickles follows him to all the big events:

He makes sure A.J. sticks to his diet:

He even cheers his owner on when they can't be together:

Mr. Tickle's silly antics have made him a hit on social media, where he has more than 2,000 Twitter followers and over 200 Instagram followers.

A.J. has a bright career ahead of him, and with the help of Mr. Tickles there's no telling how far he can go. For now, this lucky cat is enjoying his 15 minutes of online fame and time with his favorite driver.