Tag: A.J. Allmendinger

A.J. Allmendinger to drive for Kaulig Racing at 2024 Daytona 500

A.J. Allmendinger will drive the No. 16 Cup car for Kaulig Racing at the 2024 Daytona 500 in February.

[autotag]Kaulig Racing[/autotag] announced on Wednesday morning that [autotag]A.J. Allmendinger[/autotag] will drive the No. 16 Cup car at the 2024 Daytona 500. Allmendinger has been full-time with Kaulig Racing since the 2021 season when he went full-time in the Xfinity Series. The 42-year-old driver spent the 2022 season in the Xfinity Series before moving up in 2023.

Allmendinger will return to the Xfinity Series with Kaulig Racing full-time while being teammates with Josh Williams and Shane van Gisbergen. Despite no longer racing full-time in the Cup Series, Allmendinger will still make select starts as he can win races, such as the 2024 Daytona 500 and Charlotte ROVAL.

This move suggests that Daniel Hemric will be the only full-time competitor at Kaulig Racing in 2024. The organization has two charters in the Cup Series and the No. 16 car remained unknown until now. Kaulig Racing didn’t name any other drivers or races for 2024 outside of Allmendinger, who is poised to compete in select events.

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A.J. Allmendinger returns to NASCAR Xfinity Series with Kaulig Racing in 2024

A.J. Allmendinger will drive the No. 16 car for Kaulig Racing on a full-time basis in the NASCAR Xfinity Series during the 2024 season.

[autotag]Kaulig Racing[/autotag] announced on Thursday morning that [autotag]A.J. Allmendinger[/autotag] will return to the NASCAR Xfinity Series and drive the No. 16 car full-time. Also, Kaulig Racing said Allmendinger will run select events in the NASCAR Cup Series with an undetermined schedule. This comes after Chandler Smith left the Xfinity Series program.

Allmendinger was previously full-time with the organization in the Xfinity Series in 2021 and 2022 before moving up to the Cup Series. In 2023, Allmendinger won the Cup Series race at the Charlotte ROVAL while earning two Xfinity Series victories in five starts. Now, he will push for a championship in the Xfinity Series once again.

Overall, this is a great decision by Kaulig Racing, as it allows Allmendinger to compete every week. This is the organization’s best opportunity at winning races, and while Allmendinger deserves a spot in the Cup Series, a championship will be within reach. Kaulig Racing has yet to announce Allmendinger’s replacement in the No. 16 Cup car.

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A.J. Allmendinger’s 2023 NASCAR Cup Series season in review

A.J. Allmendinger had a good year with Kaulig Racing in the NASCAR Cup Series. Here, you can check out Allmendinger’s 2023 season in review!

[autotag]A.J. Allmendinger[/autotag] moved to Kaulig Racing in the NASCAR Cup Series, and the end result was solid. Allmendinger finished the year with one win, four top-5 finishes, and seven top-10 finishes while finishing 21st in the point standings. Unfortunately for the driver of the No. 16 car, he could not make the 2023 NASCAR playoffs.

Allmendinger won his only race of the season at the Charlotte ROVAL and it was an emotional scene. Kaulig Racing didn’t have a great year so it was a very good ending for him. Allmendinger closed the campaign with 64 laps led (23rd-best) and a 19.6 average finishing position (21st-best); however, where did it go wrong for him?

The Kaulig Racing driver had a chance to make the playoffs but struggled with his overall speed. In fact, Allmendinger only had five top-20 finishes in the last 15 races of the 2023 NASCAR season. Kaulig Racing didn’t have the speed, which was surprising as the organization was expected to make a jump with Allmendinger and Justin Haley.

For 2024, Allmendinger’s future is currently unknown. There have been rumors about his status in the No. 16 Cup car. As of now, Allmendinger is expected to compete for Kaulig Racing in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. If so, Allmendinger’s full-time tenure in the Cup Series could be over as he is starting to get older.

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A.J. Allmendinger says he will race in Cup Series “no matter what” in 2024

A.J. Allmendinger revealed that he will be racing in the NASCAR Cup Series “no matter what” in 2024, even if that is on a part-time basis.

It has been well-reported that A.J. Allmendinger is likely to move back down to the NASCAR Xfinity Series with Kaulig Racing in 2024. All of the rumors about Allmendinger’s future in NASCAR came out after his Cup Series victory at the Charlotte ROVAL last weekend. A week that was supposed to be celebrated has turned into a week of distractions.

Still, the driver of the No. 16 Cup car has the desire to compete in the Cup Series “no matter what” happens to his ride for the 2024 NASCAR season. Allmendinger talked about the situation on The Bullring on Racing America, which was released on Wednesday night.

“I’m still going to race Cup next year, no matter what,” Allmendinger said. “Whether it’s on a part-time basis, the road course races or we do more races. I think people saw the emotion and thought, ‘Man, this may be the last time he races Cup this year,’ no, that’s not it. It’s the emotion was just real because it was a Cup win.”

“I’m always going to do what they want, and we’re working on those plans. They may already have them lined up, and I just don’t know yet. I’m going to be in a Kaulig Racing Chevy for the rest of my career for however long that is, and I hope it’s for a long, long time.”

Allmendinger would prefer to race full-time in the Cup Series but it may not be his decision due to the financial side of NASCAR. In his place, Ty Dillon is a candidate for the No. 16 Cup car. For now, Allmendinger will look to close out the 2023 NASCAR season on a high note and then tackle whatever comes his way in 2024.

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A.J. Allmendinger ‘likely’ to run NASCAR Xfinity Series with Kaulig Racing for 2024

A.J. Allmendinger is “likely” to move back down to the NASCAR Xfinity Series with Kaulig Racing for the 2024 season.

[autotag]A.J. Allmendinger[/autotag] was emotional in the No. 16 car for Kaulig Racing when he crossed the finish line first at the Charlotte ROVAL. That emotion carried out of the car as Allmendinger showed even more feelings during his front stretch interview. It was the Kaulig Racing driver’s first Cup Series win of 2023 and he said, “You don’t know when you’re gonna do it again.”

Well, there may have been a reason behind this comment. According to the Athletic’s Jordan Bianchi, Allmendinger likely won’t return to Kaulig Racing’s program in the NASCAR Cup Series in 2024. Bianchi said that all indications suggest he will be with Kaulig Racing in the NASCAR Xfinity Series next season.

Overall, this would be a disappointing development for Allmendinger, who would prefer to stay in the Cup Series next year. Allmendinger has proven that he can win races at the top level and Kaulig Racing already has the perfect driver if trophy hunting is the top priority. Nothing is official yet but it would be disappointing to see the Charlotte ROVAL winner in a new spot next season.

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NASCAR Studs and Duds: A.J. Allmendinger wins at the Charlotte ROVAL

Check out a couple studs and duds from the NASCAR Cup Series playoff race at the Charlotte ROVAL.

The NASCAR Cup Series entered the Charlotte ROVAL with the purpose of putting on a show for the Round of 12 finale and it certainly lived up to the hype. An emotional [autotag]A.J. Allmendinger[/autotag] held off a hard-charging William Byron for his first victory of the 2023 season. It is Kaulig Racing’s first Cup win of the year as well.

As for other drivers, Kyle Busch was eliminated from the 2023 Cup Series playoffs after a crash to begin the Final Stage. Brad Keselowski also was eliminated after entering the finale with a two-point advantage over the playoff cut-line To round out the Round of 12 eliminations, Ross Chastain and Bubba Wallace put up a good fight but came up short.

Following the Cup Series race at the Charlotte ROVAL, here are a couple of studs and duds from the overall field.

Kaulig Racing discusses status of A.J. Allmendinger in the Cup Series beyond 2023

Kaulig Racing talks about the status of A.J. Allmendinger in the NASCAR Cup Series as speculation about its 2024 driver lineup continues.

[autotag]Kaulig Racing[/autotag] is getting closer to making an announcement on its No. 31 car after Justin Haley announced he would leave for Rick Ware Racing in 2024. However, Haley is not the only driver who might be on the way out of the NASCAR Cup Series program as [autotag]A.J. Allmendinger[/autotag]’s status in the No. 16 car is up in the air.

While there is no threat of Allmendinger truly leaving Kaulig Racing, the idea of moving back to full-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series has been a topic of conversation. In fact, Kaulig Racing president Chris Rice went on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio to discuss if the organization may have two new Cup Series drivers and whether they prefer Allmendinger in the Xfinity Series.

“Well, I think anything is possible,” Rice said about the possibility of two new Cup Series drivers. “We got A.J. Allmendinger that is signed up with us but I think anything is possible.”

“We haven’t even sat down, and we’ve talked about 2024, 2025, and 2026, and how he felt the year went and stuff like that, but we haven’t really sat down and pinned him down and had an opinion of, ‘Hey, this is what you’re doing in 2024.’”

There are plenty of rumors flying around Kaulig Racing, including the possibility of two very intriguing drivers for the Cup Series program in 2024, but nothing is set in stone yet for Allmendinger. The No. 31 car is figured out but the No. 16 car may take some time.

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A.J. Allmendinger gives big update on plans with Kaulig Racing beyond 2023

A.J. Allmendinger talks about his plans with Kaulig Racing beyond 2023 and whether he has a preference between the Cup and Xfinity Series.

[autotag]A.J. Allmendinger[/autotag] is currently in his first season with [autotag]Kaulig Racing[/autotag] as a full-time driver in the NASCAR Cup Series and when the regular season ended in Daytona Beach, FL, it did not go as expected. Allmendinger failed to make the 2023 NASCAR playoffs and won’t be competing for a championship.

However, the driver of the No. 16 car did win two races in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, which has led to speculation that he could return to the series in 2024. In fact, Allmendinger went on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio and discussed his future and whether he will be in the Cup or Xfinity Series next year.

“I will have a Kaulig Racing suit on next year,” Allmendinger said. “There’s a good chance I’m back in the No. 16 Cup car next year but there’s also a chance I could be back in the (NASCAR XfinitySeries) too. It’s whatever they think is best for the organization as a whole. I will be back with Kaulig Racing for as long as I want to be.”

The Kaulig Racing driver went on to say that he has no preference on which series he will compete in next season. Allmendinger’s rise back to the Cup Series has been fun to watch but it’s even more fun to see one of NASCAR’s best personalities competing for race wins on a weekly basis.

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A.J Allmendinger could potentially leave Kaulig Racing’s Cup program after 2023

A.J. Allmendinger could potentially leave Kaulig Racing’s program in the NASCAR Cup Series after moving up from the NASCAR Xfinity Series.

[autotag]A.J. Allmendinger[/autotag] did not return to JTG Daugherty Racing or the NASCAR Cup Series in 2019 after several years with the team. Instead, Allmendinger was out of a full-time ride until [autotag]Kaulig Racing[/autotag] gave him the opportunity to have some fun in the NASCAR Xfinity Series during the 2021 season. The 41-year-old driver was a threat for his two full-time seasons and won a total of 10 races.

Then, Allmendinger was called up to the Cup Series for the 2023 season and missed the playoffs. The Kaulig Racing driver dipped down into the Xfinity Series for a few races and won at Circuit of the Americas and Nashville but many have speculated that he has more fun racing on Saturday. Well, Catchfence’s Lee Spencer went on PRN and talked about what she is hearing surrounding Allmendinger and the organization.

“When you talked about (Kaulig Racing), initially, what I was told was the Austin Hill ride was going to be A.J. Allmendinger’s and he was going back to Saturday racing,” Spencer said. “There might be two seats open at Kaulig if somebody can bring money to make it happen.”

“As much as they love A.J., as much as he’s a fabric of that place…I think that money talks and friendships walk. If there was the opportunity for them to find a couple of paid drivers for those seats.”

Allmendinger may enjoy racing in the Xfinity Series more and it’s impossible to blame him. Some drivers prefer the opportunity of winning races on Saturday than running mid-pack on Sunday. If the opportunity presents itself, it wouldn’t be too shocking to see it take place.

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