Tag: Kaulig Racing

Kaulig Racing reveals new crew chief lineup in NASCAR Cup Series for 2025

Kaulig Racing reveals its crew chief lineup in the NASCAR Cup Series for 2025. Which crew chiefs will lead Ty Dillon and A.J. Allmendinger?

[autotag]Kaulig Racing[/autotag] has made a few moves ahead of the 2025 NASCAR season. On Thursday afternoon, Kaulig Racing announced that [autotag]Andrew Dickeson[/autotag] and [autotag]Trent Owens[/autotag] will be its NASCAR Cup Series crew chiefs. Dickeson will lead Ty Dillon and the No. 10 team, while Owens reunites with A.J. Allmendinger and the No. 16 team.

Dickeson has spent several years at Richard Childress Racing as an engineer and earned his first full-time gig as a crew chief. Meanwhile, Owens spent the 2024 NASCAR season with former Kaulig Racing driver Daniel Hemric. Allmendinger was partnered with Owens for nine races during the 2018 NASCAR season when they were at JTG Daugherty Racing.

Kaulig Racing is looking to improve after a down 2024 season. Hemric was the team’s only full-time Cup Series driver, but that will change as Dillon and Allmendinger lead the way in 2025. The hope is that Kaulig Racing develops into a race-winning team, and a stronger partnership with Richard Childress Racing might help them reach those heights.

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Kaulig names new Cup Series crew chiefs

Kaulig Racing announced a number of personnel changes Thursday, including the crew chiefs for its two NASCAR Cup Series entries. Andrew Dickeson has been named the crew chief for Ty Dillon and the No. 10 team. Dickeson joins the organization from …

Kaulig Racing announced a number of personnel changes Thursday, including the crew chiefs for its two NASCAR Cup Series entries.

Andrew Dickeson has been named the crew chief for Ty Dillon and the No. 10 team. Dickeson joins the organization from technical partner Richard Childress Racing where he was an engineer. His previous racing experience also includes competing in the Australian Supercars Super2 Series and around the United States.

Trent Owens, meanwhile, will be reunited with AJ Allmendinger. He spent the 2024 season overseeing the No. 31 team with Daniel Hemric. But Allmendinger is returning to the Cup Series on a full-time basis.

“I think this is the most impressive competition leadership group we have ever had,” Kaulig Racing president Chris Rice said. “We have such a great core team with all the men and women of Kaulig Racing, and bringing in smart people with fresh eyes will really help us compete on the track.”

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Additionally, Mike Cook has been named technical director of Kaulig Racing. Cook joins the organization from Stewart-Haas Racing where he was most recently a lead engineer.

“After a decade of learning and honing my craft, I am really excited to contribute to the continuing growth of Kaulig Racing,” Cook said. “Nothing in racing happens overnight, but I know I have the tools and the support I need to bring immediate impact.

“Andrew has the demeanor and stability that I think will give Ty the best opportunity he has ever had at the Cup level. AJ and Trent are just in sync and have a great working relationship. Both drivers are hungry and dedicated, so I know that team is going to be strong and impress some people in 2025.”

Allmendinger locks into Xfinity Championship 4 with Vegas win

It was the first NASCAR Xfinity Series trophy of the season for A.J. Allmendinger but the timing was on point. His Playoff win in Saturday’s Ambetter Health 302 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway punched his ticket into next month’s season finale …

It was the first NASCAR Xfinity Series trophy of the season for A.J. Allmendinger but the timing was on point. His Playoff win in Saturday’s Ambetter Health 302 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway punched his ticket into next month’s season finale Championship race.

The 42-year old Californian held off a hard-charging Ryan Sieg by a mere 0.156s to claim his 18th career win – leading a race best 102 of the 201 laps in his No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet. Allmendinger had to out-run and out-negotiate Sieg in the closing laps, ultimately getting the best of the field on a final re-start at the 1.5-miler with two laps remaining.

An exuberant Allmendinger – who is moving to the NASCAR Cup Series next year — climbed out of his Chevrolet, raising his arms to urge the crowd cheer and shouting congratulations to his team and his team owner Matt Kaulig, whose birthday was Saturday.

“I absolutely love these guys and girls at Kaulig Racing. It’s been such up-and-down but what I love about them is we stick together, we keep fighting,’’ Allmendinger said before turning toward his team and shouting, “Happy Birthday Matt Kaulig. The boss’s birthday — I told you I was getting you a trophy. I love you.’’

“What a way to get to Phoenix after the year we’ve had. Let’s go win a championship!”

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For Sieg – who is still looking for his first win in 364 Xfinity Series starts – Saturday’s near-miss marked the fifth runner-up showing of his career and second in just the last three races. He challenged Allmendinger mightily in the final 30 laps – passing him with nine laps to go, only to get passed right back the following lap.

“We had the best car on the longer run and I needed a long run and we were getting there,’’ the RSS Racing driver Sieg said afterward. “I just overdrove [Turn] 1 and lost some of our track position, but I was able to gain it back. Just sucks to finish second again with a great car. One of these days it’s going to go our way.’’

Allmendinger’s fellow Playoff drivers, JR Motorsports’ Justin Allgaier and Joe Gibbs Racing’s Chandler Smith finished third and fourth. Parker Kligerman, who was eliminated from the Playoffs just last week, finished fifth.

Allgaier had a strong No. 7 Chevrolet, winning Stage 2 and leading 42 laps – second best to Allmendinger. His work didn’t get him the automatic Championship 4 berth but does put him atop the championship standings 32 points to the good with races at Homestead-Miami Speedway next week and then at the half-mile Martinsville, Va. track to formally decide which four drivers move to the Nov. 9 season finale eligible to compete for the trophy.

“He did a great job and hats off to those guys to get a Chevrolet in victory lane,’’ Allgaier said of Allmendinger. “Ryan [Sieg] did a great job too.

“Really proud of this team. Yesterday in practice we weren’t as good as we wanted to be, but they went to work and made good adjustments all day to put us in a good position.’’

“At the end there, just not able to get into dirty air like I wanted to,’’ he said, adding, “Great start to the next round and obviously got some good stage points so we’ll move on to next week.’’

 

Richard Childress Racing rookie driver Jesse Love – a Playoff contender — was sixth, followed by Stewart-Haas Racing teammates, defending race winner Riley Herbst and Playoff driver Cole Custer. JGR’s Sheldon Creed – also eliminated from Playoff contention last week – was 10th.

Playoff contenders RCR’s Austin Hill and JR Motorsports’ Sam Mayer were 13th and 14th, respectively, with JR Motorsports’ Sammy Smith getting involved in an early race accident and finishing 32nd – last among the Playoff eight.

The reigning series champion Custer sits just behind Allgaier in the points standings – 16 points to the good with Chandler Smith in that fourth position, eight points to the good.

Hill (-8) is fifth followed by Love (-13), Mayer (-23) and Smith (-53).

The series moves to the Homestead-Miami Speedway 1.5-miler for next Saturday’s Credit One NASCAR Amex Credit Card 300 (4 p.m. ET, CW, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). Mayer is the defending race winner.

RESULTS

Kaulig Racing makes big change in NASCAR Cup Series for rest of 2024

Kaulig Racing has made a big change in the NASCAR Cup Series for the rest of 2024. Find out the latest details on Kaulig Racing!

[autotag]Kaulig Racing[/autotag] has made a big change in the NASCAR Cup Series, effective immediately. On Wednesday morning, Kaulig Racing announced that Travis Mack will not return as crew chief for the No. 16 Cup car, effective immediately. Darian Grubb will serve as the crew chief for Shane van Gisbergen and the No. 16 team at Las Vegas Motor Speedway this weekend.

Mack left Daniel Suarez and Trackhouse Racing at the conclusion of the 2023 Cup Series season and made it through 32 races at Kaulig Racing. This is the second big change by a NASCAR team in the last week after Legacy Motor Club and Dave Elenz parted ways. Elenz and Mack will now be able to look for a spot as the 2025 NASCAR season becomes closer.

In 2024, Mack has led the No. 16 car to one top-5 finish, four top-10 finishes, and one pole position with Shane van Gisbergen. It has not been the season that many at Kaulig Racing expected, but the hope is that 2025 will bring better results. For now, the organization will focus on closing out the 2024 season with some momentum, unlike last year.

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Van Gisbergen rockets to first career Cup Series pole at Roval

Shane van Gisbergen topped the NASCAR Cup Series field in qualifying Saturday at the Charlotte Roval for his first career pole. He clocked in at 99.246mph (82.704s) in his first attempt at the Roval in a Cup Series car. Tyler Reddick (P) qualified …

Shane van Gisbergen topped the NASCAR Cup Series field in qualifying Saturday at the Charlotte Roval for his first career pole.

He clocked in at 99.246mph (82.704s) in his first attempt at the Roval in a Cup Series car.

Tyler Reddick (P) qualified second at 99.177mph and AJ Allmendinger, third at 98.874mph. Allmendinger is the defending winner.

Joey Logano (P) ran fourth at 98.694mph; Austin Cindric (P), fifth at 98.580mph; Kyle Larson (P), sixth at 98.500mph; Chase Elliott (P), seventh at 98.389mph; Brad Keselowski, eighth at 98.341mph and Bubba Wallace, ninth at 98.219mph. William Byron (P) rounded out the top 10 at 98.165mph.

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Byron is the only driver locked into the next round of the playoffs going into Sunday’s elimination race.

Kyle Busch missed advancing to the final round when Keselowski bumped him in the final minute of the first round. Busch qualified 11th.

Christopher Bell (P) qualified 12th; Daniel Suarez (P), 13th; Ryan Blaney (P), 15th; Alex Bowman (P), 17th and Denny Hamlin (P), 18th.

Ty Gibbs wound up 19th, while Carson Hocevar qualified 20th. Michael McDowell managed 21st.

Chase Briscoe (P) was the lowest qualifying playoff driver in 25th place.

Martin Truex Jr. qualified 30th for his final Roval race.

*P denotes playoff driver

RESULTS

Hemric out, Ty Dillon in for second Kaulig Racing Cup entry in 2025

Ty Dillon will be a full-time NASCAR Cup Series driver in 2025 as the second driver for Kaulig Racing. Dillon will pilot the No. 10 Chevrolet for the organization alongside AJ Allmendinger in the No. 16. No partnerships were announced for Dillon’s …

Ty Dillon will be a full-time NASCAR Cup Series driver in 2025 as the second driver for Kaulig Racing.

Dillon will pilot the No. 10 Chevrolet for the organization alongside AJ Allmendinger in the No. 16. No partnerships were announced for Dillon’s program.

“We’re excited to be able to acquire the rights of the No. 10 for the 2025 Cup Series season,” said Chris Rice, president of Kaulig Racing. “When we decided to move to the Cup series, the number was not available, so we are looking forward to having familiarity and synergy across both series with the Nos. 10 and 16.”

“Ty has done a really great job for us this year in our No. 16 car, competing in a limited schedule,” said owner Matt Kaulig. “He has been consistent each time he gets in the car and has really helped our program grow this season. We think he will be instrumental in continuing our Cup program in alliance with Richard Childress Racing.”

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Dillon has made select starts in the Cup Series this season with Kaulig Racing, 23XI Racing and Richard Childress Racing. He will compete in Sunday’s race at Kansas Speedway with Kaulig.

The 32-year-old North Carolina native last ran a full season in the Cup Series in 2023 with Spire Motorsports. Dillon has seven top-10 finishes in 244 career starts.

“I am incredibly grateful for another opportunity to run full-time in the Cup Series, and to be able to do it with the men and women at Kaulig Racing means a lot to me personally,” said Dillon. “They gave me a chance this year to go out and prove myself in a handful of starts. The team and I were able to connect early on, and we put together a few strong runs in the No. 16. I’m really looking forward to what 2025 brings with this team. We have a bright future ahead of us and we’re going to give it our all each and every race next season.”

Kaulig Racing will release the rights to the No. 31 at the end of the season. Daniel Hemric has driven the No. 31 car as the team’s full-time driver this year, with the No. 16 split between multiple drivers. Hemric confirmed on social media he will not return to the organization next season.

Van Gisbergen ‘gutted’ after mistake costs Watkins Glen win

Shane van Gisbergen knew exactly what kept him from the win after losing the lead on the last lap in Sunday’s Go Bowling at the Glen. “Driver error,” he said. The three-time Supercars champion did well to position himself for a second NASCAR Cup …

Shane van Gisbergen knew exactly what kept him from the win after losing the lead on the last lap in Sunday’s Go Bowling at the Glen.

“Driver error,” he said.

The three-time Supercars champion did well to position himself for a second NASCAR Cup Series victory. On a weekend when most eyes were on the playoff field, the Kiwi qualified third and ran well enough to find himself second to leader Chris Buescher with the laps winding down.

A trio of late cautions shook up the running order and brought the field together. Van Gisbergen elected to start on the inside of the second row each time. For the first two attempts, the decision didn’t yield fruit, but on a final overtime restart, van Gisbergen was able to give Buescher a small nudge into Turn 1 and make a three-wide move on the bottom.

He cleared Buescher heading into the Esses and emerged with a slim advantage in the Bus Stop, but van Gisbergen also knew he could be due for contact in return from Buescher if the Texan was able to chase him down.

For the next full lap, van Gisbergen was flawless. He made a rare mistake in the final trip through the Bus Stop, though, clipping the inside wall and pushing him off-line. Buescher took advantage, jumped to van Gisbergen’s inside and muscled his way by for the lead.

“I knew Chris was really going to send it and push me if he could get there,” van Gisbergen said. “As I turned in, I got a little bit loose and clipped the inside wall.”

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Van Gisbergen tried to chase Buescher back down but got loose at the exit of Turn 6 and had to chase his tail heading into the final corner. That left him too out of control to give Buescher a final nudge in the last corner, allowing the RFK Racing veteran to ride off to his first road course win.

“I got in there deeper than I had been and I think [van Gisbergen] was still going, so I had a good feeling that it was probably going to bottom out,” Buescher said of van Gisbergen’s mistake. [The re-profiled chicane is] smoother, not smooth. It was a big moment, big opportunity for us and I was able to roll on by.”

The second-place run was van Gisbergen’s best since he shocked the field to win on debut in the 2023 Chicago Street Race. He’d finished no better than 10th in the ensuing eight starts, though six of them have come on ovals where he has much less experience.

It’s a good sign heading into his first full-time Cup season in 2025, but it was little consolation to the 35-year-old after he gave away a potential win.

“I’m gutted,” van Gisbergen said. “The WeatherTech Camaro was really good. The race was awesome with Ross (Chastain), Chris and the others at the end. I’m gutted that we couldn’t get it. I had a lot of fun, but I’m pretty angry with myself.”

Kaulig Racing to make big NASCAR announcement for 2025 on Saturday

Kaulig Racing is scheduled to make a big NASCAR announcement for 2025 on Saturday. What are the details behind Kaulig Racing’s announcement?

[autotag]Kaulig Racing[/autotag] is rounding out its 2025 NASCAR driver lineups and another announcement is on the way. According to NASCAR’s press conference schedule, Kaulig Racing is scheduled to announce its final Xfinity Series driver at 10:00 a.m. ET on Saturday. To this point, the NASCAR team has Daniel Dye and Josh Williams full-time for the 2025 season.

Williams, A.J. Allmendinger, and Shane van Gisbergen currently drive full-time for Kaulig Racing in the Xfinity Series. Allmendinger will join Kaulig Racing full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series while van Gisbergen moves up with Trackhouse Racing in 2025. Williams is the only current full-time driver who will return next season.

As for drivers that could drive the No. 16 Xfinity car in 2025, Christian Eckes, Daniel Hemric, and Harrison Burton all make sense. Eckes has been heavily linked to Kaulig Racing, but Hemric could move back down. Meanwhile, Burton has talked to Kaulig Racing about rides for 2025. It will be fascinating to see who drivces the No. 16 Xfinity car at Kaulig Racing.

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Harrison Burton linked to shocking NASCAR team after Daytona victory in 2024

Harrison Burton has been linked to a shocking NASCAR team after his victory at Daytona. Which NASCAR team could sign Burton for 2025?

[autotag]Harrison Burton[/autotag] entered Daytona International Speedway as the last full-time NASCAR Cup Series driver in the point standings but the narrative changed forever. It has been a tough season for Burton, who won’t return to Wood Brothers Racing in 2025, but it turned around his first career victory. Now, the driver of the No. 21 car has been linked to a new NASCAR team.

According to [autotag]Kaulig Racing[/autotag] president Chris Rice on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, the organization has talked to Burton about rides for the 2025 season. As of now, Kaulig Racing has one opening in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, with one possible opening in the NASCAR Cup Series. The No. 16 Xfinity car is available, while the No. 31 Cup car might not have Daniel Hemric back behind the wheel.

Burton’s win at Daytona will certainly help his case to land a ride with Kaulig Racing. The Wood Brothers Racing driver has sponsorship, which is important in the modern age of NASCAR. The Cup Series winner of the 2024 Coke Zero Sugar 400 should have options for next season, and his win at Daytona can’t hurt his chances at all.

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Daniel Dye joins Kaulig Racing full-time in NASCAR Xfinity Series for 2025

Kaulig Racing announces that Daniel Dye will drive full-time in the No. 10 car during the 2025 NASCAR Xfinity Series season.

[autotag]Kaulig Racing[/autotag] has revealed a new full-time driver for the 2025 NASCAR Xfinity Series season. On Friday afternoon, Kaulig Racing announced that [autotag]Daniel Dye[/autotag] will drive the No. 10 Xfinity car full-time in 2025. Dye, who currently runs full-time for McAnally-Hilgemann Racing in the NASCAR Truck Series, has made select starts for Kaulig Racing in the Xfinity Series.

The driver of the No. 43 truck for McAnally-Hilgemann Racing has made seven Xfinity Series starts for Kaulig Racing and has two top-10 finishes with a 19.9 average finishing position. Dye has a best finish of seventh place at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 2024. In the Truck Series, he made the 2024 playoffs with his teammates Christian Eckes and Tyler Ankrum.

Dye hasn’t won in any of NASCAR’s top 3 levels despite having 48 starts since the start of the 2023 season. Kaulig Racing will have Dye and Josh Williams in its driver lineup, with the No. 16 car “to be announced” as A.J. Allmendinger returns to the NASCAR Cup Series. Dye has earned an opportunity in the Xfinity Series, and Kaulig Racing is an ideal spot.

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