Livescore
Kaulig Racing announced Thursday that AJ Allmendinger will return to the NASCAR Cup Series next season, tapping him for full-time driving duties.
Allmendinger currently drives in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, where he’s competed full-time for the Matt Kaulig-owned operation in three of the last four seasons. The 42-year-old veteran has also piloted Kaulig’s No. 16 in 10 Cup Series races this year, splitting time with a host other of drivers — Ty Dillon, Derek Kraus, Shane van Gisbergen and Josh Williams.
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Allmendinger has driven for the Kaulig organization since 2019, when he signed on for five Xfinity Series races. That stint included his first NASCAR national-series victory in nearly five years, and Allmendinger’s workload increased to full-time duties in 2021.
His victory total has also grown. Two of his three career triumphs in the NASCAR Cup Series have come during his time with Kaulig, and his Xfinity Series win count now stands at 17 — with 15 of those achieved in the last five-plus seasons.
Kaulig ventured into the Cup Series in 2020 with a one-off Daytona 500 effort for Justin Haley, but quickly grew to be a full-time Cup operation two years later by fielding two full-time, chartered cars. Allmendinger returned to Cup full-time in 2023, producing his most recent win at the Charlotte Motor Speedway oval and road-course layout, before returning to Xfinity on a full-time basis this season.
Allmendinger currently ranks sixth in the Xfinity Series standings, with three top-five finishes in 20 starts. He is slated for double duty this weekend at Michigan International Speedway, where he’ll drive the No. 16 Chevy in Saturday’s Xfinity Series Cabo Wabo 250 (3:30 p.m. ET) and Sunday’s Cup Series FireKeepers Casino 400 (2:30 p.m. ET), both races broadcast on USA Network, NBC Sports App, MRN Radio and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
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