AJ Allmendinger Returning to Kaulig Racing's Cup Program in 2025
![NASCAR Cup Series driver AJ Allmendinger (16) fists bumps Matthew Murphy from Columbus, Ind., ahead of the Brickyard 400, Sunday, July 21, 2024, at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. NASCAR Cup Series driver AJ Allmendinger (16) fists bumps Matthew Murphy from Columbus, Ind., ahead of the Brickyard 400, Sunday, July 21, 2024, at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_5749,h_3233,x_0,y_0/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/racing_america_on_si/01j5bpvxwkk0d9ye0f47.jpg)
AJ Allmendinger will return to the NASCAR Cup Series full-time in 2025, piloting one of the Chevrolet Camaros for Kaulig Racing, the team confirmed via a social media post on Thursday.
This season, Allmendinger is driving a Kaulig Racing entry in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, where he's spent three of the last four seasons competing for a championship in the second-tier series. The 42-year-old driver has been with the Matt Kaulig-owned operation since 2019, collecting 17 victories -- two Cup Series wins and 15 Xfinity Series wins.
🚨 NEWS 🚨
— Kaulig Racing (@KauligRacing) August 15, 2024
We know where he’ll be in 2025, @AJDinger will return to full-time @NASCAR Cup Series competition for Kaulig Racing! pic.twitter.com/j7Op1BPock
In addition to his full-time campaign in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, Allmendinger has also run a partial schedule at NASCAR's top-level, running 10 events in the No. 16 Chevrolet, splitting the entry with several other drivers -- Ty Dillon, Derek Kraus, Shane Van Gisbergen, and Josh Williams.
During his last full-time campaign at NASCAR's top-level, in 2023, Allmendinger recorded a victory at Charlotte Motor Speedway's ROVAL, as well as four top-five and seven top-10 results, finishing the 36-race campaign 21st in NASCAR Cup Series point standings.
The Los Gatos, California-native has recorded Kaulig Racing's two victories in the NASCAR Cup Series, the first coming while the organization was still part-time in the Cup Series, at Indianapolis Motor Speedway's Road Course in 2020.
After 20 of 33 NASCAR Xfinity Series events, Allmendinger sits sixth-place in regular-season point standings, on the strength of three top-five and 10 top-10 finishes, boasting an average finish of 13.9 on the season.
In the 42-year-old driver's NASCAR Cup Series events run this season, Allmendinger has recorded three finishes of sixth-place, in events at Daytona International Speedway, Circuit of The Americas (COTA), and Sonoma Raceway.
Allmendinger's return to full-time competition in the NASCAR Cup Series fills one of two seats at NASCAR's top level for the organization, which also fields multiple full-time entries in the NASCAR Xfinity Series.
Additional announcements regarding the sponsorship roster and personnel for Allmendinger's No. 16 Chevrolet Camaro next season will come at a later date.