Kaulig Racing Bowling for 'Strike' at Watkins Glen with Two Strong Road Racers
The NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs are already underway, with the second race in the ‘Round of 16’ set to take place Sunday at Watkins Glen International. While Kaulig Racing doesn’t have any skin in that game, that isn’t stopping the team from chasing trophies in the Finger Lake region of New York.
In a weekend that is guaranteed to bring some uncertainty, with the debut of a new tire from Goodyear, there’s one thing that is for sure, Kaulig Racing has the talent in its arsenal this weekend to deliver.
For just the third time this year, the organization will break out its third, part-time entry, with AJ Allmendinger, the winningest road course racer in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, set to tackle the 90-lap contest with race title sponsor GoBowling.com on-board the No. 13 Chevrolet Camaro.
Allmendinger will be working alongside Daniel Hemric, Kaulig’s full-time NASCAR Cup Series driver, and Xfinity Series teammate Shane Van Gisbergen, who will be driving the No. 16 for the fourth straight week, at the 2.45-mile road course.
It’s a fantastic opportunity for the Matt Kaulig-owned team to score a pair of good results, as both Allmendinger and Van Gisbergen have been able to thrive when it comes to the road courses in both the NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR Xfinity Series.
Allmendinger, who will join Kaulig Racing for a full-time Cup Series campaign in 2025, has found success in NASCAR’s premier division this season on road courses, notching a pair of sixth place finishes at Circuit of The Americas (COTA) and Sonoma Raceway.
“Watkins Glen in the Cup car has been really good for us over the last couple of years,” Allmendinger said in a pre-race advance. “We’ve had top-five speed, opportunities to win the race, and we’ve finished second and fourth there in the last two years.”
The Los Gatos, California-native has been an integral part of the team’s success in the NASCAR Cup Series, collecting the team’s two victories at the Indianapolis Road Course in 2021 and the Charlotte ROVAL in 2023, as well as nine top-five and 21 top-10s.
“I’m really pumped about the opportunity to run the No. 13 Go Bowling Chevrolet at Watkins Glen. With that car, we don’t have to worry about points and can focus on using our strategy to win the race. I think we can run up front all day and have a great opportunity to steal a win.”
Van Gisbergen has had similar pace, qualifying top-12 in both of his road course starts this season but hasn’t been as fortunate when it comes to finishes, after being taken out in a wreck at Chicago and having a mechanical issue at COTA.
“I’m looking forward to racing the Cup car at Watkins Glen [International],” Van Gisbergen said in a pre-race advance. “It’s a road course, so I’m excited to see how my WeatherTech Chevrolet will stack up with the rest of the field. It’s not going to be easy, it’s going to be a challenge, but a lot of fun.”
However, the NASCAR Xfinity Series has been an overall positive experience for the Auckland, New Zealand-native, winning events at Portland International Raceway, Sonoma Raceway, and the Chicago Street Course, while also crossing the start-finish line second at COTA, before receiving a last-lap penalty.
“I’ve raced [at Watkins Glen International] before, but this time will be a completely different experience in a stock car. I’m looking forward to going out [this weekend] and having fun in our WeatherTech Chevrolet. Hopefully we can celebrate in Victory Lane again.”
The biggest overall benefit in having drivers double-dip between the NASCAR Cup and Xfinity Series events, is that there’s a significant chance that Kaulig Racing will have a driver competing for the win in both Saturday and Sunday’s events.
Leaving Watkins Glen, New York with a single trophy would be a fantastic scenario for Kaulig Racing, but two trophies? That would be nothing short of a dream.
JOSEPH SRIGLEY