Kaulig Racing Makes Huge 2025 Driver NASCAR Cup Series Return Announcement

AJ Allmendinger’s return to the NASCAR Cup Series as a full-time driver has been confirmed. Kaulig Racing, which has been his professional home since 2019, made the announcement, signaling a new phase in Allmendinger’s illustrious career. At 42, after an active presence in the NASCAR Xfinity Series with Kaulig Racing for three of the last four seasons, Allmendinger moves to full-time status in the Cup Series.

Throughout the current season, aside from his Xfinity Series commitments, Allmendinger has not been a stranger to the Cup Series grid. He participated in 10 races driving Kaulig’s No. 16 car, sharing duties with fellow drivers such as Ty Dillon, Derek Kraus, Shane van Gisbergen, and Josh Williams.

Allmendinger first joined the folds of Kaulig Racing in 2019, running just five Xfinity Series races but leaving an indelible mark by scoring a NASCAR national series win, his first in nearly five years. His partnership with Kaulig blossomed fully in 2021, when he became a regular face in the Xfinity Series. During his tenure, he notched 17 wins in the Xfinity Series and added two more NASCAR Cup Series victories to his resume—all under the Kaulig banner.

Sharing the news to social media, Kaulig Racing posted:

“We know where he’ll be in 2025,@AJDinger will return to full-time NASCAR Cup Series competition for Kaulig Racing!”

Kaulig Racing itself has been on an expansion course within NASCAR. Launching into the Cup Series in 2020 with a one-off Daytona 500 entry for Justin Haley, the team escalated to a full-time operation by 2022 with two chartered cars.

Looking at Allmendinger’s performance this season ahead of his full-time switch, he is currently ranked sixth in the Xfinity Series standings, having achieved three top-five finishes in 20 starts. This weekend, he is set to race in both the Xfinity Series Cabo Wabo 250 and the Cup Series FireKeepers Casino 400 at Michigan International Speedway.

NASCAR Cup Series Current Standings

1. Kyle Larson – 779 points
2. Denny Hamlin – 758 points
3. Christopher Bell – 701 points
4. William Byron – 678 points
5. Ryan Blaney – 702 points
6. Tyler Reddick – 774 points
7. Chase Elliott – 773 points
8. Brad Keselowski – 636 points
9. Alex Bowman – 615 points
10. Joey Logano – 557 points
11. Daniel Suarez – 497 points
12. Austin Cindric – 451 points
13. Martin Truex Jr. – 662 points
14. Ty Gibbs – 602 points
15. Bubba Wallace – 587 points
16. Chris Buescher – 584 points
    (PLAYOFFS CUT-OFF)
17. Ross Chastain – 584 points
18. Chase Briscoe – 485 points
19. Kyle Busch – 465 points
20. Todd Gilliland – 454 points
21. Michael McDowell – 431 points
22. Carson Hocevar – 414 points
23. Josh Berry – 412 points
24. Noah Gragson – 400 points
25. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. – 376 points
26. Ryan Preece – 341 points
27. Erik Jones – 337 points
28. Justin Haley – 329 points
29. Corey LaJoie – 327 points
30. Daniel Hemric – 323 points
31. Austin Dillon – 319 points
32. John Hunter Nemechek – 313 points
33. Zane Smith – 262 points
34. Harrison Burton – 243 points
35. Kaz Grala – 166 points
36. Cody Ware – 47 points
37. Joey Hand – 43 points
38. Jimmie Johnson – 39 points
39. Derek Kraus – 32 points
40. David Ragan – 17 points
41. Kamui Kobayashi – 8 points
42. Will Brown – 6 points
43. Cam Waters – 2 points