AJ Allmendinger has signed a new NASCAR contract
For 2023, AJ Allmendinger will return to full-time competition in the NASCAR Cup Series. Kaulig Racing made the announcement on Wednesday morning.
The contract is a multi-year deal.
In the previous two seasons, Allmendinger has run a part-time schedule in the Cup Series for Kaulig Racing. He claimed a win in 2021 and has three top-5s in 18 total races over the previous two seasons.
Chris Rice shares AJ Allmendinger stories
“He shows up [at Daytona] and pushes Ross Chastain is our first win as a company,” Chris Rice stated.
“An hour and half later, he flies home and I had to call him and tell him he got disqualified. So, he didn’t finish 3rd, he finished last.”
“The next week, he shows up at Watkins Glen, we don’t have a hotel room for him. It’s 1-o’clock in the morning, he’s calling me while I’m sleeping.”
“He’s like, ‘I don’t have a hotel room.’ I’m like, ‘Yes, you do.’ He’s like, ‘I DO NOT HAVE A HOTEL ROOM!’ We forgot the hotel room for him.”
“He runs that race, finishes 2nd. Hour-and-a-half later, he’s disqualified, again. I’m like, ‘Woah, this is going real well.’ “
“Went on that year, won at The Roval. Then, we show up at Daytona, we missed the race. He drove a rental car home he was so mad.”
“He stepped in the Cup car this year. I think he’s had three top-10s in his last three races. We know it’s going to be hard to beat the Hendricks and those guys. It’s been a pleasure to listen to him scream at me, scream at our spotters, scream at Bruce. Get out and scream at Matt because Matt asked him, ‘How you doing?’ “
“It’s been a pleasure to watch him win. He’s won at every size race track. When he came back, they said he could only win at the road courses. We proved them wrong.”
Allmendinger has collected 9 race wins in the Xfinity Series in the previous two full-time seasons. He remains in the battle for the 2022 season championship.
AJ Allmendinger comments on 2023
“Through all the ups and downs early on, something I found was how much I love this team,” AJ Allmendinger stated.
“That was the thing I kept noticing, this feeling’s not going away, this is getting worse. Seeing the racecars on the racetrack and me not being in them, was getting worse and worse.”
“I thought, ‘Oh no, what am I thinking about doing here?’ “
“Well, golf is pissing me off, every day. So, that whole living the dream thing and playing golf everyday has just made me more mad. So, why not?”
“This is where I’ll finish my career, no doubt about it.”
Allmendinger elected to sign with the team to drive full-time in the Xfinity Series back in 2021. Several wins later, that has now progressed into a full-time NCS ride for 2023.
Also in 2023, Chandler Smith will now field the No. 16 car in the NASCAR Xfinity Series.
