On Tuesday, AJ Allmendinger announced he is returning to Kaulig Racing full-time for the 2021 season. Allmendinger has competed for Kaulig Racing the last two-years in selected races in the No. 16 Chevrolet. He’s made sixteen starts with Kaulig with two wins, one pole, six top-five, and eight top-ten finishes. Sponsors for Allmendinger will be released at a later date.
‼️ 2021 NEWS ‼️ @C_Rice1 | @MattKaulig | @AJDinger pic.twitter.com/jkVPL3GsoW — Kaulig Racing (@KauligRacing) December 1, 2020
This will be Allmendinger’s first full-time season since the Cup Series in 2018 with JTG Daugherty. After his initial retirement from full-time competition after the 2018 Cup Series season, Allmendinger competed part-time in the Xfinity Series and has been a broadcaster for NBCSN’s IMSA coverage along with competing in select IMSA races such as the Rolex 24 at Daytona.
Allmendinger released a statement on returning to competition full-time, saying, “As a part-time driver for Kaulig Racing in the Xfinity series, I have really enjoyed working with all the women and men in the organization these past two years. The love of showing up to NASCAR races has returned for me, and I truly have enjoyed myself on and off the racetrack. It starts with Matt Kaulig and Chris Rice. I can’t thank them enough for giving me a call at the start of 2019 and offering me races that continued into 2020. More than anything, I have really loved being part of the team and watching the growth of the organization. Because of that, the opportunity to come back full time in 2021 was something I just could not pass up.”
LeafFilter owner Matt Kaulig founded Kaulig Racing in 2016 after both he and Blake Koch were set to resign with then NASCAR team TriStar Motorsports in the Cup Series. Instead, Kaulig chose to start his own team with one car that Blake Koch drove that season. Since then, the team has grown into a three-car team with Justin Haley and Jeb Burton driving the other cars. The team wrapped up its fifth year and has become a major Xfinity Series team. Justin Haley was in the championship four this year and came up short on the title, and finished third in the standings. In 226 starts, their drivers have combined for two-poles, seven wins, 41 top-five, and 107 top-ten finishes.
Kaulig Racing President Chris Rice released a statement on Allmendinger competing for full-time saying, “Having AJ race full-time for Kaulig Racing will only elevate our program to another level. I truly believe his veteran experience has helped us in every race he has ever run with us, and that is evident in his finishes. I’m sure he will complement our other two great drivers we already have, as he’s been a great teammate since day one. I love the challenge in front of us to go after the championship in 2021 with all three of our drivers.”
Kaulig Racing will begin their quest to win the Xfinity Series championship starting Saturday, February 13th, at Daytona International Speedway.
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