Kaulig Racing is not an unheard name in the NASCAR circuit. With a presence in both the NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) and the NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS), the team is, in fact, a revered name in the racing community. Currently, it fields two cars in the NCS and the NXS.
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SONOMA, CA - JUNE 27: AJ Allmendinger, driver of the #47 Kingsford Charcoal Chevrolet, poses in front of the Coors Light Pole Award board after qualifying for pole position for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma Raceway in Sonoma, California. (Photo by Rainier Ehrhardt/NASCAR via Getty Images)
The team was established in 2016 and is owned by Matt Kaulig. Just to give you some context, he is an entrepreneur, currently serving as a branded home solutions company, Leaf Home's founder and board member besides spearheading a stock car racing team.
As it is clear from the first glance, the racing team has been named Kaulig Racing after its team owner's surname.
While there's no official confirmation as to how much the team might be worth, looking at owner Matt Kaulig's personal wealth running over a comfortable $5 million, it is safe to say that his team enjoys a good amount of financial benefits. After all, it's not easy to maintain a team in the NASCAR Cup Series if you're low on cash, is it?
Currently, the team fields four drivers, namely AJ Allmendinger, Daniel Hemric, Shane van Gisbergen and Josh Williams.
Currently, the team's oldest driver, AJ Allmendinger, joined Kaulig Racing in 2019. And ever since, the duo have formed a partnership racking up blistering performances. However, the highlight of the duo's career came in 2023 when Allmendinger clinched a blistering victory at the Charlotte Roval playoff race, beating even the top driver in the drivers' standings at that point, William Byron.
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Feb 15, 2024; Daytona Beach, Florida, USA; NASCAR Cup Series driver AJ Allmendinger (16) before the Bluegreen Vacations Duels at Daytona International Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-USA TODAY Sports
As for Daniel Hemric, he joined the team in 2022 to compete in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, finishing 9th in the final standings. The driver also made select starts in the NASCAR's top division during his first year with the team, where he clinched a Cup career high of P9 at the Auto Club Speedway.
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BROOKLYN, MI - AUGUST 14: Daniel Hemric, driver of the #14 California Clean Power Chevrolet, prepares to drive during practice for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Careers for Veterans 200 at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn, Michigan. (Photo by Rey Del Rio/Getty Images)
Josh Williams is a relatively newer addition to Kaulig Racing, having joined the team ahead of the 2024 season. He was slated to drive the #11 Chevrolet in the NASCAR Xfinity Series.
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NASCAR, Motorsport, USA Xfinity Series Nalley Cars 250, Mar 19, 2022 Hampton, Georgia, USA NASCAR Xfinity Series driver Josh Williams during the Nalley Cars 250 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports, 19.03.2022 13:06:10, 17956632, NASCAR Xfinity Series, Nascar, Josh Williams, Atlanta Motor Speedway PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xMarkxJ.xRebilasx 17956632 | Credits: Imago
Another exciting addition to the team came in the form of New Zealand born driver and 3x Supercars Champion, Shane van Gisbergen. The Kiwi, after having shown a dominating performance with Trackhouse Racing during his debut NASCAR race at the 2023 Chicago Street race, joined Kaulig ahead of the 2024 season. The driver will be racing in the NASCAR Xfinity Series full-time. Apart from that, he will also be making seven Cup Series starts with the team. It is worth noting that SVG is under contract with Justin Marks-owned Trackhouse Racing, which has an alliance with Kaulig Racing. However, there are talks of the driver running in the Cup Series full-time with Trackhouse Racing. However, that has yet to be determined.
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LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - MARCH 02: Shane Van Gisbergen, driver of the #97 Focused Health Chevrolet, waves to fans as he walks onstage during driver intros prior to the NASCAR Xfinity Series The LiUNA! at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on March 02, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Meg Oliphant/Getty Images)
At one point, Justin Haley was also a part of the team, having joined them ahead of the 2022 season. However, the driver left Kaulig to join Rick Ware Racing after the 2023 season.
Backed by OEM Chevrolet, the team also has a partnership with Cirkul, Celcius, South Point, Kaulig Companies, Leaf Filter, Action Industries, Poppy Bank, LA Golf, Kaulig Media, Ellsworth Advisors, Gabriel-Glas, Leaf Home, Leaf Home Enhancements, Hyperice, Leaf Home Safety Solutions, Leaf Home Water Solutions, Benesch, Bath Planet, Lincoln Electric, AG1, Wix Filters, K1 Race Gear, Champion Container, Race to Stop Suicide, Star brite, Western States Flooring, Focused Health, Mountain Dew, and Cheetos.
Apart from an elaborate racing roster, the team has several other ventures it looks into. Currently, Kaulig Companies serves as a corporate partner of the Guardians. “Over the past four years, we have worked alongside Cleveland Guardians Charities, in which we have helped raise nearly $750,000 during one of the top Major League Baseball fundraising events. Our goal has always been to champion those who are creating a positive impact in Northeast Ohio, and we are thrilled to take our involvement to the next level as we further our commitment to the Cleveland Guardians organization," said Matt Kaulig, who is Executive Chairman of Kaulig Companies, at the time.
Additionally, Matt Kaulig also seems to have an interest in Golf as, in 2023, news surfaced that Kaulig Companies would be serving as the title sponsor of the PGA Tour Champions' Senior Players Championship at the Firestone Country Club.
All of Kaulig Racing's major achievements in the Cup Series came with its veteran driver AJ Allmendinger, who won two Cup races with the team. His first victory came at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 2021, while his second one came at the Charlotte Roval in 2023.
In the Xfinity Series, too, the driver gave the team a multitude of victories including five P1 finishes in the 2021 season alone, besides being the regular season champion that year and finishing the season fourth in the drivers' standings. Apart from that, the team has also secured 15 pole positions across divisions till date.
As of now, Kaulig Racing is also under a technical alliance with the Trackhouse Racing team which sees new NASCAR inductee Shane van Gisbergen, who is originally signed with the Justin Marks-owned team, race for Kaulig Racing in the Xfinity Series, full-time, for the 2024 season.
When it comes to Kaulig Racing driver AJ Allmendinger, he has had quite an interesting career graph. The driver was a full-time Cup Series participant up until the 2023 season, which marked his last year as a full timer, and also saw his third Cup victory at the Charlotte Roval playoff race. However, he took the decision to step back from NASCAR's top division on a high to go back to racing on a full-time basis in the Xfinity Series.
Website | https://www.kauligracing.com/ |
https://www.instagram.com/kauligracing/ | |
https://www.facebook.com/kauligracing/ | |
https://twitter.com/kauligracing |
Name | Kaulig Racing |
Owners | Matt Kaulig |
Base | Welcome, North Carolina |
Series | NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR Xfinity Series |
Race Drivers | AJ Allmendinger, Daniel Hemric, Shane van Gisbergen, Josh Williams. |
Sponsors | Cirkul, Celcius, South Point, Kaulig Companies, Leaf Filter, Action Industries, Poppy Bank, LA Golf, Kaulig Media, Ellsworth Advisors, Gabriel-Glas, Leaf Home, Leaf Home Enhancements, Hyperice, Leaf Home Safety Solutions, Leaf Home Water Solutions, Benesch, Bath Planet, Lincoln Electric, AG1, Wix Filters, K1 Race Gear, Champion Container, Race to Stop Suicide, Star brite, Western States Flooring, Focused Health, Mountain Dew, Cheetos. |
Manufacturer | Chevrolet |
Founded | 2016 |
Last Race | United Rentals Work United 500 |
Championships | - |
Race Victories | Cup Series: 2 Xfinity Series: 23 |
Net Worth | - |