NASCAR’s Brutal Reality Consumes Kaulig Racing as A.J. Allmendinger Left Without a Cup Ride- Claims Veteran Insider

Oct 9, 2023 | 2:33 AM EDT

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Kaulig Racing star A.J Allmendinger came out of Charlotte Roval exuberant, carrying the emotion of victory. No doubt, road course tracks have been the 41-year-old’s forte. Having shown his prowess on a similar track in the inaugural version of the Chicago Street Race, the driver of the No. 16 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 was considered one of the dark horses for Sunday for beating great cars like William Byron’s No. 24 and Kyle Busch’s No. 8.

However, this win doesn’t come as an indication of any more thorns in his path. NASCAR’s decision to turn the prevalent system into one similar to franchising had some repercussions. And the Charlotte winner had to deal with some of it recently, with his Cup Series ride falling into jeopardy.

Why might A.J. Allmendinger have to take a step down to Xfinity in 2024?

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Eminent journalists Jordan Bianchi and Jeff Gluck discussed a host of talking points in the latest episode of their podcast, The Teardown. Summarizing Charlotte Roval, one cannot help but talk about A.J. Allmendinger. The #16 driver was visibly feeling himself on the road course, gliding past cars. While Rowdy presented a challenge to his dominant lead, he kept moving ahead of the pack even after a late surge from Byron.

As the topic gravitated toward A.J., his contractual situation was spotlighted. Before the race, the driver of the No. 16 Chevy clarified that although he would love to race in the Cup again next year, the situation around it has been a bit grim.

Kaulig Racing team president Chris Rice’s decision-making will be at the heart of the matter. The #16 team has been handed some bizarre decisions in 2023, including a drop to Xfinity for one race instead of racing in the Cup at Richmond.

AJ Allmendinger said he’d prefer to race Cup next year but he doesn’t have an update on next season and reiterated he will do whatever Kaulig Racing asks him. pic.twitter.com/x4Db4VZePG
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) October 7, 2023

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Jordan Bianchi claimed that in his conversation with Rice prior to the post-race presser, he questioned him about A.J.’s situation. Rice replied, “No it’s not. It’s a lot about sponsorship dollars and funding, that’s where there’s a gap right now. They just don’t have the funding in place for the #16 car.”

Read More: AJ Allmendinger Wraps Roval in Tears as Kyle Busch’s “Leapfrog” Strategy Massacres Championship Hope

With Allmendinger even racking up a win up his sleeve now, it is difficult to say whether he will stay in the Cup or not. On the other hand, Kaulig Racing has also signed Daniel Hemric as a full-time driver for 2024. The 2021 Xfinity champion will make a return to top-flight after a long sabbatical.

Allmendinger and his affair with the Xfinity Series

A.J. Allmendinger is a name that would ring many bells, even as far back as 2007. Making his debut in the Cup for non-operational Red Bull Racing, he made his big move to Petty Motorsports two years later. In 2012, he was called up by Roger Penske to replace an injured Kurt Busch. However, that was a dark year in his career, as A.J. failed a drug test in the final months of 2012 and was released from the roster.

In 2018, the Charlotte winner announced his retirement, moving away from full-time racing, but not for long. But in 2019, Kaulig Racing decided to bring him back to Xfinity. Roaring his engine at Roval even back then, he brought the team to its only second win at the track.

In 2020, A.J. Allmendinger won two races again, which pushed him to sign up for a full-time season in Xfinity, repaying his team’s faith by winning the regular-season championship and a P4 finish in the season-end standings.

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It will be sad to see a driver of his caliber leave the competition due to financial constraints. Some will feel that Kaulig Racing can take some more time with this decision and should opt to keep A.J. Allmendinger for another year.