When Kaulig owner Matt Kaulig said, “If you were going to do a textbook on ‘How do you build a NASCAR race team?’” he wasn’t saying it lightly. Sure, the team doesn’t have a lot of Cup Series victories to show, but it’s been a story of steady growth over a decade. Running full-time entries in the Cup Series is not easy, and Kaulig knew that back in 2016. He needed an ally on the grid, and he didn’t have to look too far.

In came Richard Childress Racing, a behemoth that boasted big names in the NASCAR world. It had won championships with the likes of Dale Earnhardt Sr. A technical alliance made perfect sense.

Kaulig’s relations with RCR aren’t new. They’ve been together for nearly 9 years now. This close collaboration is further solidified by Kaulig Racing’s use of ECR Engines, RCR’s engine development division. This integration ensures that both teams benefit from shared technological advancements and performance data. The results of this alliance are evident. Kaulig Racing clinched its first NASCAR Cup Series victory at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course in 2021, with AJ Allmendinger behind the wheel. Allmendinger even got a second win in 2023 at the Charlotte Roval.

Speaking about the benefits the alliance has brought, crew chief Trent Owens noted, “It is different than I’ve experienced in the past. The biggest thing is, you know, I have access to the race shop. I can just walk right up and walk in. And they can just walk down our race shop and we have chats and communication going on all the time, meetings at the racetrack. With this car, especially now that, we essentially buy the parts and assemble the cars vs building cars. We’ve built cars in the past. Even though you may be in alliance with someone, if you had a different chassis or a different car than others, it was still hard to pull off each other. So, I think with this car more than anything we’ve worked on in the past, you’re able to work off another race team. You know the people really well and just really happy with the group we have like I said and hopefully continue that.”

In the 2025 season, Kaulig Racing’s drivers have demonstrated the fruits of this collaboration. AJ Allmendinger, driving the No. 16 Action Industries Camaro ZL1, secured a seventh-place finish at the Straight Talk Wireless 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Starting from the 10th position, Allmendinger finished seventh in Stage 1 and concluded the race in seventh place, marking a solid performance for the team.

Even before this, Kaulig Racing driver Justin Haley had talked about the importance of Richard Childress Racing when he appeared on an episode of Dale Jr.’s podcast. “It’s always been RCR stuff, RCR chassis and bodies and motors and everything and we still do. I mean it’s all RCR stuff. But the RCR cars weren’t there, you didn’t have Austin Hill, Sheldon Creed. You just didn’t have RCR cars there in the field, the house cars so, whatever was going on, I don’t know what it was but our three cars there was some serious speed in them.” 

But this alliance isn’t just about sharing parts and building cars. It’s also about the drivers. Richard Childress sent one of his trusted drivers and crew chiefs to Kaulig to increase their chances of going for wins. Ty Dillon took over the #10 Chevrolet back in September last year, and going with him was Andrew Dickeson, who would serve as his crew chief. Longtime RCR fans may know Dickeson has been part of the Childress Racing fold for a long time, and joined the team, bringing his experience from his years in the Supercars series.

Even Kaulig owner Matt Kaulig was happy about the changes at the time. “Ty has done a really great job for us this year in our No. 16 car, competing in a limited schedule,” Matt Kaulig said. “He has been consistent each time he gets in the car and has really helped our program grow this season. We think he will be instrumental in continuing our Cup program in alliance with Richard Childress Racing.” Dillon finished 14th at the Daytona 500, an incredible finish considering the rest of the reason hasn’t been as successful.

The synergy between Kaulig Racing and RCR exemplifies how strategic alliances can elevate performance in NASCAR. By leveraging shared resources and expertise, Kaulig Racing continues to make significant strides in the Cup Series. They are no longer just an Xfinity powerhouse but a rising force in the Cup Series, steadily closing the gap to NASCAR’s elite teams.

For now, the pressing problem for the team is to bring Ty Dillon up to speed this season.

Ty Dillon’s performance: A call for improvement for Kaulig Racing

While AJ Allmendinger has showcased consistent performances for Kaulig Racing in the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series, teammate Ty Dillon’s results have been less impressive. Dillon, piloting the No. 10 Chevrolet, has struggled to match Allmendinger’s pace, often finishing further back in the field.​ In the season opener at Daytona, Ty Dillon secured a respectable fourteenth-place finish, scoring 23 points. However, subsequent races have seen a decline in his performance. For instance, at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Dillon finished 16th. This was followed by another poor performance at COTA where he finished 28th. The subsequent races weren’t much better either.

At the Straight Talk Wireless 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway on March 23, Dillon’s challenges persisted. He completed all 267 laps but finished 27th, starting from the 24th position and earning only 10 points. In contrast, Allmendinger secured a seventh-place finish in the same race, highlighting the disparity between the teammates.

Over the first five races of the season, Dillon’s average finish stands at 22.50, with no top-five or top-10 finishes, and he has led only three laps. These statistics underscore the need for improvement to remain competitive within the team and the broader Cup Series field.

As the season progresses, the question remains: Can Ty Dillon elevate his performance to match his teammate’s success and contribute more significantly to Kaulig Racing’s ambitions? Or will he prove to be a thorn in Kaulig Racing’s push for greater success, struggling to keep pace with the team’s rising expectations?