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Allmendinger set for Cup return on Daytona road course
AJ Allmendinger will make his first NASCAR Cup Series start since 2018 with an entry in the Daytona road course on Feb. 21 with Kaulig Racing.
“I am really looking forward to racing in the Cup Series once again, but more importantly, I am pumped to be racing in the Cup Series for Kaulig Racing,” said Allmendinger. “I keep wanting to help Kaulig Racing grow as much as possible, and the next step is racing in some Cup races with them. Daytona is a prestigious racetrack to compete at, whether you are on the oval or road course, so this is a great place for Kaulig Racing's first non-superspeedway Cup race.”
The road course event is the second race weekend of the season. A road course ace, Allmendinger will drive the No. 16 Chevrolet. Sponsorship was not announced. Allmendinger is also going to compete full-time for the organization in the Xfinity Series this year, having run selected races last season (pictured above).
Allmendinger retired from full-time Cup Series competition after the ’18 season when he was replaced at JTG Daugherty Racing. In 371 starts, Allmendinger earned a victory at Watkins Glen in 2014.
Kaulig Racing is set for a slate of superspeedway and road course races this season in the Cup Series. A year ago, the team made their series debut with a 13th-place finish in the Daytona 500 with Justin Haley. By expanding the team's schedule this year, owner Matt Kaulig is working toward becoming a full-time team in the future.
“Having AJ compete in our very first non-superspeedway Cup race was really a no-brainer for us,” said Chris Rice, president of Kaulig Racing. “Kaulig Racing is honored to be able to be get AJ back into the Cup Series for the first time since his retirement. I think he will pick right back up where he left off as a road course ace.”
Kaz Grala will drive for the team in the Daytona 500 on Feb. 14.
Kelly Crandall
Kelly has been on the NASCAR beat full-time since 2013, and joined RACER as chief NASCAR writer in 2017. Her work has also appeared in NASCAR.com, the NASCAR Illustrated magazine, and NBC Sports. A corporate communications graduate from Central Penn College, Crandall is a two-time George Cunningham Writer of the Year recipient from the National Motorsports Press Association.
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